Lesson From a Mango Tree

Thus, for one who is practicing with awareness, it isn't necessary to have someone to advise and teach all that much to be able to see and understand. An example is the case of the Buddha who, in a previous life, was King Chanokomun. He didn't need to study very much. All he had to do was observe a mango tree.

One day, while visiting a park with his retinue of ministers, from atop his elephant, he spied some mango tees heavily laden with ripe fruit. Not being able to stop at that time, he determined in his mind to return later to partake of some. Little did he know, however, that his ministers, coming along behind, would greedily gather them all up; that they would use poles to knock them down, beating and breaking the branches and tearing and scattering the leaves.

Returning in the evening to the mango grove, the king, already imagining in his mind the delicious taste of the mangoes, suddenly discovered that they were all gone, completely finished! And not only that, but the branches and leaves had been thoroughly thrashed and scattered.

The king, quite disappointed and upset, then noticed another mango tree nearby with its leaves and branches still intact. He wondered why. He then realized it was because that tree had no fruit. If a tree has no fruit nobody disturbs it and so its leaves and branches are not damaged. This lesson kept him absorbed in thought all the way back to the palace: "It is unpleasant, troublesome and difficult to be a king. It requires constant concern for all his subjects. What if there are attempts to attack, plunder and seize parts of his kingdom?" He could not rest peacefully; even in his sleep he was disturbed by dreams.

He saw in his mind, once again, the mango tree without fruit and its undamaged leaves and branches. "If we become similar to that mango tree," he thought, "our "leaves" and "branches," too, would not be damaged."

In his chamber he sat and meditated. Finally, he decided to ordain as a monk, having been inspired by this lesson of the mango tree. He compared himself to that mango tree and concluded that if one didn't become involved in the ways of the world, one would be truly independent, free from worries or difficulties. The mind would be untroubled. Reflecting thus, he ordained.

From then on, wherever he went, when asked who his teacher was, he would answer, "A mango tree." He didn't need to receive teaching all that much. A mango tree was the cause of his Awakening to the Opanayiko-Dhamma, the teaching leading inwards. And with this Awakening, he became a monk, one who has few concerns, is content with little, and who delights in solitude. His royal status given up, his mind was finally at peace.

From: http://accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/chah/bodhinyana.html#reading

I read this story quite a while ago, but it left a very deep impression in my heart. The wisdom contains in that small piece of writing still stays with me up to this day, being the basic principle with which I see things and carry myself.

Many things I read afterwards fall along the same line, affirming me that this is indeed the path. Below are the examples:

“May I have nothing to do with honor, and honor nothing to do with me.” ~ The Buddha
http://accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/anguttara/an05-030.html

“When I went to Wat Asokaram -- a very large monastery -- for my first Rains Retreat, Ajaan Fuang told me, "If they ask you questions in Thai, answer in English. If they ask in English, answer in Thai. After a while they'll get tired to talking to you, and will leave you alone to meditate."
http://accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/fuang/itself.html


When I read the story, I told myself, “I want to be the mango with few leaves and fruits.” In other words, I do not hold the wish to be regarded as someone of particular importance; I do not wish to possess so many skills and knowledge. If I am someone of importance or well-regarded, a lot of people will swarm around me. Instead of spending time striving on the path, I will have to spend a lot of time off the path. On the other hand, if I’m someone of no importance, I will be left on my own. I can then spend time practicing without any burden whatsoever that comes from the imposing expectations others lay onto me or from having to fulfill whatever expectations I have on myself so as to be regarded as “good”. Whatever others think or say of me, that is their business. My business is to keep on striving with appamado, keep on perfecting the factors that constitute the path—Sila, Samadhi and Panna, to keep working on the most important task in my life – the work of driving defilements out of the mind. It’s not with self-conceit and disregard for others that one says “Whatever others think or say of me is their business”. Conversely, it is said with the understanding of what are and are not for one to be concerned with, and what concerning which will benefit one’s striving on the path. It really simplifies matters, as one knows exactly what are within one’s area of control and choice and what are more beneficial for one to work on.

Having no concern for honor saves one a lot of burden and trouble that comes from a mind wishing affirmation from others that one is good. One does good because one knows the value of so doing, not because one wants to be praised by others or to be well-regarded. It doesn’t matter whether one is praised or blamed – one is simply unconcerned.

At the beginning, I find blame more useful that praise because when I’m blamed (or scolded for that matter) I’m brought back to my senses and I could clearly see whether I am affected by what was said, and if so, to what extent.

Later on, I started to see the harm in praise as well. I remembered being praised (sincerely and what was said was indeed true) and I started to feel bigger than myself all at once. Affirmative thoughts of what were said came flooding into my mind as if they are afraid that I would forget them. It took quite a while before my mind would come back to its original neutral stand. The process is very much the same as that of being blamed – the blame will reverberate in one’s mind, and then there will be a lot of self-talk (mind you, it may take up to one day or even more if one is not aware) and rebuttal of how off the mark the blame was.

Of the two contrast experiences (being praised or blamed), one thing is clear: whether being praised or blamed, if one reacts, it only serves to strengthen one’s ego – one’s sense of self, one’s attachment to self. In this way, they are of equal value.