Likutei Moharan, Part II
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה בְּיַד הָאָדָם לְהַטּוֹתָהּ כִּרְצוֹנוֹ לְמָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה, וְכַמְבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵי מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּיַחַד כְּלָל,
Thought is in a person’s control to direct to wherever he wishes. And, as explained elsewhere, it is utterly impossible for two thoughts to be simultaneous.
וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם לִפְעָמִים הוֹלֶכֶת מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ וּפוֹרַחַת וּמְשׁוֹטֶטֶת בִּדְבָרִים אֲחֵרִים וְזָרִים, הוּא בְּיַד הָאָדָם לַחֲזֹר וּלְהַטּוֹתָהּ בְּעַל־כָּרְחָהּ אֶל הַדֶּרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר, לַחֲשֹׁב מַה שֶּׁרָאוּי.
Thus even if his mind occasionally flies off and wanders in other, foreign matters, a person has the power to direct it back, against its will, to the straight path, to think what is proper.
וְהוּא מַמָּשׁ כְּמוֹ סוּס שֶׁפּוֹנֶה מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ וְסָר לְדֶרֶךְ אַחֵר, שֶׁתּוֹפְסִין אוֹתוֹ בְּאַפְסָר וְכַיּוֹצֵא, וּמַחֲזִירִין אוֹתוֹ בְּעַל־כָּרְחוֹ אֶל הַדֶּרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר, כְּמוֹ־כֵן בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁיְּכוֹלִין לְתָפְסָהּ בְּעַל־כָּרְחָהּ לְהָשִׁיבָהּ אֶל הַדֶּרֶךְ הָרָאוּי:
It is exactly like a horse that strays from the path and turns to another one. We grab hold of it by the reins or something similar, and bring it back, against its will, to the correct path. It is exactly the same with thought. It is possible to grab it against its will and bring it back to the proper path.