...One fateful day, when he had 999 fingers around his neck, there was a convergence of events. The local king, tired of the murderer in the forest, organized his troops to sweep their forest and put an end to Angulimala. At the same time, Angulimala's mother realized that it was her son who was the terrible killer. Yet despite the fact that he was a mass murderer, her motherly love compelled her to go into the forest to warn him about the king.
Angulimala, his mind twisted by his murderous deeds, failed to recognize his own mother and was preparing to kill her to complete his tally when the Buddha intervened. The Buddha positioned himself between Angulimala and his mother, and Angulimala shifted targets, and began to chase the Buddha.
Angulimala began to chase the Buddha. But then something strange happened - even though the Buddha was only walking calmly and unhurriedly, and Angulimala was running with all his might, he still couldn't catch the Buddha. Finally in exasperation Angulimala screamed at the Buddha to stop.
Still walking serenely the Buddha calmly said,
"I have stopped but you haven't."
This confused and enraged Angulimala even more and he screamed again for the Buddha to stop and explain what he meant. At this point the Buddha stopped, turned to Angulimala and said that he had already stopped. He had stopped killing and harming other living beings and it was time now for Angulimala to do likewise. These words struck Angulimala with such force that he dropped his weapons, followed the Buddha back to his monastery and became a monk.
