Tripiṭaka 2. Dutiyavagga
2. Childless
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Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha,
“idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:
“Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind.
‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo, so ca kho kalyāṇamittassa kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa, no pāpamittassa no pāpasahāyassa no pāpasampavaṅkassā’”ti.
‘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.
“That’s so true, great king! That’s so true!” said the Buddha. And he repeated the king’s statement, adding:
Svākkhāto, mahārāja, mayā dhammo. So ca kho kalyāṇamittassa kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa, no pāpamittassa no pāpasahāyassa no pāpasampavaṅkassāti.
Ekamidāhaṁ, mahārāja, samayaṁ sakkesu viharāmi nagarakaṁ nāma sakyānaṁ nigamo.
“Great king, this one time I was staying in the land of the Sakyans where they have a town named Townsville.
Atha kho, mahārāja, ānando bhikkhu yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho, mahārāja, ānando bhikkhu maṁ etadavoca:
Then the mendicant Ānanda came to me, bowed, sat down to one side, and said:
‘upaḍḍhamidaṁ, bhante, brahmacariyassa—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā’ti.
‘Sir, good friends, companions, and associates are half the spiritual life.’
Sakalameva hidaṁ, ānanda, brahmacariyaṁ—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā.
Good friends, companions, and associates are the whole of the spiritual life.
Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvessati ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarissati.
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?
And how does a mendicant with good friends develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path?
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.
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.
Evaṁ kho, ānanda, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti.
That’s how a mendicant with good friends develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.
Tadamināpetaṁ, ānanda, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sakalamevidaṁ brahmacariyaṁ—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatāti.
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.
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.
Iminā kho etaṁ, ānanda, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sakalamevidaṁ brahmacariyaṁ—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā’ti.
This is another way to understand how good friends are the whole of the spiritual life.’
‘kalyāṇamitto bhavissāmi kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko’ti.
‘I will have good friends, companions, and associates.’
Kalyāṇamittassa te, mahārāja, kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa ayaṁ eko dhammo upanissāya vihātabbo—
When you have good friends, companions, and associates, you should live supported by one thing:
Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, itthāgārassa anuyantassa evaṁ bhavissati:
When you’re diligent, supported by diligence, your ladies of the harem,
‘rājā kho appamatto viharati, appamādaṁ upanissāya.
Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti.
Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, khattiyānampi anuyantānaṁ evaṁ bhavissati:
aristocrat vassals,
‘rājā kho appamatto viharati appamādaṁ upanissāya.
Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti.
Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, balakāyassapi evaṁ bhavissati:
troops,
‘rājā kho appamatto viharati appamādaṁ upanissāya.
Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti.
Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, negamajānapadassapi evaṁ bhavissati:
and people of town and country will think:
‘rājā kho appamatto viharati, appamādaṁ upanissāya.
‘The king lives diligently, supported by diligence.
Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti?
We’d better live diligently, supported by diligence!’
Appamattassa te, mahārāja, viharato appamādaṁ upanissāya, attāpi gutto rakkhito bhavissati—
When you’re diligent, supported by diligence, then not only you yourself,
itthāgārampi guttaṁ rakkhitaṁ bhavissati, kosakoṭṭhāgārampi guttaṁ rakkhitaṁ bhavissatī”ti.
but your ladies of the harem, and your treasury and storehouses will be guarded and protected.”