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: