Even a Serial Killer
can Awaken as a pure Arahat!
Angulimāla
killed 999 humans, yet later became an eminent
Arahat!
Here are his inspirations from his later forest life in harmless bliss:
He whose past misdeeds are covered later by good deeds; illuminates this world, as does
the moon freed from
all clouds. Who once did live in negligence, yet then is negligent no
more, he illuminates this world,
like the moon freed from all clouds.
He who repays the evil
deeds he did, by doing beneficial good instead
now, he
illuminates this world, like the moon
freed from all clouds. Any
young Bhikkhu, who devotes all his life to the Buddha's Dhamma,
he
illuminates this world, like the moon freed from all clouds.
Let my enemies, but hear
this discourse on the Dhamma,
Let them be devoted to the Buddha's Teaching,
Let my enemies wait on those good people,
Who guide others to accept the Dhamma...
Let my enemies pay attention to the Dhamma from time to time, yet
repeatedly again and again,
and hear this Doctrine as told by
real men, who preach
forbearance, of those who also
speak in
high praise of kind and gentle
friendliness, let them follow up on that Noble
Dhamma by friendly,
harmless and gentle behaviour. For surely those who will not wish to harm you, me or anyone else,
those who wish to protect
all beings, tiny or huge, feeble or
strong, they will thus approach and
attain the all-surpassing
highest peace...
Canal-makers guide the water,
fletchers straighten out the arrow, carpenters plane the planks,
But
clever men train to tame the mind!
There are some that tame with beatings, with goads and
with whips, but I was tamed by a Worthy, who had no knife, rod, nor any weapon. Harmless is the
name I
now bear, yet I was dangerous in the past! The name I bear today is
true: Now I harm no
living being at all... And though I once lived as a notorious killer named Finger-garland#
swept
along by the great flood, I went for refuge in the Buddha. And although I once was
quite cruel,
bloody-handed, and named finger-garland, see the refuge I now have found:
The bond of being
has been all cut! While I did many deeds that lead
to rebirth in the lower realms of endless pain,
yet their result has
passed me now, and so I can eat free from debt*.
They are fools, who have no shame, who give themselves to negligence!
But wise are those who
guard alertness, and treat it as their greatest treasure! Do not give way to negligence, nor seek
delight in sensual pleasures, but meditate with diligence,
and reach this perfect blissful peace...
Well indeed was that choice of mine, let it stand, as it was not wrong:
Of all the
teachings known
to humans, I have found the very best!
Well indeed was that choice of mine, let it stand, since it
was not ill, I have
gained the
triple knowledge,
and done all that the Buddha told.
I stayed in forests, at the root of a tree, in the cool mountain caves,
but wherever I went,
I was
always mentally agitated and troubled...
But now I rest and rise in easy happiness, and happily
I
spend my life. For now I am free of Mara's snares, thanks to the Master's pity!
A Brahmin was I
by descent,
on both sides high, and purely born. Today I am the Master's son,
My Teacher is the
Dhamma-King...
Freed of craving, not clinging, with guarded senses, well restrained, spit out have
I
the root of evil, and stilled all
mental fermentations.
The Master has been waited on, and what should be done has been done!
The
heavy load is now put down. What induce new becoming is rooted out..
Source:
The verses of the Elders.
Theragāthā:
vv. 866-891
https://what-buddha-said.net/library/ati_website/html/tipitaka/kn/thag/index.html
Note on the
nick-name: #Finger-garland!
He was named Finger-garland,
since he wore a finger of those 999
human beings he killed threaded
as a chain around his neck...!
Note on being *free
of depts
The awakened Arahat has done what he
should and can thus eat the
alms-food given by others
without becoming in dept. Other Bhikkhus
eat the alms-food in dept, as there is still something
they have to do...
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/ay/angulimaala.htm
