The mind is like a drunken monkey stung by a bee.

Buddhist saying

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(25) Drunken Monkey   With all the irregular heart rhythms, the strange whooshing and swooshing of my heart, and the grating fear of another heart attack, I found it difficult not to be worried all the time. I recognized that this increased tension would likely make things even worse for my heart, but I couldn’t shake it; the anxiety was always with me. Several weeks after the heart attack, I took up meditation; I had difficulty sitting still. Soon, I added chanting to the meditation, trying to resonate deep and healing sounds in and around the area of my heart. I worked at visualization, relaxing, and seeing my heart as healthy and strong. I repeated over and over to myself, My heart and arteries are soft and open. My heart and arteries are soft and open. In late January, I sat down at the computer to draw again; to my surprise, the resulting image was a peaceful one. Finally, the Drunken Monkey had calmed down. March 10, 2007