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Linked Discourses 45.2 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 45.2
1. Ignorance – 1. Avijjāvagga
SN 45.2 Half the Spiritual Life – Upaḍḍhasutta
So I have heard.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, where they have a town named Townsville.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakyesu viharati nagarakaṁ nāma sakyānaṁ nigamo.
Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:
Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“Sir, good friends, companions, and associates are half the spiritual life.”
“upaḍḍhamidaṁ, bhante, brahmacariyaṁ, yadidaṁ—kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā”ti.
“Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda!
“Mā hevaṁ, ānanda, mā hevaṁ, ānanda.
Good friends, companions, and associates are the whole of the spiritual life.
Sakalamevidaṁ, ānanda, brahmacariyaṁ, yadidaṁ—kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā.
A bhikkhu with good friends, companions, and associates can expect to develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path.
Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa—ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvessati, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarissati.
And how does a bhikkhu with good friends develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path?
Kathañcānanda, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti?
It’s when a bhikkhu develops right view, which relies on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripens as letting go.
Idhānanda, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ;
They develop right thought …
sammāsaṅkappaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ …pe…
right speech …
sammāvācaṁ bhāveti …pe…
right action …
sammākammantaṁ bhāveti …pe…
right livelihood …
sammāājīvaṁ bhāveti …pe…
right effort …
sammāvāyāmaṁ bhāveti …pe…
right mindfulness …
sammāsatiṁ bhāveti …pe…
right samādhi, which relies on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripens as letting go.
sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ.
That’s how a bhikkhu with good friends develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.
Evaṁ kho, ānanda, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti.
And here’s another way to understand how good friends are the whole of the spiritual life.
Tadamināpetaṁ, ānanda, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sakalamevidaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, yadidaṁ—kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā.
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.
Mamañhi, ānanda, kalyāṇamittaṁ āgamma jātidhammā sattā jātiyā parimuccanti; jarādhammā sattā jarāya parimuccanti; maraṇadhammā sattā maraṇena parimuccanti; sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammā sattā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsehi parimuccanti.
This is another way to understand how good friends are the whole of the spiritual life.”
Iminā kho etaṁ, ānanda, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sakalamevidaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, yadidaṁ—kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā”ti.