WISE FRIENDSHIP · DHAMMAPADA 77
Companionship With Purpose
Let him admonish, let him teach, let him forbid what is improper!—he will be beloved of the good, by the bad he will be hated.
Dhammapada 77 · Chapter 6, The Wise Man (Pandita) · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “Let him admonish, let him teach, let him forbid what is improper.” In its chapter, this image points toward the influence of teachers and companions. Read goodness here as a trainable direction—choices that reduce harm and leave less residue of regret. Because this is a historic English translation, test the teaching in experience rather than treating its wording as a demand for belief.
Practice prompt
Which relationship supports your best intentions?