Friday, April 9, 2010

Friends:
   The Good Friend can show the Way to Eternal Bliss!!!
At Savatthi the Blessed Buddha once said on beautiful friendship (Kalyānamittatā):
Bhikkhus, as dawn is the initiator and messenger of the rising sun, exactly & even
so too, Bhikkhus, is Good Friendship the forerunner and originator for the arising
of the Noble Eightfold Way, since when a Bhikkhu has a good friend, it is to be
expected that he will develop, cultivate & complete this Noble Eightfold Way...
And how does a Bhikkhu develop, cultivate, & perfect this Noble Eightfold Way...
A Bhikkhu first develops Right View, thereafter he develops Right Motivation
Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Awareness, and
finally Right Concentration, which all are based upon seclusion, disillusion, calming,
stilling, ceasing, and which culminates in complete mental release....
It is in this way, friends, that a Bhikkhu, who has a good & mentally beautiful friend
develops, cultivates & consummates this supreme Noble Eightfold Way!
With good will for the entire cosmos,
cultivate a boundless & infinite mind,
Above, below, across & all around,
unobstructed, freed of anger & hate.
Sutta Nipata I, 8
The friend who is a helpmate,
The friend both in happiness and woe,
The friend, who gives good counsel,
The friend, who sympathizes too!
These four as friends the wise behold
and cherish with deep devotion,
as does a mother her own child.
Digha Nikaya 31

Who is hospitable, and friendly,
Tolerant, generous and unselfish,
A guide, an instructor, a leader,
Such a one to honour may attain.
Digha Nikaya 31

One is not wise just
because one speaks much.
He who is peaceful, friendly & fearless
is really the wise.
Dhammapada 258

If you find a wise and clever friend,
who leads a good and pure life,
you should, overcoming all obstacles,
keep his company joyously & aware.
Dhammapada 328
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya. Book V [30]
45: The Way. Magga. Good & Beautiful Friendship. Kalyānamittatā 244.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Have a nice day!
  
 Friendship is the Greatest [
 Bhikkhu Samahita ] Sri Lanka J
 http://What-Buddha-Said.net
 

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