--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Distraction is the main problem for us…" description: "\"Distraction is the main problem for us all - what the Buddha called the monkey mind. We need to tame this monkey mind.\" — Tenzin Palmo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/tenzin-palmo-1431_distraction_distraction-is-the-main-problem-for-us-a_2339053.png" --- # Distraction is the main problem for us all - what the… ![“Distraction is the main problem for us all - what the Buddha called the monkey mind. We need to tame this monkey mind.” quote by Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/tenzin-palmo-1431_distraction_distraction-is-the-main-problem-for-us-a_2339053.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/tenzin-palmo-1431_distraction_distraction-is-the-main-problem-for-us-a_2339053.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/tenzin-palmo-1431_distraction_distraction-is-the-main-problem-for-us-a_2339053.png) > “Distraction is the main problem for us all - what the Buddha called the monkey mind. We need to tame this monkey mind.” [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The restless, wandering mind (monkey mind) distracts us; taming it requires disciplined attention and mindfulness practice. **In simple terms:** Monkey mind distracts us. Key Takeaway Practice focused meditation daily. Themes mindfulness focus discipline Mood peaceful contemplative Type spiritual educational When to use this quote - studying - working - meditation sessions - stressful environments Key Concepts monkey mind mental chatter Questions to Reflect On - How can you notice when your mind is wandering? - What techniques help you stay present? A Different Perspective Taming the mind is gradual and may be challenging without guidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Distraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distraction/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Monkey mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monkey-mind/) [Monkeys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monkeys/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [I am burdened with what the Buddhists call the monkey mind. The thoughts that swing from limb to limb, stopping only to scratch themselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-am-burdened-with-what-the-buddhists-call-the-monkey-mind-the/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [In a way, fasting is like the "calming of the monkey mind" effected by the rosary prayer: both are means of stilling the effervescence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/in-a-way-fasting-is-like-the-calming-of-the-monkey-mind-effected-by/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [I find, however, it's a much more freeing way to live. It certainly beats walking around with the "Don't you know who I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-fabian/i-find-however-it-s-a-much-more-freeing-way-to-live-it-certainly/) [Patrick Fabian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-fabian/) > [But then with me the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of man's mind, which has been developed from the mind of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/but-then-with-me-the-horrid-doubt-always-arises-whether-the/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [I am burdened with what the Buddhists call the 'monkey mind' -- the thoughts that swing from limb to limb, stopping only to scratch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-am-burdened-with-what-the-buddhists-call-the-monkey-mind-the-2/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“To know your mind, you need a little distance. You need to be a step or two away and be able to notice what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-overby/to-know-your-mind-you-need-a-little-distance-you-need-to-be-a-step-or/) [Eric Overby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-overby/) > [That frame of mind that you need to make fine pictures of a very wonderful subject, you cannot do it by not being lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothea-lange/that-frame-of-mind-that-you-need-to-make-fine-pictures-of-a-very/) [Dorothea Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothea-lange/) > [“Remain confined or find a way to escape from your state of mind. It's what you need to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leftside-deafinit/remain-confined-or-find-a-way-to-escape-from-your-state-of-mind-it-s/) Leftside Deafinit > [You're always on my mind I need you to be by my side I want you to be mine, oh mine For all time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proudlesbian/you-re-always-on-my-mind-i-need-you-to-be-by-my-side-i-want-you-to-be/) ProudLesbian > [We grow up only to see that people who once had our best interests in mind need our best interests now..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/we-grow-up-only-to-see-that-people-who-once-had-our-best-interests-in/) [Kevin Mccarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [If you're too disciplined, it can mess up your mind. You need to have that treat for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-momoa/if-you-re-too-disciplined-it-can-mess-up-your-mind-you-need-to-have/) [Jason Momoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-momoa/) > [I haven't strength of mind not to need a career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-benedict/i-haven-t-strength-of-mind-not-to-need-a-career/) [Ruth Benedict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-benedict/) > [To beat a Mind we need Minds …](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mimranjutt/to-beat-a-mind-we-need-minds/) MImranJutt > [I have so much on my mind. Somebody please reach out to me ! I have so much stress on my mind, I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzie-cheesman/i-have-so-much-on-my-mind-somebody-please-reach-out-to-me-i-have-so/) [MacKenzie Cheesman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzie-cheesman/) > [“Those of us who are working with these strange substances trying to find the best way of using them, both in the treatment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-adams/those-of-us-who-are-working-with-these-strange-substances-trying-to/) [Cameron Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-adams/) ## More by Tenzin Palmo > [All of us are playing roles, and there's nothing wrong with playing roles because we have to live in this world - the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-playing/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I really don't know what I could teach and don't really plan to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-really-don-t-know-what-i-could-teach-and-don-t-really-plan-to-teach/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [For any practice to work, the mind which is meditating on the object must merge. Often they are facing each other. One has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/for-any-practice-to-work-the-mind-which-is-meditating-on-the-object/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I've often said that the seventh paramita should be a sense of humor, so we don't take ourselves too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-ve-often-said-that-the-seventh-paramita-should-be-a-sense-of-humor/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you take the time to study how to be a doctor and how to use your scalpel and your medicine, then there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-take-the-time-to-study-how-to-be-a-doctor-and-how-to-use-your/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If we want to be musicians, dancers or sportspeople, we can download a certain amount and watch DVDs and read books, but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-we-want-to-be-musicians-dancers-or-sportspeople-we-can-download-a/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Realization is wonderful, but you have to expand it until there's not a single defilement left in the mind and the mind is completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/realization-is-wonderful-but-you-have-to-expand-it-until-there-s-not/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [It's not a matter of how much you know or can define, or how many millions of mantras or thousands of prostrations you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/it-s-not-a-matter-of-how-much-you-know-or-can-define-or-how-many/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We have compassion because of the incredible pain and suffering which we as unenlightened beings cause to ourselves and all others through our ignorance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-have-compassion-because-of-the-incredible-pain-and-suffering-which/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [When I look back I can think that of course I've been lazy and haven't practiced as much as I could have and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/when-i-look-back-i-can-think-that-of-course-i-ve-been-lazy-and-haven/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We do have the precious opportunity of this human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-do-have-the-precious-opportunity-of-this-human-life/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I think the problem with Western students is they're very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-think-the-problem-with-western-students-is-they-re-very-ambitious/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Explore all 242 Tenzin Palmo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## More Distraction quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [Almost all accidents take place because of human distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/almost-all-accidents-take-place-because-of-human-distraction/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [I spend a lot of time loathing the sentences that I put down on the page. Once I'm past that phase, it doesn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-loathing-the-sentences-that-i-put-down-on-the/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [As a social and as a personal force, religion has become a dependent variable. It does not originate; it reacts. It does not denounce;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-wright-mills/as-a-social-and-as-a-personal-force-religion-has-become-a-dependent/) [C. Wright Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-wright-mills/) > [Not knowing how to feed the spirit, we try to muffle its demands in distraction...What matters is that one be for a time inwardly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/not-knowing-how-to-feed-the-spirit-we-try-to-muffle-its-demands-in/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [You have a number of choices. You could continue to always fight against people who are really distractions. They're people in the cheap seats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/you-have-a-number-of-choices-you-could-continue-to-always-fight/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [I feel very privileged to get to read and write and not to have to do things that I don't like, and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-mishra/i-feel-very-privileged-to-get-to-read-and-write-and-not-to-have-to-do/) [Pankaj Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-mishra/) > [Meditation is sticking to one thought. That single thought keeps away other thoughts; distraction of mind is a sign of its weakness; by constant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/meditation-is-sticking-to-one-thought-that-single-thought-keeps-away/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [“One of the defining symptoms of ADHD is distraction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-orlov/one-of-the-defining-symptoms-of-adhd-is-distraction/) [Melissa Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-orlov/) > [Some days, who can stare at swathes of sky, leafage and bad-complected whale-gray streets, tailpipes and smokestacks orating sepia exhaust, or the smaller enthusiasms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-di-piero/some-days-who-can-stare-at-swathes-of-sky-leafage-and-bad-complected/) [W. S. Di Piero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-di-piero/) > [“the problem with reading off a screen isn’t resolution, eyestrain, or compatibility with reading in the bathtub: it’s that computers are seductive, they tempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-problem-with-reading-off-a-screen-isn-t-resolution-eyestrain-or/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“Distraction is your friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susane-colasanti/distraction-is-your-friend/) [Susane Colasanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susane-colasanti/) > [“Opportunity knocks but some people are too busy watching TV.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gerard-trotman/opportunity-knocks-but-some-people-are-too-busy-watching-tv/) [Wayne Gerard Trotman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gerard-trotman/) [Browse all 1,030 Distraction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distraction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Distraction is the main problem for us all - what the Buddha called the monkey mind. 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