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- Samyutta Nikaya XLV.2
- Upaddha Sutta
- Half (of the Holy Life)
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was living among the Sakyans.
Now there is a Sakyan town named Sakkara. There Ven.
Ananda went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One,
sat to one side. As he was sitting there, Ven. Ananda said to the Blessed One, "This
is half of the holy life, lord: having admirable people as friends, companions, &
colleagues."
"Don't say that, Ananda. Don't say that. Having admirable people as friends,
companions, & colleagues is actually the whole of the holy life. When a monk has
admirable people as friends, companions, & colleagues, he can be expected to develop
& pursue the noble eightfold path.
"And how does a monk who has admirable people as friends,
companions, & colleagues, develop & pursue the noble eightfold path? There is the
case where a monk develops right view dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion,
dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment. He develops right resolve...right
speech...right action...right livelihood...right effort...right mindfulness...right
concentration dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation,
resulting in relinquishment. This is how a monk who has admirable people as friends,
companions, & colleagues, develops & pursues the noble eightfold path.
"And through this line of reasoning one may know how having admirable people as
friends, companions, & colleagues is actually the whole of the holy life: It is in
dependence on me as an admirable friend that beings subject to birth have gained release
from birth, that beings subject to aging have gained release from aging, that beings
subject to death have gained release from death, that beings subject to sorrow,
lamentation, pain, distress, & despair have gained release from sorrow, lamentation,
pain, distress, & despair. It is through this line of reasoning that one may know how
having admirable people as friends, companions, & colleagues is actually the whole of
the holy life."
See also: Iti 17.