Aṅgulimālasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 86

With Aṅgulimāla · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Atha kho āyasmā aṅgulimālo pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.
Addasā kho āyasmā aṅgulimālo sāvatthiyaṁ sapadānaṁ piṇḍāya caramāno aññataraṁ itthiṁ mūḷhagabbhaṁ vighātagabbhaṁ.
Disvānassa etadahosi:
“kilissanti vata, bho, sattā;
kilissanti vata, bho, sattā”ti.
Atha kho āyasmā aṅgulimālo sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā aṅgulimālo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“idhāhaṁ, bhante, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁ.
Addasaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, sāvatthiyaṁ sapadānaṁ piṇḍāya caramāno aññataraṁ itthiṁ mūḷhagabbhaṁ vighātagabbhaṁ.
Disvāna mayhaṁ etadahosi:
‘kilissanti vata bho sattā, kilissanti vata bho sattā’”ti.

Then Venerable Aṅgulimāla robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then as he was wandering indiscriminately for almsfood he saw a woman undergoing a distressing obstructed labor. Seeing this, it occurred to him, “Oh, beings undergo such travail! Oh, beings undergo such travail!” Then after wandering for alms in Sāvatthī, after the meal, on his return from almsround, he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. The Buddha said to him,

“Tena hi tvaṁ, aṅgulimāla, yena sā itthī tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ itthiṁ evaṁ vadehi:
‘yatohaṁ, bhagini, jāto nābhijānāmi sañcicca pāṇaṁ jīvitā voropetā, tena saccena sotthi te hotu, sotthi gabbhassā’”ti.
“So hi nūna me, bhante, sampajānamusāvādo bhavissati.
Mayā hi, bhante, bahū sañcicca pāṇā jīvitā voropitā”ti.
“Tena hi tvaṁ, aṅgulimāla, yena sā itthī tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ itthiṁ evaṁ vadehi:
‘yatohaṁ, bhagini, ariyāya jātiyā jāto, nābhijānāmi sañcicca pāṇaṁ jīvitā voropetā, tena saccena sotthi te hotu, sotthi gabbhassā’”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā aṅgulimālo bhagavato paṭissutvā yena sā itthī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ itthiṁ etadavoca:

“Well then, Aṅgulimāla, go to that woman and say this: ‘Ever since I was born, sister, I don’t recall having intentionally taken the life of a living creature. By this truth, may both you and your baby be safe.’” “But sir, wouldn’t that be telling a deliberate lie? For I have intentionally killed many living creatures.” “In that case, Aṅgulimāla, go to that woman and say this: ‘Ever since I was born in the noble birth, sister, I don’t recall having intentionally taken the life of a living creature. By this truth, may both you and your baby be safe.’” “Yes, sir,” replied Aṅgulimāla. He went to that woman and said:

“yatohaṁ, bhagini, ariyāya jātiyā jāto, nābhijānāmi sañcicca pāṇaṁ jīvitā voropetā, tena saccena sotthi te hotu, sotthi gabbhassā”ti.
Atha khvāssā itthiyā sotthi ahosi, sotthi gabbhassa.

“Ever since I was born in the noble birth, sister, I don’t recall having intentionally taken the life of a living creature. By this truth, may both you and your baby be safe.” Then that woman was safe, and so was her baby.

Atha kho āyasmā aṅgulimālo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.
“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi.
Aññataro kho panāyasmā aṅgulimālo arahataṁ ahosi.

Then Aṅgulimāla, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness. He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.” And Venerable Aṅgulimāla became one of the perfected.

Atha kho āyasmā aṅgulimālo pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.
Tena kho pana samayena aññenapi leḍḍu khitto āyasmato aṅgulimālassa kāye nipatati, aññenapi daṇḍo khitto āyasmato aṅgulimālassa kāye nipatati, aññenapi sakkharā khittā āyasmato aṅgulimālassa kāye nipatati.
Atha kho āyasmā aṅgulimālo bhinnena sīsena, lohitena gaḷantena, bhinnena pattena, vipphālitāya saṅghāṭiyā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami.
Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ aṅgulimālaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.
Disvāna āyasmantaṁ aṅgulimālaṁ etadavoca:
“adhivāsehi tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, adhivāsehi tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa.
Yassa kho tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, kammassa vipākena bahūni vassāni bahūni vassasatāni bahūni vassasahassāni niraye pacceyyāsi tassa tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, kammassa vipākaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme paṭisaṁvedesī”ti.

Then Venerable Aṅgulimāla robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Now at that time someone threw a stone that hit Aṅgulimāla, someone else threw a stick, and someone else threw gravel. Then Aṅgulimāla—with cracked head, bleeding, his bowl broken, and his outer robe torn—went to the Buddha. The Buddha saw him coming off in the distance, and said to him, “Endure it, brahmin! Endure it, brahmin! You’re experiencing in this very life the result of deeds that might have caused you to be tormented in hell for many years, many hundreds or thousands of years.”

Atha kho āyasmā aṅgulimālo rahogato paṭisallīno vimuttisukhaṁ paṭisaṁvedi;
tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
“Yo pubbeva pamajjitvā,
pacchā so nappamajjati;
Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti,
abbhā muttova candimā.
Yassa pāpaṁ kataṁ kammaṁ,
kusalena pidhīyati;
Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti,
abbhā muttova candimā.
Yo have daharo bhikkhu,
yuñjati buddhasāsane;
Somaṁ lokaṁ pabhāseti,
abbhā muttova candimā.
Disā hi me dhammakathaṁ suṇantu,
Disā hi me yuñjantu buddhasāsane;
Disā hi me te manujā bhajantu,
Ye dhammamevādapayanti santo.
Disā hi me khantivādānaṁ,
avirodhappasaṁsīnaṁ;
Suṇantu dhammaṁ kālena,
tañca anuvidhīyantu.
Na hi jātu so mamaṁ hiṁse,
aññaṁ vā pana kiñci naṁ;
Pappuyya paramaṁ santiṁ,
rakkheyya tasathāvare.
Udakañhi nayanti nettikā,
Usukārā namayanti tejanaṁ;

Later, Venerable Aṅgulimāla was experiencing the bliss of release while in private retreat. On that occasion he expressed this heartfelt sentiment: “He who once was heedless, but turned to heedfulness, shines upon this world, like the moon freed from clouds. Someone whose bad deed is supplanted by the good, shines upon this world, like the moon freed from clouds. A young mendicant devoted to the Buddha’s teaching, shines upon this world, like the moon freed from clouds. May even my enemies hear a Dhamma talk! May even my enemies devote themselves to the Buddha’s teaching! May even my enemies associate with those good men who establish others in the Dhamma! May even my enemies hear Dhamma at the right time, from those who teach acceptance, praising acquiescence; and may they follow that path! For then they’d never wish harm upon myself or others. Having arrived at ultimate peace, they’d look after creatures firm and frail. For while irrigators guide water, fletchers bend arrows straight,

Dāruṁ namayanti tacchakā,
Attānaṁ damayanti paṇḍitā.
Daṇḍeneke damayanti,
aṅkusehi kasāhi ca;
Adaṇḍena asatthena,
ahaṁ dantomhi tādinā.
Ahiṁsakoti me nāmaṁ,
hiṁsakassa pure sato;
Ajjāhaṁ saccanāmomhi,
na naṁ hiṁsāmi kiñci naṁ.
Coro ahaṁ pure āsiṁ,
aṅgulimāloti vissuto;
Vuyhamāno mahoghena,
buddhaṁ saraṇamāgamaṁ.
Lohitapāṇi pure āsiṁ,
aṅgulimāloti vissuto;
Saraṇagamanaṁ passa,
bhavanetti samūhatā.
Tādisaṁ kammaṁ katvāna,
bahuṁ duggatigāminaṁ;
Phuṭṭho kammavipākena,
aṇaṇo bhuñjāmi bhojanaṁ.
Pamādamanuyuñjanti,
bālā dummedhino janā;
Appamādañca medhāvī,
dhanaṁ seṭṭhaṁva rakkhati.
Mā pamādamanuyuñjetha,
mā kāmarati santhavaṁ;
Appamatto hi jhāyanto,
pappoti vipulaṁ sukhaṁ.
Svāgataṁ nāpagataṁ,
nayidaṁ dummantitaṁ mama;
Saṁvibhattesu dhammesu,
yaṁ seṭṭhaṁ tadupāgamaṁ.
Svāgataṁ nāpagataṁ,
nayidaṁ dummantitaṁ mama;
Tisso vijjā anuppattā,
kataṁ buddhassa sāsanan”ti.

and carpenters bend timber straight, the astute tame themselves. Some tame by using the rod, some with goads, and some with whips. But the unaffected one tamed me without rod or sword. My name is ‘Harmless’, though I used to be harmful. The name I bear today is true, for I do no harm to anyone. I used to be a bandit, the notorious Aṅgulimāla. Swept away in a great flood, I went to the Buddha as a refuge. I used to have blood on my hands, the notorious Aṅgulimāla. See the refuge I’ve found— the leash to existence is eradicated. I’ve done many of the sort of deeds that lead to a bad destination. The result of my deeds has already struck me, so I enjoy my food free of debt. Fools and simpletons devote themselves to negligence. But the wise protect diligence as their best treasure. Don’t devote yourself to negligence, or delight in erotic intimacy. For if you’re diligent and practice absorption, you’ll attain abundant happiness. It was welcome, not unwelcome, the advice I got was good. Of the well-explained teachings, I arrived at the best. It was welcome, not unwelcome, the advice I got was good. I’ve attained the three knowledges and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.”

Aṅgulimālasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.

The Aṅgulimāla discourse is completed, the sixth.

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