If you’ve ever tried to meditate for more than a minute, you’ve probably met your monkey. You’ve likely encountered your monkey mind going wild when you’re mulling over some worry, stewing over an insult, or craving something you desire.

In the Buddhist tradition, we call it the “monkey mind.” Restless. Busy. Jumping from branch to branch. Chattering away and letting out a few barks, screams, hoots, and shrieks for good measure. Planning your next vacation. Replaying an awkward conversation from 2007. Wondering if you left the stove on. And all of this while you are trying to be peaceful.

The Story of the Monkey Mind

There’s a story I love that explains the monkey mind perfectly.

Once, long ago, a man received a magical monkey from his spiritual teacher. This monkey could grant any wish he desired. The man was delighted.

He had the monkey build a palace. He gave it tasks all day long, and the monkey miraculously completed each one.

But at night, the monkey would not let him rest.

“What next?” the monkey demanded, with his head resting on the man’s pillow. “What do you want me to do now? Or we could talk about all the wonderful things we’ve done so far. Let’s do something!”

The monkey never stopped. It hounded him day and night. The man, exhausted and desperate, ran back to his teacher.

“Help me! I can’t live like this.”

The master handed him a single curly hair and said, “Have the monkey make this straight.”

The monkey pulled the hair straight. It sprang back. He pulled it again. It bounced back again. The monkey sat down, fully absorbed in trying to straighten the impossible curl.

The monkey had to remain completely present and mindful to keep the curl straight. the monkey’s restlessness was replaced with presence.

And for the first time, the man slept peacefully.

This is our monkey mind. It sometimes keeps us awake at night, too.

The human mind is brilliant. It can build palaces. It can solve problems. It can create art and build businesses and gain spiritual insights. But if we do not give it something steady and wise to focus on, it will torment us with endless demands.

Don’t run back to the past,

don’t anticipate the future.

the future has not arrived.

– Buddha, One Fine Night Sutra

So how do we tame the monkey mind?

We do not scold it. We do not shame it. We give it the gentle, steady anchor of mindfulness.

We bring it home to the present moment.

One of the simplest, most powerful anchors is the breath. We can do breathing meditation formally to calm the monkey mind, before bed, or during the day with our eyes open.

Right now, pause.

Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. Breathe deeply and slowly from your diaphram.

Let it fill your lungs completely.

Then exhale slowly through your nostrils.

Observe the breath at your nostrils single-pointedly. Feel the air moving. Feel the rise and fall of your lower belly. Feel the simple miracle of being alive.

Your breath is always happening in the now. It does not exist in the past. It does not exist in the future. When you anchor your awareness to your breathing, you step out of the jungle of mental chatter and rest in the quiet clearing of the present moment.

When you meditate on the breath, it’s like lovingly handing your monkey that curly hair. “Here,”you tell the monkey mind gently, “just watch this breath.” Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

The mind will wander. That is what minds do. The hair will spring back. Thoughts will arise. When you notice you’ve drifted, gently guide your attention back to the breath.  No scolding. Just return your attention to the breath at the tips of your nostrils.

Return to the breath over and over again. Needing to bring yourself back to mindfulness is not failure. This is the practice. With practice, mindfulness becomes stronger. The monkey mind becomes tame.

And something beautiful begins to happen. The space between thoughts widens. The nervous system softens. We discover that underneath all the mental activity, there is a quiet awareness that has been here all along.

The monkey is still there. But it is no longer running the show. We can control our minds. We can choose not to react. We can choose our responses.

Today, when you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or scattered, try this:

Stop.

Breathe deeply three times.

Feel your feet on the ground.

Be in this present moment. Enjoy.

You do not have to straighten every curly hair in your life. You just have to come home to the breath.

And in that simple returning, again and again, the wild monkey becomes your ally. Your friend.

Would you like to go deeper with weekly virtual classes on Buddhism?

In our virtual Buddhist Study Program, we explore simple, practical tools like meditation on the breath, loving kindness, and training the mind in everyday life. These are not abstract ideas. They are living practices that help you become calmer, kinder, and more resilient in the middle of your real, beautiful, messy life.

You’re welcome whether you’re brand new to Buddhism or have been practicing for years.

Or join me for an free class and let’s learn, laugh, and tame our monkeys together. 🌿

The One Fine Night Sutra

“Don’t run back to the past,

don’t anticipate the future.

the future has not arrived;

and any present phenomenon

you clearly discern in every case.

The unfaltering, the unshakable:

having known that, foster it.

Today’s the day to keenly work—

who knows, tomorrow may bring death!

For there is no bargain to be struck

with Death and his mighty horde.

One who keenly meditates like this,

tireless all night and day:

that’s who has one fine night—

so declares the peaceful sage.

—Buddha, One Fine Night Sutra

Written by JoAnn Fox, Buddhist Teacher of 23 years

References and Links

Buddha. The One Fine Night Sutra. Sutta Central (online). Retrieved from: https://suttacentral.net/mn131/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin

Lama Tsomo (2021). Ancient Wisdom for Our Times. Tibetan Buddhist Practice: Wisdom & Compassion (Starting with Yourself). Published by Namchak Publishing Company LLC, USA. Excerpt, pages 40-41, retrieved from: https://www.namchak.org/community/blog/the-buddhist-story-of-the-monkey-mind/