Date: 03/02/2024 03/03/2024
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Otto Huang
Dharma Talk
Good Spiritual Friends and Diligence Without Negligence
Once, the venerable Ananda rose from meditation and went to see the Buddha to report his insights:
“World-Honored One! Just now, during meditation, I thought: if one can have the guidance of a good spiritual friend, then the practice towards liberation and Nirvana is halfway accomplished!”
The Buddha corrected Ananda, saying:
“Do not speak so, Ananda! Why? Because with the guidance of a good spiritual friend, one can fully complete the pure practice. It is also because of the help of good spiritual friends that I achieved supreme enlightenment, and then became a good spiritual friend to others, teaching sentient beings to practice the seven factors of enlightenment and the Noble Eightfold Path by relying on renunciation, abstaining from greed, cessation, and relinquishment, thus liberating countless beings trapped in the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and helping them transcend such sufferings.
Furthermore, Ananda! If good men and women follow and study with a good spiritual friend, it helps in the growth and accomplishment of virtues such as faith, hearing, giving, and wisdom, just like the moon gradually becoming full and bright from the first to the fifteenth day. Because there are such conveniences and benefits in following and studying with a good spiritual friend, it is said that having a good spiritual friend is complete monastic practice.”
Once, the Buddha came to the capital of the Kosala kingdom, Shravasti, and stayed in the Jetavana Grove, the Park of Anathapindika.
That day, King Pasenadi of Kosala visited the Buddha, wanting the Buddha to confirm his view. King Pasenadi said:
“World-Honored One! I have been reflecting alone and think that the Dharma taught by the World-Honored One allows one to be free from the tormenting heat of suffering and distress in this very life; there is no fixed time for one to realize and verify it by oneself. The Buddha is indeed our good spiritual friend and companion, not a bad one.”
“Yes, great king! By practicing the Dharma and precepts that I teach, you are associating with good spiritual friends and companions, not bad ones, because I can guide beings who are trapped in the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair towards liberation and achieving liberation.
Great king! In the past, the monk Ananda came to me and said that he thought, upon reflection, that having the guidance of a good spiritual friend is half of the practice. I told Ananda that having the guidance of a good spiritual friend is not just half of the practice but all of it, because a good spiritual friend can guide monks to practice the seven factors of enlightenment and the Noble Eightfold Path by relying on renunciation, abstaining from greed, and cessation, and relinquishment.
Great king! Therefore, you cannot be without the study and companionship of good spiritual friends. You should practice in this way.
Great king! To have good spiritual friends and companions, one must not neglect the Dharma.
Great king! Not only should you abide in diligence, but you should also make your queens, officials, and common people frequently think: ‘Our king abides in diligence, so we should also abide in diligence.’ In this way, the king not only protects himself with diligence but also his queens and treasury.”
Once, the Buddha told the monks in the Jetavana Grove, Anathapindika’s Park in Shravasti:
“Monks! Among all external conditions beyond ourselves, except for good spiritual friends and companions, I see no other condition that can prevent unwholesome states from arising and eradicate those that have arisen; that can give rise to wholesome states and enhance those that have arisen.
Monks! Good spiritual friends and companions can prevent the arising of unwholesome states such as greed, anger, sloth, remorse, doubt, wrong view, wrong thoughts, wrong speech, wrong actions, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration, and eliminate those that have arisen; they can give rise to wholesome states such as mindfulness, investigation of Dharma, effort, joy, tranquility, concentration, equanimity, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, and enhance those that have arisen.
Monks! On the contrary, apart from bad spiritual friends and companions, I do not see any other external conditions that could cause unwholesome states to arise and increase those that have arisen; nor any that could prevent wholesome states from arising and cause those that have arisen to wither and disappear.”
