Stories about redemption
3 Buddhist wisdom stories about redemption from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- Angulimala: 'I have stopped. You stop.'Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Angulimala, a serial killer in the Buddha's time (some say 999 victims, more likely 99), ran after the Buddha to kill him, but however fast he ran he couldn't catch up. He…
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One who stands out was Angulimala. He killed Some people say 999. That seems a little bit much, but probably 99 human beings. A serial killer. Eventually, the Buddha converted him. Interesting what happened there. I often tell this in retreats. The Uh Angulimala was actually running after the Buddha trying to kill him. And no matter how fast Angulimala ran, the Buddha used some psychic power so the Angulimala couldn't catch him. So this Angulimala, the serial killer, shouted out to the Buddha, "Stop! Stop!" And the Buddha turned around and said, "I've already stopped. You stop." It wasn't just stopping running. It was stopping the way the mind just tries to do things, judge things, change things, improve things. Stop. And that was such a powerful, unexpected command by the Buddha. Angulimala did that. He stopped. He became a monk. And stopped all those what we call defilements, became fully enlightened by stopping.
- “It was only two murders”Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A prisoner near the end of his sentence reads about the two bad bricks and goes around saying of himself, “It was only two murders.” Ajahn Brahm respects him: he's honest, and…
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i really respect this man he was one of the prisoners coming towards the end of his sentence over incarnate and i don't go to carnot anymore but many other monks do one of our monks will be there this evening to eat in the meditation group incarnate but this guy has been going around saying because he read my book and he heard about the two bad bricks and he goes around saying it was only two murders and good on him i don't know why you laughed there but good on him what else has he done in his life a lot of good things there's only two murders he's being honest
- The burglar who came back for compassionStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: An abbot finds a knife-wielding burglar at the donation box, hands him the key, notices how thin he is and offers him leftover food — 'don't rush, there's plenty of time' — and…
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its a nice story about a monastery somewhere in the world and in the middle of the night the Abbot was woken up when he heard a noise in the main shrine room So he got up and checked, and sure enough there was a burglar in the temple. As soon as the burglar saw the Abbot the burglar was trying to open the donation box and he told the Abbot just get out of here. And the Abbot took one look at the burglar instead of actually stopping the burglar opening the donation box 'here's the key' so the burglar took it and told not to do anything But the Abbot took one look at the burglar and like many burglars and this guy was so thin. So the Abbot asked him when was the last time you ate. Burglar said 'shut up' . When I give talks I always like to wake people up every now and again (audience laughs). 'Shut up' he said. But the Abbot didn't shut up he said 'look there is some left over food from this mornings meal in the cupboard, help yourself. And the man was hungry. So just looking at the Abbot and brandishing a knife from the kitchen he said 'don't come near. He quickly sort of stuffed some food into his mouth and the Abbot said 'don't rush, there is plenty of time' and the bugler opened the donation box emptied it, took some more food and ran away saying don't call the police, Abbot said I wan't the donations are there for charity, for compassion you are a poor person just take whatever you want I will clear with the committee tomorrow So the next day when the committee heard about this At least the guy was being kind and they liked the Abbot for being kind but usually what happens a few days later that bugler was caught robbing another house somewhere and was sentenced to jail The abbot forgot all about that and few years later The bugler returned with another knife. He came and said you remember me? I robbed this temple five years ago, now I have come to rob again; but the burglar said this time; but last time I took the wrong thing I took the money Putting down his knife he said now I have come to take compassion and wisdom, please show me how you were so kind to me, even though I was about to kill you and rob your tample. So the Bugler realizing for the first time he thought that money was happiness after those five years realized that kindness is more important than money he said the first time he have stolen the wrong thing now he come to take the right thing and asked the Abbot to teach him; compassion and Kindness.