A young disciple approached an elderly hermit and complained of being haunted by sinful thoughts. The elder took him outdoors into the open field and ordered:
“Spread out your lap… Open your bosom!”
The disciple obeyed him.
“Can you stop the wind from blowing into your clothes?”
“No, I can’t!..”
“The same is also true with thoughts… We cannot stop their flow. We can only prevent them from remaining permanently in our souls…”
Translated by The Catalog of Good Deeds
We can't stop the flow of our thoughts. But we can control it's thinking directions..