Taming a Killer and placating a King: Buddhist Friendship and (Non)violence

This paper explores the Aṅgulimāla sutta in terms of the Buddhist ideal of the kalyāṇa-mitra (“good friend”). In this tale, the Buddha subdues the killer Aṅgulimāla by befriending him and bringing him into the sangha while using his friendship with King Pasenadi to demonstrate the superiority of rehabilitation over punishment. The Buddha handles the situation as a matter between friends, yet as a “good friend” to both Aṅgulimāla and Pasenadi, he circumvents the demands of justice, and overrides the king’s authority. This violates social norms and expectations, yet it stops the violence in the region (both illegal and legitimate). Moreover, Buddha’s friendship doesn’t spare Aṅgulimāla the karmic effects of his past, but it allows Buddha to guide him safely through it. I thus maintain that this tale presents “good friendship” as a “good violence,” a creative but unconventional response to social violence that holds promise for us today.