Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, paid homage, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Venerable sir, this is half of the holy life, that is, good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship.”

“Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda! This is the entire holy life, Ānanda, that is, good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship. When a bhikkhu has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, it is to be expected that he will develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path.

If you have no satisfactory teacher, then take this sure Dhamma and practice it. For the Dhamma is sure, and when it is rightly undertaken it will be to your welfare and happiness for a long time.

The Buddha said to the monks: “Imagine that the whole earth was covered with water, and that a man was to throw a yoke with a hole in it into the water. Blown by the wind, that yoke would drift north, south, east and west. Now suppose that once in a hundred years a blind turtle was to rise to the surface. What would be the chances of that turtle putting his head through the hole in the yoke?” “It would be very unlikely, Lord.” “Well, it is just as unlikely that one will be born as a human being. It is just as unlikely that a Tathāgata, a Noble One, a fully enlightened Buddha, should appear in the world. And it is just as unlikely that the Dhamma and discipline of the Tathāgata should be proclaimed.”

The doors of the Deathless are open.
Let those who can hear establish their faith.

Unsurpassed is the Lord’s way of teaching the Dhamma concerning one’s proper moral conduct. One should be honest and faithful, without deception, chatter, hinting or belittling, not always ready to add gain to gain, but with the sense-doors guarded, moderate in food, a promoter of peace, observant, active and strenuous in effort, a meditator, mindful, with proper conversation, steady-going, resolute and sensible, not hankering after sense pleasures, but mindful and prudent. This is the unsurpassed teaching concerning a person’s proper ethical conduct.

As long as the Tathāgata, the Noble One, the fully enlightened Buddha, has not come to be, there is no shining forth of great light, no great radiance. Only darkness and blindness prevail. There is no proclaiming, no teaching, no explaining, no setting forth, no opening up, no analysis of or illuminating of the Four Noble Truths. But when the Tathāgata, the Noble One, the fully enlightened Buddha has come to be, there is a shining forth of great light, of great radiance; darkness and blindness are no more. There is a proclaiming, a teaching, an explaining, a setting forth, an opening up, an analysis, an illuminating of the Four Noble Truths.

What is the Noble Eightfold Path? It is Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Samādhi.

Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, even so, this Dhamma has one taste too, the taste of freedom.

Greed is to be slightly blamed but it is slow to change. Hatred is to be greatly blamed but it is quick to change. Delusion is to be greatly blamed and it is slow to change.

There are these four kinds of happiness to be enjoyed by a householder who enjoys sense pleasures from time to time and when occasion offers. What four? The happiness of ownership, the happiness of wealth, the happiness of freedom from debt and the happiness of blamelessness. And what is the happiness of ownership? Concerning this, a householder has wealth acquired by energetic striving, won by strength of arm and sweat of brow, justly and lawfully. When he thinks of this he feels happiness and satisfaction. And what is the happiness of wealth? Concerning this, a householder has wealth justly and lawfully acquired, and he does many good works with it. When he thinks of this he feels happiness and satisfaction. And what is the happiness of freedom from debt? Concerning this, a householder owes no debts large or small to anyone, and when he thinks of this he feels happiness and satisfaction. And what is the happiness of blamelessness? Concerning this, the noble disciple is blessed with blameless action of body, speech and mind, and when he thinks of this he feels happiness and satisfaction.

There are these four types of people found in the world. What four? Those who are concerned neither with their own good nor the good of others, those who are concerned with good of others but not their own, those concerned with their own good but not that of others, and those who are concerned with both their own good and the good of others. Just as a stick from a funeral pyre, burning at both ends and smeared with dung in the middle, serves no useful purpose as fuel in the village or as timber in the forest—using such a simile do I speak of those concerned neither with their own good nor the good of the others. Those concerned with the good of others but not their own are more excellent and higher than this. Those who are concerned with their own good but not that of others are more excellent and higher still. But those who are concerned with both their own good and the good of others—they are, of these four persons, the supreme, the highest the topmost and the best.

If a fool was sitting in an assembly hall, in the main street or at the crossroads and people were to talk about him, and if he were one who broke the Five Precepts, he would think: ‘These people are talking about me because I have done these things.’ This is the first kind of anguish and dejection that the fool experiences here and now. Again, a fool might see the king arrest a thief or a wrongdoer and punish him. Upon seeing this, the fool would think: ‘The king is punishing that wrongdoer. Now, I have done these things also, so if the king were to know about me, he might punish me too.’ This is the second kind of anguish and dejection that the fool experiences here and now. And further, while the fool is sitting in a chair, lying on a bed or on the ground, those evil deeds that he has previously done with body, speech or mind, come to rest on him, lie on him, settle on him, just as when at evening, the shadows of the great mountains come to rest, lie and settle on the ground. At such times, the fool thinks: ‘Oh indeed, what is beautiful and skillful has not been done by me. I have made no refuge against the fearful. There is a place for those who have not done good but only evil, and to there I will go.’ And so he grieves, mourns, laments, beats his breast, cries and falls into disillusionment. This is the third kind of anguish and dejection that the fool experiences here and now.

Believers can be recognized by three things. What three? They desire to see those who are virtuous, they desire to hear the good Dhamma, and with a heart free from stinginess, they live at home with the mind cleaned of meanness, open-handed, pure-handed, delighting in sharing, being one to ask a favour of, being one who rejoices in giving.

The holy life is not lived for the advantages that come from gains, honours or fame; it is not lived for the advantages that come from morality; it is not lived for the advantages that come from samādhi, nor is it lived for the advantages that come from knowledge and vision. But that which is unshakable freedom of mind—that is the aim of the holy life, that is the goal, that is it’s culmination.

In giving food, one gives five things. What five? One gives life, beauty, happiness, strength and intelligence. And in giving these things, one partakes in the qualities of life, beauty, happiness, strength and intelligence, both here and hereafter.

By defilement of mind, beings are defiled; by purification of mind, beings are purified.

One who does these things is called a master of the pathways of thought. The thought he wants to think, he thinks; the thought he does not want to think, he does not think. He has cut off craving, removed the fetters, mastered pride and put an end to suffering.

The Lord said to the monks who were quarrelling: “If animals can be courteous, deferential and polite to each other so should you be.”

When a good person is reborn into a family, it is for the welfare, the happiness and the benefit of many—for that person’s parents, their spouse and children, their servants and workers, and their friends and companions.

Sīha asked the Lord: “Is it possible, Lord, to see the results of generosity?” And the Lord said: “Yes, it is possible to see the results of generosity. The giver, the generous one, is liked and dear to many. This is a result of generosity that is observable. Good and wise people follow the generous person. This is a result of generosity that is observable. The generous person earns a good reputation. This also is a result of generosity that is observable. Once again, in whatever company he enters, be it nobles, brahmins, householders or monks, the generous person enters with confidence and without trouble. This is a result of giving that is observable. And finally, the giver, the generous person, is reborn in heaven after death. This is a result of generosity that can only be seen hereafter.”

Sense desire is an obstruction and a hindrance which enshrouds the mind and weakens wisdom. Ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry and doubt are all obstructions and hindrances which enshroud the mind and weaken wisdom. Surely it is possible that one, after abandoning these obstructions and hindrances which grow in and up over the mind and weaken wisdom, being strong in wisdom, should know his own good, the good of others, the good of both, and attain that knowledge and vision befitting the Noble Ones and transcending human states.

Just as a pot without support is easily upset while one with support is difficult to upset, in the same way, the mind without support is easily upset and the mind with support is difficult to upset. And what is the support of the mind? It is the Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Samādhi.

When a cloth that is stained and dirty cloth is dipped in green, yellow, red or crimson dye, it will not be properly dyed. And why? Because it is not clean. In the same way, a bad destiny can be expected when the mind is stained. When a cloth that is quite clean and is dipped in green, yellow, red or crimson dye, it will be properly dyed. And why? Because it is clean. In the same way, a good destiny may be expected when the mind is pure.

Giving up lying, one becomes a speaker of the truth, reliable, trustworthy, dependable, not a deceiver of the world. Giving up slander, one does not repeat there what is heard here, or repeat here what is heard there, for the purpose of causing divisions between people. Thus, one becomes a reconciler of those who are divided and a combiner of those already united. Rejoicing in peace, delighting in peace, promoting peace; peace becomes the motive of his speech. Giving up harsh speech, one speaks what is blameless, pleasant to the ear, agreeable, going to the heart, urbane, pleasing, and liked by all. Giving up useless chatter, one speaks at the right time, about the facts, to the point, about Dhamma and discipline, words worthy of being treasured up, seasonable, reasonable, clearly defined and connected to the goal.

Once, the Lord dwelt among the Sakyas in the Park of the Banyan Tree at Kapilavatthu, and while there, Mahānāma the Sakyan came to him and asked: “How, Lord, does one become a lay disciple?”

“When one has taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, then one is a lay disciple.”

“How, Lord, is a disciple virtuous?”

“When a lay disciple abstains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and drinking intoxicants, then he is virtuous.”

Whatever one thinks about and ponders over often, one’s mind gets a leaning in that way.

How is there a threefold cleaning of the body? Concerning this, one abandons killing, lays aside the stick and the sword and lives with care, kindness and compassion towards all living beings. One abandons stealing the property of anyone, whether in the jungle or the village; things not given, one does not steal. One abandons sexual misconduct. One has no intercourse with girls under the guardianship of their mother or father, their brother, sister or relatives, with girls lawfully protected, those already pledged to a husband, those undergoing punishment or those dressed with garlands and promised in marriage.

If you take refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha, no fear or trembling will ever arise.

That which is called mind, mentality or consciousness arises and disappears continuously both day and night. Just as a monkey swinging through the trees grabs one branch, letting it go only to grab another, so too that which is called mind, mentality or consciousness arises and disappears continuously both day and night.

One who sees the Dhamma sees me and one who sees me sees the Dhamma. Truly, seeing the Dhamma, one sees me and seeing me, one sees the Dhamma.

I know of no single thing so unworkable as the undeveloped mind. Indeed, the undeveloped mind is an unworkable thing. I know of no other single thing so workable as the developed mind. Indeed, the developed mind is a workable thing.

Whatever has had to be done by a teacher out of compassion for his disciples and for their welfare, I have done for you. Here are the roots of the trees, here are the empty places. Meditate! Do not be slothful, do not be remorseful later. These are my instructions to you.

Cultivate a friend whose ways are seven. What seven? He gives what is hard to give, does what is hard to do, bear what is hard to bear, he confesses his secrets and keeps your secrets, in times of trouble he does not abandon you, and he does not despise you when you are down.

Greed, hatred and delusion are unskillful. Whatever the greedy, hating or deluded person does with body, speech or mind—that is unskillful too. Whatever one overwhelmed by greed, hatred or delusion and with mind uncontrolled, does to another, unjustly causing him suffering through punishment, imprisonment, fine, abuse, banishment, or on the excuse that ‘might is right’—all that is unskillful, too.

These five trades ought not to be practiced by a layperson. What five? Trade in weapons, trade in human beings, trade in flesh, trade in alcohol, and trade in poisons.

Whatever the Tathāgata utters, speaks and proclaims between the day of his enlightenment and the day he dies, all that is factual, not otherwise. That is why he is called the Tathagāta.

There are these six dangers associated with idleness. Thinking: ‘It’s too cold,’ one does not work. Thinking: ‘It’s too hot,’ one does not work. Thinking: ‘It’s too early,’ one does not work. Thinking: ‘It’s too late,’ one does not work. Thinking: ‘I am too hungry,’ one does not work. Thinking: ‘I am too full,’ one does not work.

The fool may be known by his deeds. Likewise, the wise one may be known by his deeds. Wisdom is manifested by one’s deeds.

One may not be skilled in the knowing others’ thoughts but at least one can make this resolve: ‘I will be skilled in knowing my own thoughts.’

Those friends sat down and the Lord gave a progressive talk, that is, on virtue, on heaven, on the danger, the futility and the disadvantages of sense pleasures and the advantages of giving them up. Then, when the Lord knew that their minds were ready, malleable, free from hindrance, uplifted and gladdened, he explained to them the teaching which is unique to the Buddhas—suffering, its cause, its overcoming and the way to its overcoming.

There are these six dangers of being addicted to gambling. In winning one begets hatred, in losing one mourns the loss of wealth, one’s word is not accepted in court, one is avoided by both friends and officials, and one is not sought after for marriage because people say a gambler cannot support a wife.

Now at that time a certain monk was suffering from dysentery and lay where he had fallen in his own excrement. … Then the Lord said to Ānanda: “Go and fetch water so we can wash this monk.” So Ānanda brought water and the Lord poured it out while Ānanda washed the monk all over. Then taking the monk by the head and feet, the Lord and Ānanda together carried him and laid him on a bed. Later, the Lord called the monks together and asked them: “Why monks, did you not look after that sick monk?”

“Because he was of no use to us, Lord.”

“Monks, you have no mother or father to look after you. If you do not look after each other who will? He who would nurse me, let him nurse the sick.”

Kimbila asked the Lord: “What will be the cause, what the reason why, after the Tathāgata attains final Nirvāṇa, the good Dhamma will last long?”

“If, after the Tathāgata has attained final Nirvāṇa, the monks and the nuns, the laymen and the laywomen, live with reverence and care towards the Teacher, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha, towards samādhi, towards earnestness, and towards goodwill, then the good Dhamma will last long.”

At a time when a noble disciple recollects the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha, virtue, generosity and the gods, his mind is free from greed, hatred and delusion. His mind is straight and fixed upon those things, and with a straight mind he expresses the gladness of the good, the gladness of the Dhamma, and the gladness that goes with Dhamma. In one like this gladness arises, from gladness comes joy, because of joy the body is tranquil, with a tranquil body one is happy, and the mind of one who is happy goes into samādhi.

It is good from time to time to examine one’s own faults; it is good from time to time to examine another’s faults. It is good from time to time to examine one’s own attainments; it is good from time to time to examine another’s attainments.

There are four kinds of good-hearted people who should be known as true friends; the helper, the consistent friend, one who gives good counsel, and one who sympathizes. The helper is a true friend for four reasons. He guards you when you are off your guard, he guards your property when you are off your guard, he comforts you when you are afraid, and when something has to be done, he gives you twice what you require. The consistent friend is a true friend for four reasons. He tells you his secrets, he keeps the secrets you tell him, in trouble he does not forsake you, and he would even lay down his life for you. The friend who gives good counsel is a true friend for four reasons. He discourages you from doing wrong, he encourages you to do good, he tells you things you have not heard, and he points out the way to heaven. The friend who sympathizes is a true friend for four reasons. He is sad at your misfortunes, he rejoices at your good fortune, he restrains others from speaking ill of you, and he commends those who speak well of you.

The Lord said: “It is like a mother hen with eight, ten or a dozen eggs which she has sat on properly, warmed properly and hatched properly. Is the chick which first pierces through the shell with claw and beak to safely emerge called the eldest chick or the youngest?”

“Being the first, Lord, it is called the eldest.”

“Even so, having pierced through the shell of ignorance for the sake of beings living in ignorance, egg born and enclosed, I am the first in the world, utterly enlightened with the unsurpassed enlightenment. I am the eldest, the highest in the world.”

Vacchagotta said to the Lord: “I have heard it said that you, good Gotama, teach that charity should only be given to you, not to others, to your followers, not to the followers of other teachers. Are those who say this representing your opinion without distorting it? Do they speak according to your teaching? For indeed, good Gotama, I am anxious not to misrepresent you.”

The Lord replied: “Vaccha, those who say this are not of my opinion, they misrepresent me and say what is not true. Truly, whoever discourages another from giving charity hinders them in three ways. What three? He hinders the giver from acquiring good, he hinders the receiver from receiving the charity, and he has already ruined himself through his meanness.”

The brahmin Saṅgārava said to the Lord: “Good Gotama, we brahmins perform the sacrifice and encourage others to do so. Whoever does this creates much good that benefits many people. But one who goes forth from home into homeless life as a monk only benefits himself, only calms himself, leads only himself to Nirvāṇa. I say that such a person is practicing something that benefits only himself.”

And the Lord said: “Well, brahmin, I will ask you a question, answer as you think fit. Let us say a Tathāgata arises in the world, a Noble One, a fully enlightened Buddha, with perfect knowledge and conduct, happily attained, a knower of the worlds, a guide unsurpassed for people to be tamed, a teacher of gods and humans, a Buddha, the Lord. And then he says: ‘Come! By my own power of realization I have attained great happiness as a result of this practice, this way. You practice it too! By your own powers of realization you too will attain great happiness as a result of this practice, this way.’ Thus this teacher teaches Dhamma to many hundreds, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands of such people. Now brahmin, since this is so, is this going forth into the homeless life as a monk a practice that benefits only one person or many people?”

“Good Gotama, it is a practice that benefits many people.”

Imagine a pool of turbid, stirred up and muddied water. Then, a man with good vision might stand upon the bank. He could not see the mussels, shells, pebbles and gravel on the bottom or the fish moving about. And why? Because of the turbid state of the water. In the same way, it is impossible for one with a turbid mind to understand either his own benefit or the benefit of others, or to realize higher states. And why? Because of the turbid state of the mind. Now, imagine a pool of clear, tranquil and still water. A man with good vision might stand on the bank. He could see the mussels, shells, pebbles and gravel on the bottom, and the fish that move about. And why? Because of the untroubled state of the water. In the same way, it is possible for one with a tranquil mind to understand his own benefit and the benefit of others, and to realize higher states. And why? Because of the untroubled state of his mind.

“In the Bahuka and at Adhikakka,
At Gayā and in the Sundarika,
In the Sarassati and at Payaga
Or in the Bahumati River,
The fool, though entering constantly,
Cannot wash away his evil deeds.

What can these rivers do?
They cannot purify the bad person
Or one who is intent on evil.
For the good person, every day is special.
For the good person, every day is holy.

The good practice good every day.
Bathe in that and you will protect all beings.

If you speak no lie, do no harm,
Steal not, if you believe and are generous,
What can be the good of going to Gayā?
The water at Gayā is the same as the water at home.”

Whatever monks possess virtue, samādhi, vision, freedom and knowledge and vision—just to see them brings much good; just to hear about them brings much good. To visit them, to sit beside them, to remember what they say, and to follow them in going forth in the holy life also brings much good.

These four who are accomplished in wisdom, who are disciplined, confident, deeply learned, upholders of Dhamma and who live in accordance with Dhamma—these four illuminate the Saṅgha. Which four? A monk, a nun, a layman and a laywoman.

Whoever is wise, disciplined and deeply learned,
Upholding Dhamma and living according to it,
They are called ‘Light of the Saṅgha.’
The monk well-possessed of virtue,

The nun who is widely learned,
Male and female disciples full of faith—
It is they who illuminate the Saṅgha.
‘Light of the Saṅgha’ they are called.

There are these four Right Efforts. What four? Concerning this, one generates desire to prevent the arising of evil, unprofitable states that have not yet arisen. One makes an effort, sets going energy, lays hold of and exerts the mind to this end. One generates desire for the abandoning of evil unprofitable states that have already arisen. One makes an effort, sets going energy, lays hold of and exerts the mind to this end. One generates desire for the arising of profitable states that have not yet arisen. One makes an effort, sets going energy, lays hold of and exerts the mind to this end. And one generates desire for the persisting, the non-confusion, the further development, the increase, cultivation and fulfillment of profitable states that have already arisen. One makes an effort, sets going energy, lays hold of and exerts the mind to this end.

A teacher should look upon his pupil as a son. A pupil should look upon his teacher as a father. These two, united by mutual reverence and deference and living in communion together will achieve increase, growth and progress in this Dhamma and discipline.

One whose faith in the Tathāgata is settled, fixed, established, firm, unshaken by any monk or brahmin, by any god, Māra, Brahma or anyone in the world, can confidently say: ‘I am the true child of the Lord, born of Dhamma, created by Dhamma, an heir of Dhamma.’

If anyone were to say that just as a person performs a kamma, so is his experience determined by it, and if this were true, then living the holy life would not be possible, there would be no opportunity for the overcoming of suffering. But if anyone were to say that a person performs a kamma that is to be experienced, so does he experience it, then living the holy life would be possible, there would be an opportunity for the ending of suffering.

Suppose someone throws a grain of salt into a little cup of water. That water would be undrinkable. And why? Because the amount of water is small. Now, suppose someone throws a grain of salt in the River Ganges. That water would not be undrinkable. And why? Because the amount of water is great.

Sakka asked the Lord: “Sir, do all monks and brahmins teach the same Dhamma, practise the same discipline, desire the same thing and pursue the same goal?”

“No, Ruler of the Gods, they do not. And why not? This world is made up of many and various elements, and people adhere to one or another of these elements, and become tenaciously attached to them, saying: ‘This alone is true, all else is false.’ Therefore, all monks and Brahmins do not teach the same Dhamma, practice the same discipline, desire the same thing or pursue the same goal.”