- published: 05 Apr 2015
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Daku Angulimala (Pāli: "finger necklace/garland"; Sinhala: අංගුලිමාල, Burmese: အင်္ဂုလိမာလ) is an important early figure in Buddhism, particularly within the Theravada suttas. A ruthless killer who is redeemed by a sincere conversion to Buddhism, he is seen as an example of the redemptive power of the Buddha's teaching and the universal human potential for spiritual progress, regardless of one's background.
Two texts in the Pali canon concern themselves with Angulimala's initial encounter with the Buddha and his conversion. The first is the Theragatha, verses 866-91, and the second is the Angulimala Sutta in the Majjhima Nikaya. Both offer a fairly short description of Angulimala's encounter with the Buddha, and omit much of the background information later incorporated into the story (such as Angulimala being placed under an oath by a jealous teacher). These later additions- which appear in the sutta commentaries attributed to Buddhaghosa and Dhammapala (the Majjhima Nikaya commentary known as the Papancasudani (Ps) and the Therigatha commentary Paramattha-dipani (Pad), respectively) — may represent attempts by later commentators to "rehabilitate" the character of Angulimala — making him appear as a fundamentally good human being entrapped by circumstance, rather than as a vicious killer. The sutta texts themselves do not provide for any motive for Angulimala's actions, other than pure sadism.
Actors: Nopachai Chaiyanam (actor), Nopachai Chaiyanam (actor), Sutape Tunnirut (director), Sutape Tunnirut (writer), Stella Malucchi (actress), Anant Sammarsup (actor), Caterina Grosse (actress), Varin Sachdev (actor), Kamron Gunatilaka (actor), John Rattanaveroj (actor), Alisa Kajornchaiyakul (actress),
Plot: Arhingsaka was born in India to a noble family. Despite his noble birth, his horoscope showed to be born under the sign of thieves, and thus was preordained for a wicked life. On his 16th birthday his father sent him to complete his education and Arhingsaka became the teacher's favorite; the other jealous students told the master that Arhingsaka was flirting with the teachers wife. Deciding to punish his former star pupil, he told Arhingsaka : "You have almost completed your training; there is just one thing left to do. Once you finish your life of suffering will be over, and you will become a Bodhisattva. You must single-handedly kill 1,000 people" Arhingsaka changed: once he was bright and his mind light; he was tall, handsome and muscular. Now he turned grim and ugly, hunched over and plodding. He no longer laughed or spoke and he haunted the forests like a wild animal. He endeavored to complete his task, until an enlightening encounter with the Buddha halted his bloody quest. His new name, Angulimala, meant "garland of fingers", which he wore around his neck.
Keywords: buddhism, costume-drama, serial-killer