uncontrollable worldly desires; restless passions
Buddhist yojijukugo describing the difficulty of controlling one's desires and impulses, likening the mind to a wild horse and monkey. Rare in modern everyday speech; mostly encountered in literary or Buddhist contexts.
「意馬心猿」とは、心が乱れて制御できない様子を表す仏教由来の四字熟語だ。
意馬心猿 is a Buddhist-derived yojijukugo that describes a state where the mind is restless and uncontrollable.