心猿意马
心猿意马 (xīn yuán yì mǎ) literally means “heart monkey mind horse” and expresses “restless, unfocused mind”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: xin yuan yi ma, xin yuan yi ma,心猿意马 meaning, 心猿意马 in english
Restless, unfocused mind
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
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
一波三折
yī bō sān zhé
Many twists and turns
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改邪归正
gǎi xié guī zhèng
Return to righteousness
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好逸恶劳
hào yì wù láo
Love ease, hate work
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物极必反
wù jí bì fǎn
Extremes lead to reversal
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塞翁失马
sài wēng shī mǎ
Misfortune might be a blessing
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近水楼台
jìn shuǐ lóu tái
Advantage from close connections
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夜郎自大
yè láng zì dà
Overestimate oneself
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因果报应
yīn guǒ bào yìng
Actions have consequences
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 心猿意马 mean in English?
心猿意马 (xīn yuán yì mǎ) literally translates to “Heart monkey mind horse” and is used to express “Restless, unfocused mind”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 心猿意马 used?
Situation: The student couldn't focus on studying with so many distractions
What is the pinyin for 心猿意马?
The pinyin pronunciation for 心猿意马 is “xīn yuán yì mǎ”.
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