Kalyanamitta Sutta

Translation by Bhikkhuni Uppalavanna

1. In Sàvatthi.

2. King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One, worshipped and sat on a side.

Seated, king Pasenadi of Kosala said: "Venerable sir, when I was thinking in seclusion this thought occurred to me.'The Blessed One's Teaching is well proclaimed and it is the intimate friendship with good friends and good associates, not the intimate friendship with evil friends and evil associates."


 * "Great king, that is so, my Teaching is well proclaimed and it is the intimate friendship with good friends and good associates, not the intimate friendship with evil friends and evil associates."

4. "Great king, once I was living in a hamlet of the Sakyas.

5. "Then, great king, bhikkhu ânanda approached me, worshipped and sat on a side and said: `Venerable sir, leading the holy life is half the intimate friendship with good friends and good associates.'

6. "Great king, when this was said, I said to the bhikkhu ânanda, `ânanda, do not say so! Leading the holy life is not half but completely the intimate friendship with good friends and good associates. ânanda, the bhikkhu desiring the intimate friendship with good friends and good associates, will develop the noble eightfold path and make much of it.

7. `ânanda, how does the bhikkhu, a good friend, a good associate develop and make much of the intimate friendship with the noble eightfold path?

8. `Here, ânanda, the bhikkhu develops right view, bent on seclusion, bent on fading, bent to ceasing, to relax in the maturity of surrender. Develops right thoughts, ... re ... right speech, ... re ... right action, ... re ... right livelihood, ... re ... right endeavor, ... re ... right mindfulness ... re ... right concentration bent on seclusion, bent on fading, bent on ceasing, to relax in the maturity of surrender. ânanda, in this manner the bhikkhu, a good friend, a good associate an intimate friend, develops and makes much of the noble eightfold path.'

9. `ânanda, in this manner it should be known, how a good friendship, a good association and an intimate friendship, is the complete holy life.

10. `ânanda, beings, born, coming to me in search of a good friend, are released from birth. Decaying beings, coming to me in search of a good friend, are released from decay. Beings with the nature of dying, coming to me in search of a good friend, are released from death. Beings, with the nature of grieving, lamenting, unpleasantness, displeasure and distress coming to me in search of a good friend, are released from grief, lament, unpleasantness, displeasure and distress. ânanda, in this manner it should be known, how a good friendship, a good association and an intimate friendship, is leading a complete holy life.'

11. "Therefore, great king, you should. Train, thus: `I will be a good friend with good associates and with good intimate friendships.' Great king a good friend with good associates and with good intimate friendships should live dependent on this one thing, diligence in meritorious things.

12. "Great king, when you live diligently, it will occur to the queens in the harem: `The king lives diligently attached to diligence, now we too should live attached to diligence.'

13. "Great king, when you live diligently, it will occur to the subordinate warrior kings, `The king lives diligently attached to diligence, now we too should live attached to diligence.'

14. "Great king, when you live diligently, it will occur to the people in the hamlets villages and states, `The king lives diligently attached to diligence, now we too should live attached to diligence.'

15. "Great king, when you live diligently, the self will be protected, the harem will be protected, the treasures and the granary will be protected.

16. "By those wishing with attachment the excellence, again and again
 * Merit should be done, wisely appreciating diligence.
 * Diligence, serves for the welfare of this and the other world.
 * When the diligent one attains his aim, he is called a wise man."