It is just like English sayings and phrases, there are Japanese sayings and phrases as well. It is called [kotowaza ことわざ].

Today’s kotowaza

馬の耳に念仏　－uma no mimi ni nenbutsu

Few words for you.

Uma – a horse

Mimi – a ear

Nenbutsu – Buddhist prayer

A crow imitating a cormorant.

 It is praying to deaf ears―preaching to deaf ears.

Its origin

Even if you pray so hard to a horse she does not understand it at all.

Its meaning

It is pointless to tell anything to someone who is not ready to listen to your advice or opinion.

お母さんが勉強の大切さをいくら説いても、遊ぶ事に夢中な弟には、馬の耳に念仏だ。

Oka san ga benkyou no taisetu sa wo ikura toitemo, asobu koto ni mucyu na otouto niwa, uma no mimi ni nenbutsu da

No matter how much my mother tells my brother of the importance of studying, my brother enjoying playing, so it is praying to deaf ears.

arigato