Kalyāṇamittasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: ‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo, so ca kho kalyāṇamittassa kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa, no pāpamittassa no pāpasahāyassa no pāpasampavaṅkassā’”ti.

At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha, “Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind. ‘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.’”

“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja. Svākkhāto, mahārāja, mayā dhammo. So ca kho kalyāṇamittassa kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa, no pāpamittassa no pāpasahāyassa no pāpasampavaṅkassāti.

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

Ekamidāhaṁ, mahārāja, samayaṁ sakkesu viharāmi nagarakaṁ nāma sakyānaṁ nigamo. Atha kho, mahārāja, ānando bhikkhu yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho, mahārāja, ānando bhikkhu maṁ etadavoca: ‘upaḍḍhamidaṁ, bhante, brahmacariyassa—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā’ti.

“Great king, this one time I was staying in the land of the Sakyans where they have a town named Townsville. Then the mendicant Ānanda came to me, bowed, sat down to one side, and said: ‘Sir, good friends, companions, and associates are half the spiritual life.’

Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, mahārāja, ānandaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘mā hevaṁ, ānanda, mā hevaṁ, ānanda. Sakalameva hidaṁ, ānanda, brahmacariyaṁ—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā. Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvessati ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarissati.

When he had spoken, I said to him: ‘Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda! Good friends, companions, and associates are the whole of the spiritual life. A mendicant with good friends, companions, and associates can expect to develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path.

Kathañca, ānanda, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti? 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. Evaṁ kho, ānanda, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti. Tadamināpetaṁ, ānanda, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sakalamevidaṁ brahmacariyaṁ—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatāti.

And how does a mendicant with good friends develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path? 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. That’s how a mendicant with good friends develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path. And here’s another way to understand how good friends are the whole of the spiritual life.

Mamañhi, ānanda, kalyāṇamittaṁ āgamma jātidhammā sattā jātiyā parimuccanti, jarādhammā sattā jarāya parimuccanti, byādhidhammā sattā byādhito parimuccanti, maraṇadhammā sattā maraṇena parimuccanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammā sattā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsehi parimuccanti. Iminā kho etaṁ, ānanda, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sakalamevidaṁ brahmacariyaṁ—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā’ti.

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. This is another way to understand how good friends are the whole of the spiritual life.’

Tasmātiha te, mahārāja, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘kalyāṇamitto bhavissāmi kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko’ti. Evañhi te, mahārāja, sikkhitabbaṁ.

So, Great King, you should train like this: ‘I will have good friends, companions, and associates.’ That’s how you should train.

Kalyāṇamittassa te, mahārāja, kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa ayaṁ eko dhammo upanissāya vihātabbo— appamādo kusalesu dhammesu.

When you have good friends, companions, and associates, you should live supported by one thing: diligence in skillful qualities.

Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, itthāgārassa anuyantassa evaṁ bhavissati: ‘rājā kho appamatto viharati, appamādaṁ upanissāya. Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti.

When you’re diligent, supported by diligence, your ladies of the harem,

Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, khattiyānampi anuyantānaṁ evaṁ bhavissati: ‘rājā kho appamatto viharati appamādaṁ upanissāya. Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti.

aristocrat vassals,

Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, balakāyassapi evaṁ bhavissati: ‘rājā kho appamatto viharati appamādaṁ upanissāya. Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti.

troops,

Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, negamajānapadassapi evaṁ bhavissati: ‘rājā kho appamatto viharati, appamādaṁ upanissāya. Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti?

and people of town and country will think: ‘The king lives diligently, supported by diligence. We’d better live diligently, supported by diligence!’

Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, attāpi gutto rakkhito bhavissati— itthāgārampi guttaṁ rakkhitaṁ bhavissati, kosakoṭṭhāgārampi guttaṁ rakkhitaṁ bhavissatī”ti. Idamavoca …pe…

When you’re diligent, supported by diligence, then not only you yourself, but your ladies of the harem, and your treasury and storehouses will be guarded and protected.” That is what the Buddha said. …

“Bhoge patthayamānena, uḷāre aparāpare; Appamādaṁ pasaṁsanti, puññakiriyāsu paṇḍitā; Appamatto ubho atthe, adhiggaṇhāti paṇḍito.

“For one who desires high wealth again and again, the astute praise diligence in making merit. Being diligent, an astute person secures both benefits:

Diṭṭhe dhamme ca yo attho, yo cattho samparāyiko; Atthābhisamayā dhīro, paṇḍitoti pavuccatī”ti.

the benefit in this life, and in lives to come. Attentive, comprehending the meaning, they are said to be astute.”