Mango’s for monkey is derived from an Indian folktale called, ‘The Monkey and the
Crocodile'. I won’t tell the story here, but, I would suggest reading it for yourselves.
At it’s heart, I understand this story to be about how greed and envy can be
destructive to personal and social relationships. It shows us the dynamics and latent/
active potentials that lie in each of us, as we all have a monkey and a crocodile
telling a story inside of our lives. But, like I say, read the story and make up your
own minds.
On a personal level, the monkey image is one that I use frequently in my work. It
comes from the Buddhist concept of ‘monkey mind’, a state of mind that jumps from
one thing to the other, a state of mind that can get us into trouble. The crocodile is
also an image I like to use regularly . I see it as a liminal creature, a creature that can
exist in water and on the land. A creature to be respected and demands our full
attention when we are in it’s territory, lest we get snapped up!