What Nina says is somewhat supported by Richard Gombrich in 'How Buddhism Began'. He argues that Angulimala was a Kali devotee and his murders were part of his devotions. With that information, one can begin to see Angulimala as a very religious person practising misguided rites and rituals until the Buddha opened his eyes. Angulimala still puzzles me, but this makes him a little more understandable.

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Nina van Gorkom <vangorko@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Frank,
> Op 12-feb-2013, om 17:23 heeft Frank K het volgende geschreven:
>
> > N: He had killed, but not committed a heinous crime like killing
> > > parents or the Buddha. A heinous crime is an impediment. There was
> > > not such an imediment.
> > >
> > >
> > F: So trying to deliberately murder a Samma Sambuddha, and failing
> > only
> > because the Buddha stopped him, is not considered heinous?
> ------
> N: Conditions, conditions. We cannot understand all conditions
> thoroughly.
> We have to consider which factors make akusala kamma a heinous crime,
> and thus a hindrance to enlightenment.
> -------
> > F: Just a petty
> > crime, a misdemeanor, a mere impediment? In my book, when you have the
> > intention, have planned it out, carried it out and almost certainly
> > would
> > have succeeded with that action 99% of the time if not for
> > extraordinary
> > intervention, the kammic fruit for that is much closer to 99% of full
> > kammic fruit than 0%.
> -------
> N: I understand your point of view, you are reasoning, you have a
> logical view about things.
> But kamma and vipaaka is most intricate and only Buddhas can
> thoroughly understand it.
> What is our understanding compared to the Buddha's omniscience?
> The Buddha also knew the kusala and understanding Angulima had
> accumulated in former lives. This was never lost and could bear
> fruit. When considering kamma and result so many factors also
> stemming from past lives have to be taken into consideration. We do
> not have the Buddha's wisdom.
> I understand that at first sight you find things incomprehensible.
> But let us consider things more deeply, not just by logic.
> We can never judge the deeds of someone else, who knows his past
> accumulations? We also may have killed in former lives, but now: here
> we are studying Dhamma. This sutta is also an encouragement that
> kusala is never lost, somehow it will bear fruit, inspite of all the
> tribulations one may experience.
> Angulima was aware and developed understanding of whatever dhamma
> appeared at the present moment, even akusala dhamma; he saw that as
> just a conditioned reality. Only in that way he could attain
> arahatship. So, let us never forget the dhamma appearing right now.
> The only way.
>
> Nina.
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>