would you consider Angulimala as a celebration of the Buddhist doctrines?
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At one time the Buddha was traveling to Kosala, where King Pasenadi was a disciple and had land set aside for the use of the Buddha and his bhikkhus. There, villagers warned the Buddha not to go out for his usual morning begging rounds, because there was a serial killer by the name of Angulimala, out for blood. The name Angulimala means “finger necklace;” he became known by this name because he was on a mission to kill 1,000 people, and everytime he killed, he would cut off his victim’s finger and string it on a necklace he wore everywhere (akin to the modern day “tear tattoo”) as a trophy. According to one version, the Buddha could perceive that Angulimala was at 999 kills, and was bent on killing his mother. If he could meet the Buddha, he would become a monk; if he killed his mother, he would be too far gone (as “matricide” is one of the worst actions you can take under Buddhist thinking).
But the Buddha was not afraid; he went out for his begging rounds anyway. As he was walking in the forest, Angulimala came up behind him. “Brother monk, stop, stop!” he shouted. The Buddha kept walking, but without looking behind him said: “Angulimala! I have already stopped. It is you who have not stopped.”
This kind of speech, and fearlessness, hit Angulimala’s mind so very strongly. The Buddha looked at him with compassion, and saw his humanity clearly and completely, and invited him to stop his ways, and to become a monk and practice meditation. Angulimala said, “I am afraid there is no hope left for me! If people see me, they will be killed.” The Buddha replied that he would protect him, as long as he promised never to harm anyone ever again. After collapsing to his knees and weeping, Angulimala became a disciple. Just then, Ananda (the Buddha’s attendant) and some other monks came along the path, and, seeing Angulimala, initially became afraid. But the Buddha assured them that all was well, and asked for an extra set of robes for Angulimala, and instructed them to shave his head. After only a few weeks of hard meditation practice, Angulimala was completely transformed, and the other bhikkhus began calling him “Ahimsaka”, which means “the harmless one,” and, coincidentally, had been the name given to him at birth.
Later, as the Buddha was out walking mindfully with some of his monks, King Pasenadi passed by on horseback with 200 of his soldiers. “What is wrong? Is there a war?” The Buddha asked. “We are out searching for the murderer Angulimala, Lord,” replied the King. “Your Highness, if Angulimala were to renounce his ways and become a monk, would that not be cause for celebration?” The King replied his assent. The Buddha pointed to one of his monks, saying, “that Bhikkhu, Ahimsaka, is none other than the Angulimala you seek!”
This story, which is one of the more well-known in the Theravadin canon, does in fact illustrate the powerful nature of the Buddha’s teachings, and also that (almost*) no one is “too far gone” to change. The main point is that mind makes everything, so whatever you practice, you become. Angulimala practiced killing, so he became a killer. Once he gave that up and practiced lovingkindness, compassion, patience, forbearance, and wisdom, he became Ahimsaka, the harmless one.
The first two lines of the Dharmapada (sayings of the Buddha) are:
All the assembled phenomena of the universe have mind as their precursor, mind as their supreme leader, and of mind they are made. If with an impure mind one speaks, thinks or acts, unhappiness follows like the wheel follows the driver of the chariot.
All the assembled phenomena of the universe have mind as their precursor, mind as their supreme leader, and of mind they are made. If with a pure mind one speaks, think or acts, happiness follows like one’s shadow that never leaves.
So, mind makes everything, good and evil have no-self nature, “holy” and “unholy” are merely empty names. That is buddhist teaching.