意い馬ば心しん猿えん

noun

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.

• 「意い馬ば心しん猿えん」とは、心こころが乱みだれて制せい御ぎょできない様よう子すを表あらわす仏ぶっ教きょう由ゆ来らいの四よ字じ熟じゅく語ごだ。

  意馬心猿 is a Buddhist-derived yojijukugo that describes a state where the mind is restless and uncontrollable.