A MATTER OF DESTINATION

A Buddhist has no destination, is not going anywhere.  He has nowhere to reach, therefore is not frustrated by not being able to get there.  He avoids dukka, suffering. 

A Vedantist, by contrast, has a destination, is going someplace.  He has somewhere he must reach, therefore is forever frustrated, always in a state of pain.  His destination is God. 

The Vedantist has a carrot-and-stick problem.  It is not a question of whether or not God exists, as He is visible quite clearly out there on the end of the stick; his mind’s eye sees Him plainly.  His dilemma is that the carrot, God, can never be gotten to.

An Advaita Vedantist, a nondualist, however, understands that God, the stick i.e. his distance from God, and himself are all the same thing, are all God.  In this way, he has no destination to attain, for he is already there.  He is at peace.