One key point that Sri Ramana Maharshi brings up is to distinguish between thinking and being. Especially thinking about being and being itself. For example in this quote:
"..The state we call realization is simply BEING oneself, not knowing anything or becoming anything."
The difference is subtle but very important. According to Sri Ramana Maharshi, it is thought that binds one and causes suffering, like in this statement:
" ..You must exist in order that you may think. You may think these thoughts or other thoughts. The thoughts change but not you. Let go the passing thoughts and hold on to the unchanging Self. The thoughts form your bondage. If they are given up, there is release. The bondage is not external. So no external remedy need be sought for release. It is within your competence to think and thus to get bound or to cease thinking and thus be free. "
So it becomes clear that for realization, which is nothing but the state of simple and pure Being, one needs to avoid thinking. This sounds very counter intuitive but this is what the great Guru is prescribing. Once one trusts these words and avoids thought during meditation and at other times unless necessary one will be thrown back to a state of pure being. The difference can only be felt, it cannot be known in the conventional sense, since knowing implies thinking/analyzing etc. This leads us to the fact that feeling or experiencing is the key and not thinking.
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