Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa

3.1.8 Upaḍḍhasuttaṃ

The Importance of a Kalyāṇamitta

Upaḍḍhasuttaṃ The Importance of a Kalyāṇamitta
Evaṃ me sutaṃ: Thus has been heard by me:
Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sakyesu viharati nagarakaṃ nāma sakyānaṃ nigamo. On one occasion the Bhagavā was living among the Sakyans at a Sakyan town named Sakyā.
Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. There the Venerable Ānanda approached the Bhagavā and, having approached and greeted the Bhagavā, he sat to one side.
Ekamantaṃ nisinno kho
āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṃ etadavoca:
Having sat on one side the Venerable Ānanda addressed the Bhagavā thus:
“upaḍḍhamidaṃ, bhante, brahmacariyaṃ,
yadidaṃ– kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā”ti.
“This is half of the holy life, Bhante, having supportive, virtuous people as friends, companions and colleagues.”
“Mā hevaṃ, ānanda, mā hevaṃ, ānanda! “Don’t say that, Ānanda. Don’t say that.
Sakalamevidaṃ, ānanda, brahmacariyaṃ, yadidaṃ– kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā. Having supportive, virtuous people as friends, companions and colleagues is actually the whole of the holy life.
Kalyāṇamittassetaṃ, ānanda, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṃ kalyāṇasahāyassa
kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa– ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bhāvessati, ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ
maggaṃ bahulīkarissati.
When a Bhikkhu has supportive, virtuous people as friends, companions and colleagues, it can be expected that he will pursue the Noble Eightfold Path, that he will develop the Noble Eightfold Path.
Kathañcānanda, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko ariyaṃ
aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bhāveti,
And how does a Bhikkhu who has supportive, virtuous people as friends, companions and colleagues pursue the Noble Eightfold Path,
ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bahulīkaroti? how does he develop the Noble Eightfold Path?
Idhānanda, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṃ bhāveti vivekanissitaṃ virāganissitaṃ
nirodhanissitaṃ vossaggapariṇāmiṃ;
sammāsaṅkappaṃ bhāveti vivekanissitaṃ …pe…
Here a Bhikkhu develops right view dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment.
He develops right thought dependent on seclusion…,
sammāvācaṃ bhāveti …pe…
sammākammantaṃ bhāveti …pe…
sammā-ājīvaṃ bhāveti …pe…
sammāvāyāmaṃ bhāveti …pe…
sammāsatiṃ bhāveti …pe…
sammāsamādhiṃ bhāveti vivekanissitaṃ virāganissitaṃ nirodhanissitaṃ vossaggapariṇāmiṃ.
He develops right speech…,
right action…,
right livelihood…,
right effort…,
right awareness…,
right concentration, dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment.
Evaṃ kho, ānanda, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko
ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bhāveti,
ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bahulīkaroti.
This is how a Bhikkhu who has supportive, virtuous people as friends, companions and colleagues pursues the Noble Eightfold Path, this is how he develops the Noble Eightfold Path.
Tadamināpetaṃ, ānanda, pariyāyena veditabbaṃ yathā sakalamevidaṃ brahmacariyaṃ,
yadidaṃ: kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā.
And thus through this line of reasoning one may know how having supportive, virtuous people as friends, companions and colleagues is actually the whole of the holy life:
Mamañhi, ānanda, kalyāṇamittaṃ āgamma jātidhammā sattā
jātiyā parimuccanti,
It is in dependence on me as a virtuous friend that beings subject to birth have gained release from birth,
jarādhammā sattā jarāya parimuccanti; maraṇadhammā sattā maraṇena parimuccanti; sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammā
sattā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsehi parimuccanti.
those beings subject to aging gain release from aging, that beings subject to death gain release from death,
that beings subject to sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress and despair gain release from sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress and despair.
Iminā kho etaṃ, ānanda, pariyāyena veditabbaṃ yathā sakalamevidaṃ brahmacariyaṃ,
yadidaṃ– kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā”ti.
It is through this line of reasoning that one may know how having supportive, virtuous people as friends, companions, and colleagues is actually the whole of the holy life.”

Last modified: Monday, 20 May 2024, 6:18 PM