WISE FRIENDSHIP · DHAMMAPADA 78
Listening to Honest Counsel
Do not have evil-doers for friends, do not have low people for friends: have virtuous people for friends, have for friends the best of men.
Dhammapada 78 · Chapter 6, The Wise Man (Pandita) · trans. F. Max Müller · Read the full text at Project Gutenberg
Reflection
The verse begins, “Do not have evil-doers for friends, do not have low people for friends.” 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
What kind of friend are you practicing being?