In the Buddha's Words - Bhikkhu Bodhi [128]
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans where there was a town of the Sakyans named Nāgaraka. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said:
“Venerable sir, this is half of the spiritual life, that is, good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship.”8
“Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda! This is the entire spiritual life, Ānanda, that is, good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship. When a monk 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.
“And how, Ānanda, does a monk with a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path? Here, Ānanda, a monk develops right view, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. He develops right intention … right speech … right action … right livelihood … right effort ... right mindfulness … right concentration, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. It is in this way, Ānanda, that a monk with a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, develops and cultivates the Noble Eightfold Path.
“By the following method too, Ānanda, it may be understood how the entire spiritual life is good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship: by relying upon me as a good friend, Ānanda, beings subject to birth are freed from birth; beings subject to aging are freed from aging; beings subject to death are freed from death; beings subject to sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and despair are freed from sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and despair. By this method, Ānanda, it may be understood how the entire spiritual life is good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship.”
(SN 45:2; V 2–3)
4. THE GRADUATED TRAINING
1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.
2. Now on that occasion the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi was driving out of Sāvatthī in the middle of the day in an all-white chariot drawn by white mares. He saw the wanderer Pilotika coming in the distance and asked him: “Now where is Master Vacchāyana coming from in the middle of the day?”9
“Sir, I am coming from the presence of the ascetic Gotama.”
“What does Master Vacchāyana think of the ascetic Gotama’s lucidity of wisdom? He is wise, is he not?”
“Sir, who am I to know the ascetic Gotama’s lucidity of wisdom? One would surely have to be his equal to know the ascetic Gotama’s lucidity of wisdom.”
“Master Vacchāyana praises the ascetic Gotama with high praise indeed.” “Sir, who am I to praise the ascetic Gotama? The ascetic Gotama is praised by the praised as best among devas and humans.” “What reasons does Master Vacchāyana see that he has such firm confidence in the ascetic Gotama?”
3. “Sir, suppose a wise elephant hunter were to enter an elephant wood and were to see in the elephant wood a big elephant’s footprint, long in extent and broad across. He would come to the conclusion: ‘Indeed, this is a big bull elephant.’ So too, when I saw four footprints of the ascetic Gotama, I came to the conclusion: ‘The Blessed One is perfectly enlightened, the Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One, the Saṅgha is practicing the good way.’ What are the four?
4. “Sir, I have seen here certain learned nobles who were clever, knowledgeable about the doctrines of others, as sharp as hairsplitting marksmen; they wander about, as it were, demolishing the views of others with their sharp wits. When they hear: ‘The ascetic Gotama will visit such and such a village or town,’ they formulate a question thus: ‘We will go to the ascetic Gotama and ask him this question. If he is asked like this, he will answer like this, and so we will refute his doctrine in this way; and if he is asked like that, he will answer like that, and so we will refute his doctrine in that way.’ “They hear: ‘The ascetic Gotama has come to visit