Sutta in which the Buddha uses a mango to convey the non-self doctrine

Q & A
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Dear venerable @sujato, I have recently listed to a recording of your recent workshop held jointly with venerable @brahmali on the topic of dependent origination and in it you mention a teaching by the Buddha in which uses a mango to convey a teaching of non-self.

I have since then looked for this sutta but without sucess. Would you be able to point me to that teaching?

Thanks in advance for your attention and reply! :anjal:

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Is it this?

SN22.102:4.1-2: When the stalk of a bunch of mangoes is cut, all the mangoes attached to the stalk will follow along. In the same way, when the perception of impermanence is developed … it eradicates all conceit ‘I am’.

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This is good news to mark the start of the Australian mango season.

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Please note that the perception of impermanence is the stalk and is the basis of contemplation, and insight into suffering and non-self automatically follow.

“the direct experience of impermanence represents indeed the “power” aspect of meditative wisdom.”—Analayo

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No it wasn’t, in his talk in part 6 I think Bhante @sujato mentions peeling of mango down to the stone etc instead. :thinking:

:anjal:

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“The Instructions to Rahula at Mango Stone” (MN 61) is about implementation of the second and third noble truths but in the following sutta, the Buddha gives this instruction to Rahula:

“Develop the meditation of the perception of inconstancy. For when you are developing the meditation of the perception of inconstancy, the conceit ‘I am’ will be abandoned.”—MN 62

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Hi @paul1 , yes that was my guess, but nowhere in the sutta we see the Buddha talking about peeling the mango down to its seed / stone. :man_shrugging: