yan manasā na manute yenāhur mano matam | tad eva brahma tvaṁ viddhi nedaṁ yad idam upāsate ||
"That which cannot be thought by the mind, but by which, they say, the mind thinks, know That alone to be Brahman, not what people worship as this."
What This Means:
You cannot think about the ultimate reality because it's what makes thinking possible in the first place. Any thought about Brahman is still just a thought, not Brahman itself. The thinker is closer to Brahman than any thought.
Going Deeper:
The mind functions by making distinctions and creating concepts. But Brahman, being non-dual and infinite, cannot be captured in any concept. Yet without Brahman's light, no thinking could occur. This points to self-knowledge rather than object-knowledge.
How To Apply This:
When you meditate, you might try to think your way to enlightenment. But notice: what is aware of your thoughts? That awareness is not itself a thought. Rest there.
Key Sanskrit Terms: