:: 2. Conversion of Angulimala, the Robber. ::
1. There was, in the realm of Pasenadi, king of Kosala, a robber named Angulimala, a ruffian whose hands were red with blood, who was always killing and wounding, and showed no mercy to any living creature. Because of him, what had been villages were villages no more, what had been townships were townships no more, and what had been countryside was countryside no more.
2. From every human being whom he slew, he took a finger to make for himself a necklace, and so got his name of " Necklace of Fingers."
3. Once when the Lord was staying in Shravasti in Jeta's grove he had heard of the ravages committed by the robber Angulimala. The Blessed Lord decided to convert him into a righteous man. So one day after taking his meal and after putting away his bedding and then, with robes and bowl, set out on his journey ' to find the robber Angulimala.
4. Seeing him journeying thither, neatherds, goatherds, ploughmen and wayfarers called out: "Don't go that way, recluse! It will take you to the robber Angulimala.
5. "Why, even when, ten, twenty, thirty, or forty people ban themselves together to travel this road, the whole company falls into the robber's hands!" But, without a word, the Lord held on to his way.
6. A second time, and yet a third time those near there and the rest repeated their warning; but still, without a word, the Lord went his way.
7. From some way off the robber saw the Lord coming and marvelled exceedingly that, where even companies of ten to fifty travellers dare not come his way, this solitary recluse should be seen to be forcing his way alone; and the robber was minded to slay ' this recluse.' So, armed with sword and buckler and with his bow and quiver, the robber followed up the Lord's trail. 8. The Lord, while he himself was proceeding at his wonted pace, the robber, for all his efforts, could not catch him up. 9. Thought the robber: "This is a wonderful and marvellous thing. Heretofore, I could always overtake an elephant, or horse, or carriage, or deer, when going full speed; and yet here am I unable, despite all my efforts, to overtake this recluse while he proceeds at his wonted pace." So he stopped and shouted to the Lord to stop.
10. When the two met the Lord said: "I have stopped, Angulimala, for your sake. Will you stop following your career of an evil doer? I have been pursuing you in order to win you over, to cover you to the path of righteousness. The good in you is not yet dead. If you will only give it a chance it will transform you."
11. Angulimala felt overcome by the words of the Blessed One, saying, " At last this sage has tracked me down."
12. " And now that thy hallowed words ask me to renounce evil deeds forever, I am prepared to give myself a trial," replied Angulimala.
13. Angulimala threw into a deep abyss the string of his victims' fingers which he wore round his neck and fell at the Master's feet and craved admission to the Brotherhood.
14. The Lord, the guide of gods and men, said: " Almsman, follow me "; and almsman since that summons Angulimala did become.
15. With Angulimala as his almsman in attendance, the Lord now proceeded on his way to the pleasance in Shravasti. At this very time the portals of King Pasenadi's inner palace were beset by a huge crowd loudly shouting that in the realm he had conquered there was a robber named Angulimala, a ruffian who was committing ravages and was killing and wounding innocent people and who took pride in wearing a necklace made of fingers of victims whom he slew. "Suppress him, sire," they cried. Pasenadi promised to run him down to earth. But he failed.
16. One morning King Pasenadi went to the pleasance to see the Lord. The Blessed Lord inquired: " What is the matter, sire ? Is there trouble with Seniya Bimbisara of Magadha, or with Licchavis of Vesali or with any other hostile power ?"
17." No trouble at all of that sort, sir. In my realms there is a robber named Angulimala who is infesting my territories and harassing my subjects. I want to suppress him but I have failed."
18. "If now, sire, you were to see Angulimala with his hair and beard off, in the yellow robes, as a pilgrim who kills not. steals not, lies not, eats but one meal a day, and leads the higher life in virtue and goodness,—what would you do to him ?"
19. " Sir, I would salute him, or rise to meet him or would invite him to be seated or invite him to accept robes and other requisites, or I would extend to him the defence, protection and safeguards which are his due. But how could the shadow of such virtue ever extend to one so wicked and depraved?"
20. At that moment the Reverend Angulimala was seated quite close to the Lord, who stretching forth his right arm, said: " This, sire, is Angulimala !"
21. At this the king in his alarm became dumbfounded, with every hair of his body standing erect. Seeing this, the Lord said, " Fear not, sire; fear not; there is no cause for fear here."
22. So the king's fears and alarm abated ; and across to the reverend Angulimala he went, saying: " Is your reverence indeed Angulimala ?" " Yes, sire."
23. " What sire, was your father's family, and your mother's ?" " My father was a Gagga, sire, and my mother a Mantani."
24. " Be of good cheer, Gagga Mantani-putta; I will take care to supply you with all requisites."
25. Now at the time the Reverend Angulimala having pledged to be resident in the wilds, subsisting on alms, and wearing clothes from the dust heap not exceeding three in number, he declined the king's offer on the ground that he had already got his full three robes.
26. Then the king went across to the Lord and after salutations seated himself to the one side, saying; " It is wonderful, sir, it is marvellous, what a tamer of the untamed the Lord is, how he quells the unquelled, and how he calms the uncalmed ! Here is one whom I could not subdue with cudgel and sword; but without either cudgel or sword the Lord has subdued him! And now, sir, I must be going, for I have much to do and attend to."
27. " When Your Majesty pleases." Then, rising from his seat, the king saluted the Lord with deep reverence and withdrew.
28. One day when, duly robed and bowl in hand, Angulimala had gone into Shravasti for alms, he was hit by a clod flung by one man, by a club flung by a second and by a potsherd flung by a third, so that it was with a broken head streaming with blood, with his bowl smashed, and with his cloak in tatters, that he presented himself before the Lord. Seeing him drawing near, the Lord said to Angulimala: " Endure it all, endure it all." 29. Thus did Angulimala the robber become a righteous man by accepting the teachings of the Buddha.
30. Expressing the joy of the bliss of deliverance he said: " Who shows zeal, where zeal was none, who with virtue clokes his past, who in youth to Buddha cleaves, he, like the moon, floods earth with light.
31. " Let my foes hear this gospel, embrace this creed and follow wisdom's sons who cleave to it. Let my foes hear in season, love's message which is meek forbearance—and conform their lives to it.
32. " As ' Finger Necklace,' I, bandit, lived and whirled downstream, till He brought me to land. As Tinger Necklace, ' I was steeped in blood; saved now am I."
1. There was, in the realm of Pasenadi, king of Kosala, a robber named Angulimala, a ruffian whose hands were red with blood, who was always killing and wounding, and showed no mercy to any living creature. Because of him, what had been villages were villages no more, what had been townships were townships no more, and what had been countryside was countryside no more.
2. From every human being whom he slew, he took a finger to make for himself a necklace, and so got his name of " Necklace of Fingers."
3. Once when the Lord was staying in Shravasti in Jeta's grove he had heard of the ravages committed by the robber Angulimala. The Blessed Lord decided to convert him into a righteous man. So one day after taking his meal and after putting away his bedding and then, with robes and bowl, set out on his journey ' to find the robber Angulimala.
4. Seeing him journeying thither, neatherds, goatherds, ploughmen and wayfarers called out: "Don't go that way, recluse! It will take you to the robber Angulimala.
5. "Why, even when, ten, twenty, thirty, or forty people ban themselves together to travel this road, the whole company falls into the robber's hands!" But, without a word, the Lord held on to his way.
6. A second time, and yet a third time those near there and the rest repeated their warning; but still, without a word, the Lord went his way.
7. From some way off the robber saw the Lord coming and marvelled exceedingly that, where even companies of ten to fifty travellers dare not come his way, this solitary recluse should be seen to be forcing his way alone; and the robber was minded to slay ' this recluse.' So, armed with sword and buckler and with his bow and quiver, the robber followed up the Lord's trail. 8. The Lord, while he himself was proceeding at his wonted pace, the robber, for all his efforts, could not catch him up. 9. Thought the robber: "This is a wonderful and marvellous thing. Heretofore, I could always overtake an elephant, or horse, or carriage, or deer, when going full speed; and yet here am I unable, despite all my efforts, to overtake this recluse while he proceeds at his wonted pace." So he stopped and shouted to the Lord to stop.
10. When the two met the Lord said: "I have stopped, Angulimala, for your sake. Will you stop following your career of an evil doer? I have been pursuing you in order to win you over, to cover you to the path of righteousness. The good in you is not yet dead. If you will only give it a chance it will transform you."
11. Angulimala felt overcome by the words of the Blessed One, saying, " At last this sage has tracked me down."
12. " And now that thy hallowed words ask me to renounce evil deeds forever, I am prepared to give myself a trial," replied Angulimala.
13. Angulimala threw into a deep abyss the string of his victims' fingers which he wore round his neck and fell at the Master's feet and craved admission to the Brotherhood.
14. The Lord, the guide of gods and men, said: " Almsman, follow me "; and almsman since that summons Angulimala did become.
15. With Angulimala as his almsman in attendance, the Lord now proceeded on his way to the pleasance in Shravasti. At this very time the portals of King Pasenadi's inner palace were beset by a huge crowd loudly shouting that in the realm he had conquered there was a robber named Angulimala, a ruffian who was committing ravages and was killing and wounding innocent people and who took pride in wearing a necklace made of fingers of victims whom he slew. "Suppress him, sire," they cried. Pasenadi promised to run him down to earth. But he failed.
16. One morning King Pasenadi went to the pleasance to see the Lord. The Blessed Lord inquired: " What is the matter, sire ? Is there trouble with Seniya Bimbisara of Magadha, or with Licchavis of Vesali or with any other hostile power ?"
17." No trouble at all of that sort, sir. In my realms there is a robber named Angulimala who is infesting my territories and harassing my subjects. I want to suppress him but I have failed."
18. "If now, sire, you were to see Angulimala with his hair and beard off, in the yellow robes, as a pilgrim who kills not. steals not, lies not, eats but one meal a day, and leads the higher life in virtue and goodness,—what would you do to him ?"
19. " Sir, I would salute him, or rise to meet him or would invite him to be seated or invite him to accept robes and other requisites, or I would extend to him the defence, protection and safeguards which are his due. But how could the shadow of such virtue ever extend to one so wicked and depraved?"
20. At that moment the Reverend Angulimala was seated quite close to the Lord, who stretching forth his right arm, said: " This, sire, is Angulimala !"
21. At this the king in his alarm became dumbfounded, with every hair of his body standing erect. Seeing this, the Lord said, " Fear not, sire; fear not; there is no cause for fear here."
22. So the king's fears and alarm abated ; and across to the reverend Angulimala he went, saying: " Is your reverence indeed Angulimala ?" " Yes, sire."
23. " What sire, was your father's family, and your mother's ?" " My father was a Gagga, sire, and my mother a Mantani."
24. " Be of good cheer, Gagga Mantani-putta; I will take care to supply you with all requisites."
25. Now at the time the Reverend Angulimala having pledged to be resident in the wilds, subsisting on alms, and wearing clothes from the dust heap not exceeding three in number, he declined the king's offer on the ground that he had already got his full three robes.
26. Then the king went across to the Lord and after salutations seated himself to the one side, saying; " It is wonderful, sir, it is marvellous, what a tamer of the untamed the Lord is, how he quells the unquelled, and how he calms the uncalmed ! Here is one whom I could not subdue with cudgel and sword; but without either cudgel or sword the Lord has subdued him! And now, sir, I must be going, for I have much to do and attend to."
27. " When Your Majesty pleases." Then, rising from his seat, the king saluted the Lord with deep reverence and withdrew.
28. One day when, duly robed and bowl in hand, Angulimala had gone into Shravasti for alms, he was hit by a clod flung by one man, by a club flung by a second and by a potsherd flung by a third, so that it was with a broken head streaming with blood, with his bowl smashed, and with his cloak in tatters, that he presented himself before the Lord. Seeing him drawing near, the Lord said to Angulimala: " Endure it all, endure it all." 29. Thus did Angulimala the robber become a righteous man by accepting the teachings of the Buddha.
30. Expressing the joy of the bliss of deliverance he said: " Who shows zeal, where zeal was none, who with virtue clokes his past, who in youth to Buddha cleaves, he, like the moon, floods earth with light.
31. " Let my foes hear this gospel, embrace this creed and follow wisdom's sons who cleave to it. Let my foes hear in season, love's message which is meek forbearance—and conform their lives to it.
32. " As ' Finger Necklace,' I, bandit, lived and whirled downstream, till He brought me to land. As Tinger Necklace, ' I was steeped in blood; saved now am I."
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