WISE FRIENDSHIP · DHAMMAPADA 76
Learning Beside the Wise
If you see an intelligent man who tells you where true treasures are to be found, who shows what is to be avoided, and administers reproofs, follow that wise man; it will be better, not worse, for those who follow him.
Dhammapada 76 · Chapter 6, The Wise Man (Pandita) · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “If you see an intelligent man who tells you where true treasures are to be found,….” In its chapter, this image points toward the influence of teachers and companions. It also makes practice relational: the people you listen to can strengthen or weaken your best intentions. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.
Practice prompt
How can you receive correction without closing?