Taming the Monkey Mind
Meditation Lessons from a Jesuit Novice Turned Zen Student
I wrote about this about a year ago, but would like to revisit the subject.
It was based on my experience as a Jesuit novice and Zen Buddhist student. I want to share my thoughts on this common symptom of the monkey mind and some lessons I’ve learned over the years about taming it.
One of the reasons I write is to vent my pent-up thoughts. There are endless discussions and debates about many things, from the relevance of the Heart Sutra in modern society to my being upset over a recent betrayal by a close friend. My blood pressure increases, and my inner arguments intensify as I lie awake at 4 in the morning.
I have always had this inner dialogue. Prolonged ramblings and feelings manifest as internal conversations and arguments. Sometimes, they lead to profound insights, but mostly, they are just noise.
My experience as a Jesuit novice might have helped me cope with this chattering. We “contemplated”, which was applied through an ongoing spiritual exercise designed by St Ignatius of Loyola. The daily Examen required me to reflect on each day’s actions, morning and night, to discern God’s will in my decisions.
I became interested in Zen Buddhism after I left the Catholic Church. I liked the non-religious aspects of “When sitting, just sit. When eating, just eat.” I felt it was more like mental exercise for taming the mind rather than trying to understand divine purpose.
What Is the Monkey Mind?
It is the constant chattering that goes on in our minds. When you try to study for your final Biology exam at 11 PM, it is the distracting dialogues you are having with yourself about what to do after the exam and why Charles said what he said about your new jacket.
The essence of the Monkey Mind is that it prevents you from focusing on a designated task. Imagine trying to sit still for 30 minutes and “count your breath.” I have found that it is tough to do something so straightforward. If our bodies moved as frantically as our minds, we wouldn’t survive crossing the road!
It was necessary for survival.
While it might feel like a nuisance, this mental restlessness served a purpose in our evolutionary past.
When we were living in caves and jungles, having a hyper-alert brain was crucial for survival. The ability to notice little things, like the unusual rustling of leaves or “I wonder if we have enough for the cold weather,” gave us an edge. It helped us stay alert and ahead.
Today, however, that exact survival mechanism often works against us. Instead of spotting predators, our minds obsess over deadlines, social media likes, and imaginary worst-case scenarios.
From a spiritual perspective, the monkey mind takes on additional layers of meaning. It represents the ego-driven part of ourselves that resists stillness and craves distraction.
Religious addressed intrusive thoughts during prayer (meditation) as distractions or temptations that pull the novice away from God. I remember my struggle with “bad thoughts” as I contemplated the passion of Christ on Good Friday.
But the monkey mind isn’t inherently “bad.” It’s not trying to sabotage you; it’s just doing its job. The problem arises when we let it run unchecked, allowing it to hijack our attention and drain our energy.
That’s where meditation comes in.
Why Does the Monkey Mind Happen?
There is some science behind it.
This phenomenon is identified as the default mode network (DMN), a network of brain regions that activates whenever we’re not focused on a specific task. This part of your brain is responsible for daydreaming, self-reflection, and rumination. It is also the culprit for occasional “bad thoughts.”
Although the DMN plays a vital role in creativity and problem-solving, it also contributes to many of our mental struggles. Overactive DMN activity is linked to anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. When left unchecked, it tends to dwell on negative thoughts (“What if I fail?” “Why did I say that stupid thing?”) or endlessly replay past events. The DMN also acts as a gatekeeper, resisting anything unfamiliar or uncomfortable. For example:
When you first begin meditation, you may notice your mind won’t shut up. Trying to “still your thoughts and just breathe” is met with an ever-increasing chatter of random thoughts. Thoughts that generally would not bother you intensify when you try to shut them down.
As a Jesuit novice, this is a daily struggle. When I participated in the 4-week Spiritual Exercises as part of my training, practising “Major Silence” for 30 days (not speaking or communicating with anyone except my Spiritual Director for an hour each day) became a significant distraction. The monkey mind thrives on resistance. The harder you fight it, the louder it gets.
This brings us to a critical point.
Don’t Fight the Monkey
My mistake was to treat the monkey mind as something to be controlled and defeated. As a Zen student, I try to sit still and count my breaths, only to end up frustrated and defeated. Most days, I can only manage a minute of mindfulness.
It was worse when I was a religious novice because the idea of “sin” permeated everything. The monkey mind becomes temptation from the devil, and failing is often seen as falling (from grace). The moral struggle didn’t help me achieve any spiritual growth.
But meditation isn’t about wrestling your thoughts into submission. Trying to suppress the monkey mind only amplifies it, creating a vicious cycle of frustration and distraction.
I suspect that the effort to suppress could lead to other problems like depression, anxiety and chronic stress, and even manifest themselves in more horrible ways like neurosis and psychosis. I experienced this potential darkness towards the middle of my Spiritual Exercises, and would have fallen into “desolation” if not for the timely intervention of my Spiritual Director.
The soul has deep and dark places.
How Meditation Helps
Meditation is a tool to train your mind to become less reactive. The idea of not fighting the restless mind but gently guiding it is a core teaching in meditation. We know that the “monkey mind” is a natural tendency of the mind. It can be calmed through practice: Work with the monkey and not against it.
While I am no guru or spiritual director, I have observed what has worked for me and what hasn’t. Learning meditation has three stages: Awareness, Concentration, and Contemplation.
Awareness
This is when you learn to observe your thoughts without judgment. When you notice your mind wandering, acknowledge that this is happening and return to whatever you were doing, whether sitting still and counting your breath, reciting the rosary (yes, it’s a mantra), or doing visualisation exercises. Make it fun and relaxing. For me, I write.
It doesn’t have to be in a formal “meditation” setting. You can do this on t `he bus, while waiting for your latte, or when stuck in a traffic jam. The goal is to achieve a state of mindfulness all the time. Eventually, this awareness helps to calm the mind.
Concentration
As you practice being aware of your thoughts, you may notice these intrusive thoughts becoming less frequent. You may be able to sit through 15 minutes of counting your breath before remembering that Paul owes you money from last week’s lunch.
These exercises of returning to your anchor are like weightlifting for your mind, gradually increasing your capacity for attention. Work becomes less stressful, and you generally sleep better. Your ability to focus improves.
But it is just that: the ability to focus and to pay attention. It is also what you need to begin meditation.
Contemplation
Once concentration is sufficiently developed, you can begin to meditate. If concentration is the ability to hold attention, contemplation directs that attention toward something meaningful. It is about focusing with purpose.
Contemplation can take many forms, depending on one’s intent. A Buddhist might meditate on the Noble Eightfold Path, profoundly reflecting on its significance. A Christian might meditate on the Passion of Jesus, immersing in the gift of divine grace. A scientist or an artist might use it to solve complex problems, allowing insights within the subconscious mind to surface.
In each case, it shifts from holding attention to engaging with a subject in a way that deepens understanding. Now trained to remain steady, the mind is no longer all over the place and wrestling with distractions. Instead, it applies itself entirely to the task at hand.
The Practical Benefits of Meditation
As I mentioned earlier, beyond spiritual insights, meditation has practical applications. It helps refine problem-solving skills, enhances creativity, and fosters emotional resilience. Great thinkers throughout history, whether philosophers, scientists, or poets, have used meditation to cultivate breakthroughs. On a very secular and practical level, meditation trains the mind to remain calm in the face of stress, focus on what matters, and helps you navigate the modern world more easily.
While meditation is commonly viewed as an esoteric or religious practice, it is ultimately a discipline of the mind. And like any discipline, it rewards those who practice consistently. With persistent practice, meditation refines concentration and expands one’s capacity for wisdom, insight, and inner peace.
How to Meditate
Meditation requires patience and practice. A few minutes a day can make a difference. It is essential to be consistent rather than going all out occasionally. There is nothing to achieve. Just be aware.
When distractions arise, label them (“This is me worrying about tomorrow’s interview” “This is me planning for this year’s holiday”). Be indifferent. Create distance, and let them go.
Create daily rituals to build consistency. It doesn’t always have to involve sitting in the lotus posture. Cutting carrots can be meditation. Washing dishes, mopping the floor, and filing your tax returns. Approach the process with curiosity and self-compassion.
You strengthen your mind each time you notice a distraction and gently return to the present. Over time, this simple act rewires your brain for clarity and focus. Meditation isn’t about achieving perfect stillness; it’s about learning to navigate the mind’s natural tendencies with ease and grace.
Embracing the Monkey Mind
The monkey mind is a part of you. Without it, there would be no creativity, imagination, or sparks of insight. The goal is to cultivate a healthy relationship with it. Like the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, see it as an energetic companion that, with the proper guidance, can become a helpful ally in your life.
If you’re ready to start working with your monkey mind, check out my article How to Meditate for a step-by-step guide to building a practice that works for you. With patience and consistency, you might find that the mind you once struggled with becomes your greatest superpower.
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