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
CONVERSATION