8. Kalyanamitta Sutta

Discourse on Having Good Friends

Dutiya Vagga, Kosala Samyutta, Sagatha Vagga Samyutta,
Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka
SOURCE: "FIVE SAMYUTTAS FROM SAGATHAVAGGA SAMYUTTA"
Translated by U Tin U (Myaung), Yangon
Edited by the Editorial Committee, Burma (Myanmar) Tipitaka Association, 1998
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      129. The Bhagava was staying at Savatthi... Having seated himself at a suitable place, King Pasenadi of Kosala addressed the Bhagava thus: "Venerable Sir, while in quiet seclusion this thought occurred to me:

      "The Bhagava has expounded the Dhamma well.

      (But) that Dhamma is (fully beneficial) only for those who have good friends, who have good companions, and who are fully inclined towards virtue1. It is not (beneficial) for those who have wicked friends, who have wicked companions, and who are inclined towards wickedness."

      "Quite so, Great King; quite so, Great King. The dhamma has been well expounded by me. (But) that Dhamma is (fully beneficial) only for those who have good friends, who have good companions, and who are fully inclined towards virtue. It is not (beneficial) for those who have wicked friends, who have wicked companions, and who are inclined towards wickedness."

      "At one time, Great King, I was staying in the Sakyan market town of Nagaraka in the land of the Sakyans. It was then, Great King, Bhikkhu Ananda approached me, made obeisance, and sitting at a suitable place, said to me:

      'Venerable Sir, friendship with the good, companionship with the good, inclination towards virtue can bring about half-fulfilment of the practice of the Life of Purity.'

      "On this being said, Great King, I said thus to Bhikkhu Ananda: 'Don't say so, Ananda; don't say so Ananda!, Friendship with the good, companionship with the good, inclination towards virtue can indeed, Ananda, bring about complete fulfilment of the practice of the Life of Purity. Ananda, it is to be certainly expeced of a bhikkhu who has a good friend, a good companion and an inclination for virtue that he will cultivate the Ariya Path of Eight Constituents and that he will practise it repeatedly.

      'Ananda, how does a bhikkhu who has a good friend, a good companion and an inclination for virtue cultivate the Ariya Path of Eight Constituents, and practise repeatedly the Ariya Path of Eight Constituents? In this matter Ananda, the bhikkhu cultivates Right View that is directed to detachment from defilements, that is directed to freedom from defilements, that is directed to cessation of defilements, and that is aimed at uprooting of defilements and speedy attainment of Nibbana. He cultivates Right Thinking.., He cultivates Right Speech... he cultivates Right Action... He cultivates Right Livelihood... He cultivates Right Effort... He cultivates Right Mindfulness... He cultivates Right Concentration that is directed to detachment from defilements, that is directed to freedom from defilements, that is directed to cessation of defilements and that is aimed at uprooting of defilement and speedy attainment of Nibbana.

'In this way, indeed, Ananda, a bhikkhu who has a good friend, who has a good companion, and who has an inclination for virtue cultivates Ariya Path of Eight Constituents and practises repeatedly the Ariya Path of eight Constituents. Ananda, this is the very way in which one should understand the statement that having a good friend, having a good companion, and having an inclination for virtue can bring about complete fulfilment of the Practice of the Life of Purity.

'Indeed, Ananda, through me as a good friend, beings who are subject to rebirth escape from rebirth: beings who are subject to ageing escape from ageing; beings who are subject to illness escape from illness; beings who are subject to death escape from death; beings who are subject to grief, lamentation, pain, distress and anguish escape from grief, lamentation, pain, distress and anguish. This is the way, Ananda, one should understand the statement that having a good friend, having a good companion, having inclination for virtue can bring about complete fulfilment of the Practice of the Life of Purity.'

"Therefore, Great King, under my Teaching you should try to conduct yourself thus: 'I shall have good friends, I shall have good companions, I shall have inclination for virtue.' This is how you should try to conduct yourself.

"Having a good friend, Great King, having a good companion, having an inclination for virtue, you should abide by the single factor of not being remiss in mindfulness of meritorious deeds.

"Great King, owing to your being not remiss in mindfulness and your abiding in mindfulness, the ladies of your court who follow you will think thus: 'The King is not remiss in mindfulness and abides in mindfulness (of meritorious deeds) and we too will now be not remiss in mindfulness and will abide in mindfulness.'

"Great King, owing to your being not remiss in mindfulness and your abiding in mindfulness, the vassal kings who follow you will think thus: 'The King is not remiss in mindfulness and abides in mindfulness (of meritorious deeds) and we too will now be not remiss in mindfulness and will abide in mindfulness.

"Great King, owing to your being not remiss in mindfulness and your abiding in mindfulness, members of your forces who follow you will think thus: 'The king is not remiss in mindfulness and abides in mindfulness (of meritorious deeds) and we too will now be not remiss in mindfulness and will abide in mindfulness.

"Great King, owing to your being not remiss in mindfulness and your abiding in mindfulness, your subjects in towns and countries who follow you will think thus: 'The king is not remiss in mindfulness and abides in mindfulness (of meritorious deeds) and we too will now be not remiss in mindfulness and will abide in mindfulness.'

"Great King, owing to your being not remiss in mindfulness and your abiding in mindfulness, you yourself will be secured and well protected; the ladies of the court will be secured and well protected and your treasury and storehouses will be secured and well protected."

      Thus said the Bhagava... (this further utterance:)

     "He who wishes for greater and greater riches should have constant mindfulness.

      "The wise praise constant mindfulness in the performance of meritorious deeds. The wise person who has constant mindfulness obtains double benefits. The man of firm character, who enjoys benefits in the present existence and also benefits in the future existence, is said to be a wise person."


      1. (fully beneficial) only for those who have good friends: Although the Buddha expounded the Dhamma for all beings without discrimination, it is beneficial only for those who believe in it and follow its Teachings. Those who keep bad company cannot benefit from it because such persons lack faith in the teaching. It is like medicine however efficacious a medicine may be, if the patient has no faith in it and does not take it, the efficacy is lost on him.

End of the Kalyanamitta Sutta,
The eight in this vagga.


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