Toh 300 — The Sūtra on Reliance upon a Virtuous Spiritual Friend

F.304.b Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was dwelling in the Grove of Twin Sāl-Trees in the vicinity^[1] of the Malla town of Kuśinagara,^[2] together with a retinue of śrāvakas. Then, when the Bhagavān was about to pass into parinirvāṇa, he addressed the bhikṣus: “Bhikṣus, you should train in this way. Bhikṣus, you should train thinking, ‘One should live with a virtuous spiritual friend, a virtuous companion, a virtuous support. One should not, however, live with a nonvirtuous spiritual friend, a nonvirtuous companion, a nonvirtuous support.’ ”

Then, the venerable Ānanda said to the Bhagavān, “Honorable One, having come here alone to a secluded place, I had gone into meditative retreat^[3] when the following thought arose in my mind: ‘A virtuous spiritual friend, a virtuous companion, a virtuous support is half the holy life. A nonvirtuous spiritual friend, a nonvirtuous companion, a nonvirtuous support, however, is not.’ ”

The Bhagavān replied, “Ānanda, F.305.a do not say that a virtuous spiritual friend, a virtuous companion, a virtuous support is half the holy life, but that a nonvirtuous spiritual friend, a nonvirtuous companion, a nonvirtuous support is not.

“Why? Ānanda, the point is that a virtuous spiritual friend, a virtuous companion, a virtuous support is the whole, the unadulterated, the complete, the pure, the totally purified holy life, but a nonvirtuous spiritual friend, a nonvirtuous companion, a nonvirtuous support is not.

“Why is that? Ānanda, it is because, by relying on me as their spiritual friend,^[4] sentient beings subject to birth will be completely released from being subject to birth, and sentient beings subject to aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, distress, and agitation will be completely released from being subject to aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, distress, and agitation.

“Therefore, Ānanda, you should understand this in the following way alone. A virtuous spiritual friend, a virtuous companion, a virtuous support is the whole, the unadulterated, the complete, the pure, the totally purified holy life, but a nonvirtuous spiritual friend, a nonvirtuous companion, a nonvirtuous support is not. Ānanda, you should train thinking in this way.”

When the Bhagavān had spoken these words, the bhikṣus rejoiced and highly praised what the Blessed One had taught.