Good FriendsKalyāṇamittasutta

At Sāvatthī.Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha,Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind.“idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: ‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha. But it’s for someone with good friends, companions, and associates, not for someone with bad friends, companions, and associates.’”‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo, so ca kho kalyāṇamittassa kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa, no pāpamittassa no pāpasahāyassa no pāpasampavaṅkassā’”ti.

“That’s so true, Great King! That’s so true!” said the Buddha. And he repeated the king’s statement, adding:“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja.

“Great king, this one time I was staying in the land of the Sakyans where they have a town named Townsville.Ekamidāhaṁ, mahārāja, samayaṁ sakkesu viharāmi nagarakaṁ nāma sakyānaṁ nigamo. Then the mendicant Ānanda came to me, bowed, sat down to one side, and said:Atha kho, mahārāja, ānando bhikkhu yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho, mahārāja, ānando bhikkhu maṁ etadavoca: ‘Sir, good friends, companions, and associates are half the spiritual life.’‘upaḍḍhamidaṁ, bhante, brahmacariyassa—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā’ti.

When he had spoken, I said to him:Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, mahārāja, ānandaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda!‘mā hevaṁ, ānanda, mā hevaṁ, ānanda. Good friends, companions, and associates are the whole of the spiritual life.Sakalameva hidaṁ, ānanda, brahmacariyaṁ—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā. A mendicant with good friends, companions, and associates can expect to develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path.Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvessati ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarissati.

And how does a mendicant with good friends develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path?Kathañca, ānanda, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti? It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.Idhānanda, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ, sammāsaṅkappaṁ bhāveti … sammāvācaṁ bhāveti … sammākammantaṁ bhāveti … sammāājīvaṁ bhāveti … sammāvāyāmaṁ bhāveti … sammāsatiṁ bhāveti … sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ. That’s how a mendicant with good friends develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.Evaṁ kho, ānanda, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti. And here’s another way to understand how good friends are the whole of the spiritual life.Tadamināpetaṁ, ānanda, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sakalamevidaṁ brahmacariyaṁ—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatāti.

For, by relying on me as a good friend, sentient beings who are liable to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress are freed from all these things.Mamañhi, ānanda, kalyāṇamittaṁ āgamma jātidhammā sattā jātiyā parimuccanti, jarādhammā sattā jarāya parimuccanti, byādhidhammā sattā byādhito parimuccanti, maraṇadhammā sattā maraṇena parimuccanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammā sattā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsehi parimuccanti. This is another way to understand how good friends are the whole of the spiritual life.’Iminā kho etaṁ, ānanda, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sakalamevidaṁ brahmacariyaṁ—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā’ti.

So, Great King, you should train like this:Tasmātiha te, mahārāja, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘I will have good friends, companions, and associates.’‘kalyāṇamitto bhavissāmi kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko’ti. That’s how you should train.Evañhi te, mahārāja, sikkhitabbaṁ.

When you have good friends, companions, and associates, you should live supported by one thing:Kalyāṇamittassa te, mahārāja, kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa ayaṁ eko dhammo upanissāya vihātabbo— diligence in skillful qualities.appamādo kusalesu dhammesu.

When you’re diligent, supported by diligence, your ladies of the harem,Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, itthāgārassa anuyantassa evaṁ bhavissati: aristocrat vassals,Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, khattiyānampi anuyantānaṁ evaṁ bhavissati: troops,Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, balakāyassapi evaṁ bhavissati: and people of town and country will think:Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, negamajānapadassapi evaṁ bhavissati: ‘The king lives diligently, supported by diligence.‘rājā kho appamatto viharati, appamādaṁ upanissāya. We’d better live diligently, supported by diligence!’Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti?

When you’re diligent, supported by diligence, then not only you yourself,Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, attāpi gutto rakkhito bhavissati— but your ladies of the harem, and your treasury and storehouses will be guarded and protected.”itthāgārampi guttaṁ rakkhitaṁ bhavissati, kosakoṭṭhāgārampi guttaṁ rakkhitaṁ bhavissatī”ti.

That is what the Buddha said. …Idamavoca …pe…

“For one who desires high wealth“Bhoge patthayamānena, again and again,uḷāre aparāpare; the astute praise diligenceAppamādaṁ pasaṁsanti, in making merit.puññakiriyāsu paṇḍitā; Being diligent, an astute personAppamatto ubho atthe, secures both benefits:adhiggaṇhāti paṇḍito.

the benefit in this life,Diṭṭhe dhamme ca yo attho, and in lives to come.yo cattho samparāyiko; Attentive, comprehending the meaning,Atthābhisamayā dhīro, they are said to be astute.”paṇḍitoti pavuccatī”ti.