5. Angulimala paritta
This one is believed to ease the pains of childbirth and more generally,
like the other paritta, to ward off all dangers. Its `historical' antecedents
are intriguing, for it is associated with the famous story of the Buddha's
encounter with the killer of men, Angulimala.
The following is a summary of the story: a son was born, under the
ominous `thieves' constellation', to the wife of the brahman chaplain of
the King of Kosala. While a student, the boy Angulimala aroused the
jealousy of his fellow students, who falsely accused him of improprieties
with the teacher's wife; the teacher in revenge asked as his fee for further
instruction the slaughter of a thousand men and a finger from each victim
as evidence of death. Angulimala murdered 999 victims, thereby causing
great fear and depopulation, and on the eve of apprehension by the king
was in mortal danger of murdering his own mother, who had set out to
warn him, as his thousandth victim. The Buddha forestalled this crime
by appearing before Angulimala, who then pursued the Buddha for
twelve miles without being able to overtake him. The Buddha subsequently
converted him and ordained him as a monk, and secured a reprieve from
the king.
One day when returning from his own natal village after an unsuccessful
round of begging there, Angulimala saw a woman in severe labour pains
and, being helpless and full of piety, reported the event to the Buddha,
who said to him: `Go to the place and say "I have never knowingly put
any creature to death since I was born; by the virtue of this observance
may you be free from pain".' On remonstrating that this was untrue
of his own life, Angulimala was told by the Buddha that since becoming
a monk he was indeed reborn and that his new life was virtuous. Angulimala
did as he was directed and the mother gave birth with as much ease as
water falls from a vessel. (See Malalasekera 1960, Vol. 1, pp. 22-3; Hardy
1880, pp. 257-61.)
This story embodies several points regarding the theory of paritta in
particular, and Buddhist teaching in general. The formula of the paritta
emphasizes that it is the merit of the virtuous arahat that withstands
worldly misfortune, and that the benefit of this merit is transferred to the
layman. The Buddha's own act of conversion of Angulimala through
compassion constitutes again the same message proclaimed in the other
paritta discussed. Furthermore, it is appropriate that the former killer
of men should now preside over their births.
From the point of view of Buddhist doctrine, Angulimala's conversion
and becoming an arahat wiped out his former misdeeds, that is, a beneficent
karma can arise and destroy an evil karma. But Angulimala, though
destined not to be reborn, had to suffer the punishment of demerit in
his last life. He was stoned and hit by people in his goings to procure
alms.
