心猿意马

Pronunciation: xīn yuán yì mǎ
Literal meaning: Heart monkey mind horse

Origin & Usage

This restless idiom compares the heart/mind (心) to a monkey (猿) and thoughts/intentions (意) to a galloping horse (马), originating from Buddhist meditation texts during the Tang Dynasty. It described the challenging experience of untamed consciousness constantly jumping between objects of attention. The specific animals were chosen for their characteristic movements - monkeys leaping unpredictably among branches, horses galloping without restraint. Chan Buddhist masters used this vivid imagery to help practitioners recognize mental restlessness during meditation. Modern usage describes difficulty concentrating or maintaining mental focus, acknowledging the natural tendency of untrained attention to wander between thoughts, particularly relevant in contexts requiring sustained mental application.

Examples

English: "The student couldn't focus on studying with so many distractions"

Chinese: 这个学生在如此多的干扰下无法专注于学习

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