Can You Restore?

Once there was a very violent man where Buddha lived. This man, Angulimala, had vowed to kill one thousand people. As a momento, and as a count of his victims, he severed an index finger from each victim and made a garland of fingers to wear around his neck. After his 999th kill, he fell pray to a slump . Nobody approached near enough for him to claim his thousandth victim. Ignoring all warnings and pleadings, Buddha approached Angulimala, which surprised Angulimala that Buddha came voluntarily. What kind of a man was this?

“Well, I’ll grant you one wish for your bravery,” Angulimala offered magnanimously.

Buddha requested that he chop off a branch from a nearby tree. Whack, it was done!

Why did you waste your wish?” asked Angulimala

“Will you grant me a second request, a dying man’s request?” Buddha asked humbly.

“All right, what is it?”

“Would you restore that fallen branch to the tree?” asked Buddha with perfect equanimity.

“I can’t do that!” exclaimed Angulimala startled.

“How can you destroy something without knowing how to create? how to restore? how to rejoin? It is said that the encounter so moved Angulimala that he became enlightened.

But the question that Buddha asked two-and-a-half-thousand years ago remains relevant today. Suppose we ask our scientists who use their creativity to invent weapons of destruction, the same question. How do you suppose they will answer?

And how do we answer? Do we use our creativity for ego gratification or for enlightenment? For criticism or for upliftment?

Amit Gaswami