sutta » sn » sn45 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 45.2

Upaḍḍhasutta

Half the Spiritual Life

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakyesu viharati nagarakaṁ nāma sakyānaṁ nigamo.
At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, where they have a town named Townsville.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“upaḍḍhamidaṁ, bhante, brahmacariyaṁ, yadidaṁ—kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā”ti.
“Sir, good friends, companions, and associates are half the spiritual life.”

“Mā hevaṁ, ānanda, mā hevaṁ, ānanda.
“Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda!

Sakalamevidaṁ, 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.

Kathañcānanda, 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;
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, which relies on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripens as letting go.

sammāsaṅkappaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ …pe…
They develop right thought …

sammāvācaṁ bhāveti …pe…
right speech …

sammākammantaṁ bhāveti …pe…
right action …

sammāājīvaṁ bhāveti …pe…
right livelihood …

sammāvāyāmaṁ bhāveti …pe…
right effort …

sammāsatiṁ bhāveti …pe…
right mindfulness …

sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ.
right immersion, which relies on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripens 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 kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā.
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; 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.”

Dutiyaṁ.