ārya-kalyāṇa-mitra-sevani-sūtra
The Noble [Teaching]. The Sutra of Relying on a Virtuous Friend
I praise all the Enlightened ones and bodhisattvas!
So I heard once.
The Blessed One was with a blissful assembly of disciple-listener sangkhas in the Sala tree garden near Kushana City.
Then the Blessed One, when the time of perfect and complete nirvana came, said to the bhikshu monks:
Monks! You should train yourselves in this way. Abide in a place [where there is] a virtuous friend, a friend of virtue, a foundation of virtue. Abide there, but do not abide [in a place where there is] a pernicious friend, a friend of the pernicious, a foundation of the pernicious.
Monks! Train yourselves in the same way!
Then the venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One:
Holy! Here I come into solitude alone. If, when I come, I immerse myself in meditation, there will be a perfect understanding of a mood like this mood. It is this. This virtuous friend, friend of virtue, foundation of virtue, which is determined through pure behavior, is not a pernicious friend, friend of the pernicious, foundation of the pernicious. So I think.
Blessed responded:
Ananda! You [said]: This virtuous friend, friend of virtue, foundation of virtue, which is determined through pure conduct, is not a pernicious friend, friend of the pernicious, foundation of the pernicious.
Do not say so. Why not?
Ananda! This virtuous friend, friend of virtue, foundation of virtue - perfect in pure conduct, not mixed [with pernicious], wholly perfect, perfectly pure, perfectly purified. Being so, he is not a pernicious friend, a friend of the pernicious, a foundation of the pernicious. Why?
Ananda! Because by relying on me and the spiritual friend, living beings that possess the quality of birth are completely liberated from the quality of birth. Those who possess the qualities of old age, sickness, death, sorrow, weeping, suffering, unhappy mind, perturbations [in the mind] - are completely liberated from old age, sickness, death, sorrow, weeping, suffering, unhappy mind, perturbations [in the mind].
Ananda! Thus cognize only such enumeration.
This virtuous friend, friend of virtue, foundation of virtue, is perfect in pure behavior, not mixed [with pernicious behavior], totally perfect, perfectly pure, perfectly purified. Being so, he is not a pernicious friend, a friend of the pernicious, a foundation of the pernicious.
Ananda! Train yourself in this way.
The Blessed One said so. Then the monks praised what the Blessed One had said.
Thus ends the noble [teaching], the sutra of relying on the virtuous friend kalyanamitra.