Depending upon perspective, the monkey regularly hijacking my mind, swinging from idea to idea without exploring the savory thoughts ripening on the branch, is either a curse or a blessing. The term monkey mind is derived from a Chinese word meaning heart-mind monkey. It is an idea foundational across Buddhist traditions to describe how thoughts jump capriciously from one focus to another, no matter how tenuous the interstitial connection or non-connections between leaps. It is often paired with the phrase "idea horse," further emphasizing the mind's restless and wandering nature.
