Page 27 - Martial Science Magazine Jun/2015 #9

Ahimsaka drove him out of his mind. His suffering The Buddha replied, “I say that I have stopped
mind could only recollect the teacher’s order: to because I have given up killing all beings. I
collect 1,000 human thumbs. And so he started have given up ill-treating all beings, and have
killing, and as he killed, the thumbs he collected established myself in universal love, patience, and
were hung on a tree, but as they were destroyed knowledge through reflection. But you have not
by crows and vultures, he later wore a garland of given up killing or ill treating others and you are
the fingers to keep track of the number. not yet established in universal love and patience.
Hence, you are the one who has not stopped.” On
Because of this he came to be known as Angulimala hearing these words Angulimala was recalled
(finger garland) and became the terror of the to reality, and thought, these are the words of a
countryside. The king himself heard about the wise man. This monk is so very wise and so very
exploits of Angulimala, and he decided to capture brave that he must be the leader of the monks.
him. When Mantani, Ahimsaka’s mother, heard Indeed, he must be the Enlightened One himself!
about the king’s intention, she went to the forest He must have come here specially to make me see
in a desperate bid to save her son. By this time, the light. So thinking, he threw away his weapons
the chain around the neck of Angulimala had and asked the Blessed One to admit to the Order
999 fingers in it, just one finger short of 1,000. of the bhikkhus, which the Buddha did.
The Buddha; learned of the mother’s attempt to
dissuade her son from, and reflected that if he When the king and his men came to capture
did not intervene, Angulimala, who was on the Angulimala, they found him at the monastery of
lookout for the last person to make up the 1,000, the Buddha. Finding that Angulimala had given
would see his mother and might kill her. In that up his evil ways and become a bhikkhu, the king
case, he would have to suffer an even longer and his men agreed to leave him alone. During
period for his evil kamma. Out of compassion, the his stay at the monastery, Angulimala ardently
Buddha left for the forest. practiced meditation.

Angulimala, after many sleepless days and nights, Angulimala had no peace of mind because
was very tired and near exhaustion. At the same even in his solitary meditation he used to recall
time, he was very anxious to kill the last person to memories of his past and the pathetic cries of his
make up his full quota of 1,000 and so complete his unfortunate victims. As a result of his evil kamma,
task. He made up his mind to kill the first person he while seeking alms in the streets he would become
met. As he looked down from his mountain perch, a target of stray stones and sticks and he would
he saw a woman on the road below. He wanted to return to the Jetavana monastery with broken
fulfil his vow to complete the 1,000 thumbs, but as head and blood flowing, cut and bruised, to be
he approached, he saw it was his mother. At the reminded by the Buddha: “My son Angulimala.
same time, the Buddha was approaching, and You have done away with evil. Have patience. This
Angulimala had just enough presence of mind to is the effect of the evil deeds you have committed
decide to kill the wandering monk instead of his in the existence. Your evil kamma would have
mother. He set out after the Blessed One with his made you suffer through innumerable existences
knife raised. But the Buddha kept moving ahead had I not met you.”
of him. Angulimala just could not catch up with
him. Finally, he cried out, “O Bhikkhu, stop, stop!” One morning while going on an almsround in
And the Enlightened One replied, “I have stopped. Savatthi, Angulimala heard someone crying out
It is you who have not stopped.” Angulimala did in pain. When he came to know that a pregnant
not catch the significance of these words, so he lady was having labor pains and facing difficulty
asked, “O bhikkhu! Why do you say that you have to deliver the child, he reflected, all worldly beings
stopped while I have not?” are subject to suffering. Moved by compassion, he

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