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, and then is negligent no more,
He illuminates this world,
like the moon freed from all clouds.
Who repays the evil deeds he did, by doing beneficial good instead,
He
illuminates this world, like the moon freed from all clouds.
Any
young Bhikkhu who devotes 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 from time to time, yet again & again,
And hear the Doctrine as told by
real men who preach
forbearance,
Of those who also speak in high praise of kind & gentle
friendliness,
And let them follow up on that Noble Dhamma by friendly
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 to the Buddha.
And though I once was cruel, bloody-handed
& 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 bad realms of 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 those wise guard alertness & 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
& 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 & happily I spend my life.
For now I am free of Mara's snares,
thanx 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 & what should be done has been done!
The
heavy load is put down. What induce new becoming is rooted out.
Source:
The verses of the Elders.
Theragāthā:
vv. 866-891
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=132595
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/khuddaka/theragatha/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...
