Angulimala's Conversion

Angulimala was once a brilliant student named Ahimsaka. Due to the jealousy of other students, his teacher was tricked into demanding a terrible fee: one thousand human fingers. Driven by blind obedience and madness, Ahimsaka became a fearsome serial killer, wearing a garland of 999 fingers around his neck.

He terrorized the Kosala kingdom. No one dared enter the Jalini forest where he hid. Needing just one more finger, he was prepared to kill his own mother when she came looking for him.

To prevent this terrible crime, the Buddha walked calmly into the forest. Angulimala saw the lone monk and charged at him with a raised sword. The Buddha continued to walk at a normal, peaceful pace. However, Angulimala, despite running as fast as he could, could not catch up to him.

Exhausted and bewildered, the bandit yelled, "Stop, ascetic! Stop!" The Buddha turned and gently replied, "I have stopped, Angulimala. I have stopped forever from doing violence to any living being. It is you who have not stopped."

These profound words struck Angulimala like lightning. The sheer peace radiating from the Buddha shattered his madness. He threw down his weapons, fell at the Buddha's feet, and asked to be ordained as a monk.

Later, as a monk, he was attacked by angry villagers seeking revenge for his past crimes. Bleeding, he went to the Buddha, who told him to bear it patiently, for it was the ripening of his past karma. Angulimala endured it with perfect peace and eventually attained Nirvana.