The Enlightened One, the Sage of Great Compassion,
The Teacher of the world with [all] its gods,
Addressed him with these words, “Come, bhikkhu.”
And that was how he came to be a bhikkhu.
7. Then the Blessèd One set out to wander back to
Sāvatthi with Angulimāla as his attendant. Wandering by stages,
he eventually arrived at Sāvatthi, and there he lived at Sāvatthi
in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapindika’s Park.
8. Now on that occasion great crowds of people were
gathering at the gates of King Pasenadi’s inner palace, very loud
and noisy, crying: “Sire, the bandit Angulimāla is in your realm;
he is murderous, bloody‐handed, given to blows and violence,
merciless to living beings! Villages, towns, and districts have been
laid waste by him! He is constantly murdering people and he
wears their fingers as a garland! The king must put him down!”
9. Then in the middle of the day King Pasenadi of Kosala
drove out of Sāvatthi with a cavalry of five hundred men and set
out for the park. He drove thus as far as the road was passable
for carriages, and then he dismounted from his carriage and went
forward on foot to the Blessèd One. After paying homage to the
Blessèd One, he sat down at one side, and the Blessèd One said
to him: “What is it, great king? Is King Seniya Bimbisāra of
Magadha attacking you, or the Licchavis of Vesālī, or other
hostile kings?”
10. “Venerable sir, King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha is
not attacking me, nor are the Licchavis of Vesālī, nor are other
hostile kings. But there is a bandit in my realm named
Angulimāla, who is murderous, bloody‐handed, given to blows
and violence, merciless to living beings. Villages, towns, and
districts have been laid waste by him. He is constantly murdering
people and he wears their fingers as a garland. I shall never
be able to put him down, venerable sir.”
11. “Great king, suppose you were to see that Angulimāla
had shaved off his hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and
gone forth from the home life into homelessness; that he was
abstaining from killing living beings, from taking what is not
given and from false speech; that he was refraining from eating
at night, ate only in one part of the day, and was celibate, virtuous,
of good character. If you were to see him thus, how would
you treat him?”
“Venerable sir, we would pay homage to him, or rise up
for him, or invite him to be seated; or we would invite him to
accept robes, almsfood, a resting place, or medicinal requisites;
490
or we would arrange for him lawful guarding, defense, and protection.
But, venerable sir, he is an immoral man, one of evil
character. How could he ever have such virtue and restraint?”
12. Now on that occasion the venerable Angulimāla was
sitting not far from the Blessèd One. Then the Blessèd One extended
his right arm and said to Kind Pasenadi of Kosala: “Great
king, this is Angulimāla.”
Then King Pasenadi was frightened, alarmed, and terrified.
Knowing this, the Blessèd One told him: “Do not be afraid,
great king, do not be afraid. There is nothing for you to fear
from him.”
Then the king’s fear, alarm, and terror subsided. He went
over to the venerable Angulimāla and said: “Venerable sir, is the
noble lord really Angulimāla?”
“Yes, great king.”
“Venerable sir, of what family is the noble lord’s father?
Of what family is his mother?”
“My father is a Gagga, great king; my mother is a
Mantāni.”
“Let the noble lord Gagga Mantāniputta rest content. I
shall provide robes, almsfood, resting place, and medicinal requisites
for the noble lord Gagga Mantāniputta.”
13. Now at that time the venerable Angulimāla was a
forest dweller, an almsfood eater, a refuse‐rag wearer, and restricted
himself to three robes. He replied: “Enough, great king,
my triple robe is complete.”
King Pasenadi then returned to the Blessèd One, and
after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side and said:
“It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous how the Blessèd
One tames the untamed, brings peace to the unpeaceful, and
leads to Nibbāna those who have not attained Nibbāna. Venerable
sir, we ourselves could not tame him with force and weapons,
yet the Blessèd One has tamed him without force or weapons.
And now, venerable sir, we depart. We are busy and have
much to do.”
“Now is the time, great king, to do as you think fit.”
Then King Pasenadi of Kosala rose from his seat, and
after paying homage to the Blessèd One, keeping him on his
right, he departed.
14. Then, when it was morning, the venerable
Angulimāla dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, went
into Sāvatthi for alms. As he was wandering for alms from house
to house in Sāvatthi, he saw a certain woman giving birth to a
491
deformed child. When he saw this, he thought: “How beings
are afflicted! Indeed, how beings are afflicted!”
When he had wandered for alms in Sāvatthi and had
returned from his almsround, after his meal he went to the
Blessèd One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at
one side and said: “Venerable sir, in the morning I dressed, and
taking my bowl and outer robe, went into Sāvatthi for alms. As
I was wandering for alms from house to house in Sāvatthi, I saw
a certain woman giving birth to a deformed child. When I saw
that, I thought: ‘How beings are afflicted! Indeed, how beings
are afflicted!’”
15. “In that case, Angulimāla, go into Sāvatthi and say to
the woman: ‘Sister, since I was born, I do not recall that I have
ever intentionally deprived a living being of life. By this truth,
may you be well and may your infant be well!’”
“Venerable sir, wouldn’t I be telling a deliberate lie, for
I have intentionally deprived many living beings of life?”
“Then, Angulimāla, go into Sāvatthi and say to that
woman: ‘Sister, since I was born with the noble birth, I do not
recall that I have ever intentionally deprived a living being of
life. By this truth, may you be well and may your infant be well!’”
“Yes, venerable sir,” the venerable Angulimāla replied,
and having gone into Sāvatthi, he told that woman: “Sister, since
I was born with the noble birth, I do not recall that I have ever
intentionally deprived a living being of life. By this truth, may
you be well and may your infant be well!” Then the woman and
the infant became well.
16. Before long, dwelling alone, withdrawn, diligent,
ardent, and resolute, the venerable Angulimāla, by realizing for
himself with direct knowledge, here and now entered upon and
abided in that supreme goal of the holy life for the sake of which
clansmen rightly go forth from the home life into homelessness.
He directly knew: “Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived,
what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to
any state of being.” And the venerable Angulimāla became one
of the arahants.
17. Then, when it was morning, the venerable
Angulimāla dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, went
into Sāvatthi for alms.
Now on that occasion someone threw a clod and hit the
venerable Angulimāla’s body, someone else threw a stick and
hit his body, and someone else threw a potsherd and hit his
body.
492
Dostları ilə paylaş: |