Dear Dhamma Friends,

My favorite American holiday, Thanksgiving, has come to an end. And of course another year will soon be gone. So it is a good time to reflect with gratitude. Anyway I feel very fortunate to have had relatively good health, a few accomplishments, quite a bit of fun, a great many learning and teaching moments. It has been particularly rewarding to share part of my year with good Dhamma friends like you folks.

In that spirit I pass along the comments of the Buddha on friendship taken from the Samyutta Nikaya,Magga Samyutta.

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans where there was a town of the Sakyans named Nagaraka. Then the Venerable Ananda approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One, 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!

The Blessed One replied: Not so, Ananda! Not so, Ananda! This is the entire holy life, Ananda, 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. #2

Then the Buddha continued: I do not see even one other thing by means of which the unarisen Noble Eightfold Path arises and the arisen Noble Eightfold Path goes to fulfilment by development so effectively as by this: good friendship.

And how does a Bhikkhu who has a good friend develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path? Here Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu develops Right Understanding, Right Thought, 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, Bhikkhus, that a Bhikkhu who has a good friend develops and cultivates the Noble Eightfold Path. #77

Thank you for your friendship.

With Metta,

Sarah