# King Mahajanaka and the mango tree

- Teacher: Ajahn Chah
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/chah-king-mahajanaka-and-the-mango-tree
- Themes: contentment, simplicity, nature, renunciation, wisdom
- Life situations: burdened by responsibility, seeing greed damage what is fruitful, searching for meaning

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A king finds his fruit-laden mango trees stripped and broken by greedy ministers, while a fruitless tree stands untouched, and he takes the tree as his teacher.

## The story, retold in our own words (a paraphrase, not Ajahn Chah's words)

_Retold in our own words from Ajahn Chah's talk “Dhamma Nature”, in The Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2007 web edition), pp. 20–21._

_A traditional tale from the Buddhist tradition that Ajahn Chah retold in his talk, not something that happened to him._

Ajahn Chah retells the story of the Buddha in a previous life as King Mahajanaka, who did not need to study much: he only had to observe a mango tree. One day, visiting a park with his ministers, he saw mango trees heavy with ripe fruit and determined to return later to eat some. He did not know that the ministers coming behind would greedily knock all the fruit down, breaking branches and scattering leaves. Returning in the evening, already imagining the taste, he found the fruit gone and the trees thrashed. Then he noticed a nearby mango tree with leaves and branches still intact, and realized it was because that tree had no fruit — so nobody disturbed it. The lesson absorbed him all the way back to the palace: to be a king was troublesome and unpeaceful. Seeing again in his mind the undamaged fruitless tree, he thought that if he became like that tree, his own 'leaves' and 'branches' would not be damaged. He sat and meditated, then decided to ordain. From then on, when asked who his teacher was, he would answer, 'A mango tree.' His royal status given up, his mind was finally at peace.

## Teaching point

Everything in the world can teach us; having few concerns brings peace.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Chah's talk)

The tree with no fruit was left in peace. Ajahn Chah tells this old story to show that a single honest look at ordinary life can teach as much as many books. When you feel picked at and pulled about, notice what you are carrying, and how much lighter life becomes with fewer concerns.

_Reflection written by Being Mindful Stories with AI help, in the spirit of the talk. These are not Ajahn Chah's own words._

## Source

- Talk "Dhamma Nature", in The Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2007 web edition), pp. 20–21 — https://www.ajahnchah.org/book/Dhamma_Nature1.php

_The book is © The Sangha, Wat Nong Pah Pong, offered for free distribution; read the talk free at its source link. No book text is reproduced here._