We can’t have two thoughts at a time

THE moment a new thought comes inside our system, it means that the old thought has lost its power or influence over us. If the new thought has entered us, it means the old thought has been renounced because we cannot have two thoughts at a time.

There is a beautiful story by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa:

A king who was inside a huge fort was once attacked by an army that was two million strong. The king only had two or three people around him and got very frightened. He told his adviser: ‘Two million people, and I am all alone. They will kill me!’ The royal adviser said, ‘Don’t worry, Sir. Open only one door. Surely through one door only one person can come in at a time. As they come in, stand on this side of the door and kill them one by one. Over! Do not try to fight with the whole crowd.’

If we think all our enemies are gathered together, we will start having unnecessary fears. Whether we accept it or not, our mind which is filled with thoughts seems to be our first enemy. Understand: we cannot have even two thoughts at a time, leave alone a crowd of thoughts. Understand very clearly that we can have only one thought at a time. Unless the old thought is pushed out, the second thought cannot come. Any thought that comes in and pushes the old thought out is more powerful than the old thought.

The problem arises when we create the belief that our thoughts are connected to each other. When we connect our thoughts, out of the connection a problem takes shape. Our belief we have some problem is our only problem.

Every moment our inner space is purified by the new incoming thoughts. If we allow this process to continue, it will happen by itself and clean itself also. There is no need for us to clean our mind. All we need to do is just get out — just get out of the system so that the system can proceed on its own.

One important truth we should know is that even if we want, we cannot possess or hold onto our suffering for long. Even if we try to hold it, we cannot hold our suffering because continuously, our thought that creates suffering is also replaced by newer thoughts!

Understand that if you nurture the fact that any suffering can be replaced by a stream of fresh thoughts, then that becomes reality for you. Then there is no suffering. You have the power to bring on a new thought, which proves you have the power to drop the old thought. Allow your thoughts to be replaced. Tremendous awareness, energy and intelligence will happen in your system. Be Blissful!