Buddha heard that a man had appeared in the forest and was killing people because society had treated him poorly. He vowed to kill a hundred people. His name was Angulimal, which meant “man who cuts off fingers.” He has already killed 99 people and made a necklace from the severed fingers. The last victim remains.
Buddha decided: “If I don’t go, then who will go? And he wants to kill someone, I have to go. This man needs me."
They tried to stop him and dissuade him, but to no avail.
Buddha went deeper into the forest, climbed a hill and saw Angulimala sitting on a rock. He was alone. Angulimal looked at this child-innocent man, so beautiful that even he, the murderer, felt affection for him. He thought: “This man seems to have absolutely no idea that I am here, because no one walks along this road.” He did not want to kill him, and he said to Buddha:
- Stop. Don't come near me, otherwise I will kill you! I am Angulimal.
And he showed Buddha an ominous necklace made of human fingers. But, to his surprise, Angulimal discovered that he not only was not afraid and did not run away, but continued to calmly approach him. Then Angulimal thought: “Either the person is deaf or mad!” He shouted again:
- Stop! Don't move!
Buddha said:
“I stopped a long time ago and don’t move, I have no motivation. How can movement happen if there is no motivation? I have reached the goal, and I tell you: “Angulimal - stop!”
Angulimal started laughing loudly.
“Oh,” he said, “you really are crazy!” I sit and you tell me that I am moving; You're moving and you're telling me that you've stopped!
Buddha approached him and said:
“I heard that you need another finger, and I suggest you cut off my finger and my head.” I completed my mission, and now my body is no longer useful, but with this I can save someone's life.
Angulimal said:
“I thought I was the only crazy person in the area.” It turned out - no. Or are you trying to trick me? Look, I'll cut off your head!
Buddha said:
“Before you kill me, do one thing.” Cut the branch of this tree.
Angulimal struck with his sword and a large branch fell. Buddha said:
- And one more thing: now attach it back.
Angulimal said:
- Now I know for sure that you are mad. I can only cut it off, but I can't reattach it.
Then Buddha said:
- Since you can only destroy and cannot create, you should not do this, since children can also destroy, there is no courage in that. This branch can be cut off by a child, but a Master is needed to reattach it. And if you can't attach a branch to a tree, how can you cut off human heads? Have you ever thought about this?
Angulimal closed his eyes, stood there for a while, then bowed at the feet of the Buddha and said:
- Lead me along this path!
They say that in an instant he regained his sight.
The next day, Angulimal was already among the Buddha's disciples and begged for alms in the city. The whole city hid. People were so afraid! They thought, “Even if he became a disciple of Buddha, he cannot be trusted. He is very dangerous! They didn’t serve him anything: who wants to take risks! People stood on balconies and looked down. And then they started throwing stones at him, because he had killed so many.
Angulimal fell, blood flowing down his face, he was all wounded. Buddha and his disciples approached and asked:
- Angulimal, how are you feeling? He opened his eyes and said:
- I'm so grateful to you. They can kill my body, but they can't even touch me, and that's what I've been doing all my life and never realized!
Buddha said:
— Angulimal has become Enlightened!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru