Upaddha Sutta
Discourse on half fulfilment of the Noble Life of Purity
AvijjaVagga, Magga Samyutta
Mahavagga Samyutta, Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka

        2. Thus have I heard:

        Once the Bhagava was residing at Nagaraka, the market town of the Sakyans in thecountry of the Sakyans. At that time the Venerable Ananda approached the Bhagava. Having made obeisance to the Bhagava and taken a seat at one side, the Venerable Ananda addressed the Bhagava thus:

        "Venerable Sir, friendship with the good and virtuous, association with the good and virtuous, and friendliness towards good companions is half fulfilment of the Noble Life of Purity."

        "Do not say so, Ananda. Do not say so, Ananda; Friendship with the good and virtuous, association with the good and virtuous, and friendliness towards good companions are complete fulfilment of the Noble Life of Purity. It can be expected, Ananda, that the bhikkhu who has friendship with the good and virtuous, who is associated with the good and virtuous and who shows friendliness towards good companions will develop the Ariya Path of Eight constituents, and will practise the Ariya Path of Eight Constituents many times."

        "And Ananda, how does the bhikkhu who has friendship with the good and virtuous, who is associated with the good and virtuous and who shows friendliness towards good companions develop the Ariya Path of Eight Constituents, practise the Noble Path of Eight Constituents many times?"

        "Ananda, in this Teaching, the bhikkhu develops Right View that is directed to detachment from defilements, to absence of attachment to defilements, to cessation of defilements and that promotes and develops uprooting of defilements and speedy attainment of Nibbana. The bhikkhu develops Right Thinking that is directed to detachment from defilement ... p ... develops Right Speech ... p ... develops Right Action ... p ... develops Right Livelihood ... p ... develops Right Effort ... p ... develops Right Mindfulness p ... develops Right Concentration that is directed to detachment from defilements, to absence of attachment to defilements, to cessation of defilements, and that promotes and develops uprooting of defilements and speedy attainment of Nibbana. In this way, Ananda, the bhikkhu who has friendship with the good and virtuous, who is associated with the good and virtuous and who shows friendliness towards good companions develop the Ariya Path of Eight Constituents, practises the Ariya Path of Eight Constituents many times."

        "Ananda, the fact that, friendship with the good and virtuous, association with the good and virtuous, friendliness towards good companion are complete fulfilment of the Noble Life of Purity, may be known in this manner also: Through me as a good friend, beings who are subject to rebirth escape from rebirth: beings who are subjects to ageing escape from ageing: beings who are subject to ageing escape from ageing: beings who are subject to death escape from death: beings who are subject to grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair escape from grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair. By considering in this manner, Ananda, it may be known that friendship with the good and virtuous, association with the good and virtuous, friendliness towards good companions are complete fulfilment of the Noble Life of Purity."

End of the Upaddha Sutta,

the second in this Vagga.

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