A Refuge from Modern Values
March 20, 2007
There’s a passage in the Canon where Ven. Ananda comes to the Buddha and says, “You know, half of this holy life, half of the life of the practice, is to have admirable friends.” The Buddha replies, “Don’t say that, Ananda. Having admirable friends is the whole of the holy life.” Everything in the practice depends on having admirable friends. The Buddha gives an example: If it hadn’t been for him as our admirable friend, where would we be? How would we know anything about the noble eightfold path? How would we know anything about the path to the end of suffering?