1At Sāvatthī. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: "Here, venerable sir, while I was alone in seclusion, the following reflection arose in my mind: ‘The Dhamma has been well expounded by the Blessed One, and that is for one with good friends, good companions, good comrades, not for one with bad friends, bad companions, bad comrades.’" [n.243] Spk: Although the Dhamma is well expounded for all, just as medicine is effective only for one who takes it so the Dhamma fulfils its purpose only for a compliant and faithful person having good friends, not for the other type.

2"So it is, great king! So it is, great king! The Dhamma has been well expounded by me, and that is for one with good friends, good companions, good comrades, not for one with bad friends, bad companions, bad comrades.

3"On one occasion, great king, I was living among the Sakyans, where there is a town of the Sakyans named Nagaraka. [n.244] The incident reported here, including the discourse on good friendship, is related at SN45.2. The later version, however, does not include the line "beings subject to illness are freed from illnessʺ (vyadhidhamma satta vyadhiya parimuccanti), found at I 88,23. Explanatory notes to the embedded discourse will be found below Vol V, nn. 5-7. Then the bhikkhu Ānanda approached me, paid homage to me, sat down to one side, and said: ‘Venerable sir, this is half of the holy life, that is, good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship. ’

4"When this was said, great king, I told the bhikkhu Ānanda: ‘Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda! This is the entire holy life, Ānanda, that is, good friendship, sn.i.88 good companionship, good comradeship. When a bhikkhu has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, it is to be expected that he will develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path.

5And how, Ānanda, does a bhikkhu who has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path? Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu develops right view, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. He develops right intention … right speech … right action … right livelihood … right effort … right mindfulness … right concentration, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. It is in this way, Ānanda, that a bhikkhu who has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, develops and cultivates the Noble Eightfold Path.

6"‘By the following method too, Ānanda, it may be understood how the entire holy life is good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship: by relying upon me as a good friend, Ānanda, beings subject to birth are freed from birth; beings subject to aging are freed from aging; beings subject to illness are freed from illness; beings subject to death are freed from death; beings subject to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair are freed from sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. By this method, Ānanda, it may be understood how the entire holy life is good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship.’

7"Therefore, great king, you should train yourself thus: ‘I will be one who has good friends, good companions, good comrades. ’ It is in such a way that you should train yourself.

8"When, great king, you have good friends, good companions, good comrades, sn.i.89 you should dwell with one thing for support: diligence in wholesome states.

9"When, great king, you are dwelling diligently, with diligence for support, your retinue of harem women will think thus: ‘The king dwells diligently, with diligence for support. Come now, let us also dwell diligently, with diligence for support.’

10–12"When, great king, you are dwelling diligently, with diligence for support, your retinue of khattiya vassals will think thus … your troops will think thus … your subjects in town and countryside will think thus: ‘The king dwells diligently, with diligence for support. Come now, let us also dwell diligently, with diligence for support.’

13"When, great king, you are dwelling diligently, with diligence for support, you yourself will be guarded and protected, your retinue of harem women will be guarded and protected, your treasury and storehouse will be guarded and protected.

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. 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.

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

3Ekamidāhaṁ, 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.

4Evaṁ 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.

5Kathañca, 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.

6Mamañhi, 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.

7Tasmātiha te, mahārāja, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘kalyāṇamitto bhavissāmi kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko’ti. Evañhi te, mahārāja, sikkhitabbaṁ.

8Kalyāṇamittassa te, mahārāja, kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa ayaṁ eko dhammo upanissāya vihātabbo – appamādo kusalesu dhammesu.

9Appamattassa te, mahārāja, vihārato appamādaṁ upanissāya, itthāgārassa anuyantassa evaṁ bhavissati: ‘rājā kho appamatto vihārati, appamādaṁ upanissāya. Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti.

10Appamattassa te, mahārāja, vihārato appamādaṁ upanissāya, khattiyānampi anuyantānaṁ evaṁ bhavissati: ‘rājā kho appamatto vihārati appamādaṁ upanissāya. Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti.

11Appamattassa te, mahārāja, vihārato appamādaṁ upanissāya, balakāyassapi evaṁ bhavissati: ‘rājā kho appamatto vihārati appamādaṁ upanissāya. Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti.

12Appamattassa te, mahārāja, vihārato appamādaṁ upanissāya, negamajānapadassapi evaṁ bhavissati: ‘rājā kho appamatto vihārati, appamādaṁ upanissāya. Handa mayampi appamattā viharāma, appamādaṁ upanissāyā’ti?

13Appamattassa te, mahārāja, vihārato appamādaṁ upanissāya, attāpi gutto rakkhito bhavissati – itthāgārampi guttaṁ rakkhitaṁ bhavissati, kosakoṭṭhāgārampi guttaṁ rakkhitaṁ bhavissatī"ti. Idamavoca … pe …