This is a story in the Yogic tradition. During Buddha’s era, there was a man who was popularly known as ‘Angulimala’ in a village. He was a youth who thought the society in the town he lived in did injustice to him. He was fiercely angry and wanted to kill 101 people from his town.
He started staying in the surrounding jungle and started killing people who came that way. He used to cut off the thumbs of those victims and wear them around his neck as a garland. ‘Anguli-mala’ means a garland of fingers! That’s how the name became famous. The path through the forest he lived in was a much-used path by villagers as it connected them with many places around. It was a necessity for them. But by now, everyone was terrified by this man who used to kill people to complete his vow of taking 101 lives. There came a time when he had already taken 100 lives. He was waiting for one more. Just one more and his vow is done.
It so happened that Gautama the Buddha came to this village on his journey. He heard about Angulimala. He said, let me go to him and see. People were terrified hearing this and told, “Don’t go this way. He is not a human being. He is waiting for one more life and we don’t want it to be you”. Buddha said, “If I don’t go, who will go?” and just walked in that direction.
Buddha walked calmly into the forest where Angulimala was dwelling. Angulimala was sitting on a rock and saw Buddha walking. He made a roaring sound to scare Buddha. Buddha just smiled and continued walking. Angulimala was astonished. People ran helter-skelter just at the sight of Angulimala. But this man is simply walking as if he didn’t notice him. He didn’t like it. He jumped and encountered Buddha from the front and stopped him. He roared, “Why are you walking as if I’m not here? Are you not terrified of me?”. Buddha smiled and said, “I’m not going anywhere, it’s you who’s trying to go somewhere” and just kept walking.
This made Angulimala even more agitated. He said, “What are you saying? I’m standing like a rock here and you’re walking. Why are you saying the reverse?”. Buddha smiled once again and said, “I’m already fulfilled. I’m not going anywhere or trying to get something to fulfill myself. I’ve arrived a long time ago. I’m not moving anywhere. It’s you who’s moving. If you’ll be fulfilled by taking my life and chopping off my thumb, please go ahead and do it. I’m fulfilled. If that fulfills you, why not? I’m ready”.
There’s no pleasure in killing a man who’s ready to die. And here’s a man who doesn’t care even if you kill him.
This left Angulimala in total astonishment. All the structures he had formed within him broke down. He bowed down to Buddha and surrendered to him. Buddha made him a monk and asked him to go back to the village from which he had killed one hundred people. He went back to the village and started begging. Begging is a crucial part of Buddhist monkhood. People were petrified looking at him as he had killed at least one person in almost every home. Later seeing that he wasn't reacting, they started throwing stones at him. After some time, Buddha came and stopped people from this pelting. Buddha said, “Why are you throwing stones at this man? The old man is gone. Now he’s like my extension. You’re throwing stones at myself. Please stop”.
Angulimala went to become a star disciple of Buddha and traveled extensively to spread Buddha’s wisdom and Buddhist way of life. This is the transformation that was brought about in a violent man like Angulimala.
