Parable of the Day: Can We Stop the Flow of Thoughts?

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

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