有一次，尊者阿難從禪修中起來，前往佛陀處，報告他在禪修中的心得：

「世尊！我剛才在禪修中這樣想：如果能有善知識的引導，解脫涅槃的修行，就完成一半了！」

佛陀指正尊者阿難說：

「不要這麼說，阿難！為什麼呢？因為有善知識的引導，必能圓滿完成清淨的修行。我也因為有善知識的助益，而證得無上等正覺，然後才成為他人的善知識，教導眾生依遠離、依離貪、依滅、向於捨而修七覺支、八正道，度化無數深陷生老病死的眾生，超越而免於生老病死的。

又，阿難！如果善男子、善女人能跟隨善知識修學，就有助於信、聞、施、慧等德行的增長與完備，就像從初一到十五，月亮漸漸變圓、變亮一樣。由於跟隨善知識修學，有這樣的方便、利益，所以說，具足善知識，是全梵行者。」

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有一次，佛陀來到憍薩羅國的首都舍衛城遊化,住在城南郊外的祇樹給孤獨園?

這天，憍薩羅國的國君波斯匿王，來拜訪佛陀，想要佛陀印證他的一個看法，波斯匿王說：

「世尊！我獨自沈思，認為世尊所教導的正法，可以讓人當下遠離苦迫煩熱的燃燒，沒有時節的限制，就能自覺自證。佛陀實在是我們的善知識、善同伴，不是惡知識、惡同伴。」

「是啊，大王！依我教導的法與律去修學，就是結交了善知識、善同伴，而不是惡知識、惡同伴，因為我可以引導深陷生老病死、憂悲惱苦的眾生，趣向解脫，成就解脫。

大王！過去阿難比丘曾經來告訴我，他在獨自沈思時，認為有善知識的引導，就可以算是修行的一半了。我就告訴阿難比丘說，有善知識的引導，不只是修行之半而已，而是修行的全部，因為善知識能引導比丘依遠離、依離貪、依滅、向於捨而修七覺支、八正道的緣故。

大王！所以，您不能沒有修學的善知識、善同伴，您應當這樣修學。

大王！要有善知識、善同伴，則不能不依於對善法的不放逸。

大王！不僅您應當依著不放逸，安住於不放逸，也應當要讓國王的後宮眷屬、文武百官、平民百姓們常常想到：我們的國王依著不放逸，安住於不放逸，我們也應當依著不放逸，安住於不放逸。這樣，國王不但以不放逸護衛著自己，也護衛了您的後宮與庫藏。」

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有一次，佛陀在舍衛城祇樹給孤獨園教導比丘們說：

「比丘們！在我們自身以外的所有外在因緣中，除了善知識、善同伴外，我不見有任何其他因緣，能讓惡不善法不生起，已生起的斷除；能令善法生起，已生的增廣。

比丘們！善知識、善同伴，能讓貪欲、瞋恚、貪睡、掉悔、疑惑，邪見、邪思惟、邪語、邪業、邪命、邪精進、邪念、邪定等惡不善法不生起，已生起的斷除；能令念?擇法、精進、喜、輕安、定、捨覺支，正見、正思惟、正語、正業、正命、正精進、正念、正定等善法生起，已生起的增廣。

比丘們！相反的，除了惡知識、惡同伴外，我不見有其他外在因緣，能讓惡不善法生起，已生起的擴大；能令善法不生起，已生起的萎縮、消失。」

On one occasion, Venerable Ananda rose from meditation practice and went to see the Buddha to report what he had learned.

“The World's Respected One! I was contemplating during meditation: If guided by a good and virtuous friend, the practice of liberation nirvana is considered half-done!”

The Buddha corrected Ananda, said:

“Not so, Ananda! Why? Because with the guidance of a good and virtuous friend, Pure Practice will be fulfilled and completed. In my case, I had been assisted by good and virtuous friends thus verified Peerless Correct Perfect Enlightenment, then became others good and virtuous friend, teaching all sentient beings to employ “Rely on not mixing with worldly defilements, rely on keep away from greed, rely on annunciate, destine to relinquish to practice the Seven Factors for Enlightenment, Noble Eightfold Path to deliver countless sentient beings who deeply engulfed in Birth, Old Age, Illness and Death, transcend them free from Birth, Old Age, Illness and Death.

Also, Ananda! If the Good Sons and Good Daughters are able to follow good and virtuous friends to study and practice, it will facilitate the improvement and accomplishing the virtues of Faith, Hearing, Charity and Wisdom, just like the moon gradually increase its brightness and roundedness from the new moon to full moon. Due to the benefit and convenience of following a good and virtuous friend to study and practice, therefore possesses good and virtuous friends is a Complete Pure Practice Practitioner.”

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On one occasion, the Buddha arrived at Savatthi, capital of Kosala for travel and teaching. He was dwelling at Jeta's Grove in Anathapindika's Park located in the south suburb of Savatthi.

On that day, King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Buddha and attempted to ask the Buddha to verify his view. King Pasenadi said:

“The World Respected One! While I was alone in seclusion, the following reflection arose in my mind: The Dharma has been well expounded by The World Respected One, allowing the people to depart from the heat and burning of vexation; one can attain enlightenment and verified by himself without time constraint. The Buddha is indeed our good and virtuous friend, good companion, not a bad friend and bad companion.”

“So it is, great king! Following my teaching of Right Dharma and Precept to practice, it is accompanying good and virtuous friend, good companion, instead of bad friend and bad companion because I can guide those sentient beings that engulfed deeply in Birth, Old Age, Illness, Death, sorrowfulness, sadness, anger and suffering to destine Liberation and accomplish Liberation.

Great king, in the past, Bhikkhu Ananda had told me that while he was in seclusion and considered that if guided by a good and virtuous friend, the practice of liberation nirvana is considered half-done, I told Bhikkhu Ananda that with the guidance of good and virtuous friend, it not half the practice, it is the entire practice, because the good and virtuous friend could guide the bhikkhu to rely on not mixing with worldly defilements, rely on keep away from greed, rely on annunciate, destine to relinquish to practice the Seven Factors for Enlightenment, Noble Eightfold Path.

Great king, therefore you can't afford not to have good and virtuous friend, good company to practice, you should practice as such.

Great king, once you have good and virtuous friend and good companion, you can't help but regimented in following the wholesome Dharma.

Great king, not only you should follow regimented, settled in regimented, but also should allow the king’s family member, officials and ordinary citizens often thinking about: Since our king is following regimented, settled in regimented, we also should follow regimented, settled in regimented. As such, the king not only guarded himself by regimented, and also guarded your family members and treasurer by regimented.”

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On one occasion, the Buddha was in Savatthi dwelling at Jeta's Grove, in Anathapindika's Park. He taught the bhikkhus by saying that:

“Bhikkhus! Other than the causes and conditions within us, with the exception of good and virtuous friend, good company, I do not see any other causes and conditions that could prevent the evil and unwholesome Dharma from rising, the arisen severed; enable the wholesome Dharma arise, and augment those already arisen.

Bhikkhus! Good and virtuous friend and good companion could suppress such unwholesome dharma as creed, anger, sleepy, restlessness, doubtful, wrong view, wrong contemplation, wrong speech, wrong livelihood, wrong diligence, wrong thought and wrong meditation; annihilates those already risen; allows the arise of such wholesome dharma as contemplation, correctly evaluate the teaching, diligence, bliss, attainment of pliancy, concentration, the enlightenment factor of detachment, right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration; and augments those already risen.

Bhikkhus! On the contrary, with the exception of bad friends and bad companions, I do not see any other causes and conditions that could prevent the evil and unwholesome dharma from rise, the arisen expand; enable the wholesome dharma arise, and allow those already arisen shrink and disappear.”

本則故事前段取材自《雜阿含第七二六經》、《相應部第四五相應第二經》?《增一阿含四四品第十經》,另參考《雜阿含第七六八經》。中段取材自《雜阿含第一二三八經》、《相應部第三相應第一八經》。後段取材自《雜阿含第七一七經》、《雜阿含第七七八經》、《相應部第四五相應第七七經》、《相應部第四五應第八四經》?

二、故事前段的發生地，《相應部》作「釋迦國」，《雜阿含》作王舍城，《增一阿含》作舍衛城，雖然傳說地點分歧，內容也小有差異，但關於尊者阿難認為，有善知識相伴是「半梵行者」，受到佛陀指正為「全梵行」的內容，是一致的。印順法師以此為例，說明佛陀是怎樣的重視善知識（參考《成佛之道》第四五頁）。

1. The first segment of this story was derived from Samyuktagama 726th Sutra; Samyutta-nikaya 45th Samyutta 2nd Sutra; Chapter 44, Ekottarikagama 10th Sutra and reference Samyuktagama 768th Sutra. Second segment of this story was derived from Samyuktagama 1238th Sutra, Samyutta-nikaya 3rd, Samyyutta 18th Sutra. Final segment of this story was derived from Samyuktagama 717th Sutra, Samyutta-nikaya 45th Samyutta 77th Sutra; and Samyuktta-njikaya 45th Samyutta 84th Sutra.

2. Locale in the first segment of the story was in Nagaraka as noted in Samyutta-nikaya However, according to Samyuktagama it was Rajagrha and in Ekottarikagama it was Saravasati. Although there are variations in the locations as well as the legend noted in different sutras, the contents also somewhat deviated, but the story of Venerable Ananda considered accompanying by good and virtuous friend is “half pure practice practitioner”, and corrected by the Buddha as “complete pure practice practitioner” was consistent. Using this as an example, Venerable Yin Shun noted how the Buddha valued good and virtuous friend. (The Path to Buddhahood, p.45.)

3. Getting rid of evil and unwholesome dharma; to work at nurturing goodness and let it increase is called the “Four Correct Endeavors”, “Four Correct Elimination”. In order to achieve such, one must “To arouse, to endeavor, diligent, motivate and persist.” (Abhidharma in Tripitaka Volume 25 p. 391c). Therefore, contents of the “Four Correct Endeavors” are the same as “Right Diligent” and Diligent Factor.” (Abhidharma in Tripitaka Volume 26 p. 492b).

4. In the story, good and virtuous friend is the most important “external conditions”. How about “internal conditions” within oneself? According to Samyuktagama 716th Sutra, Samyuktagama 777th Sutra; Samyutta-nikaya 45rd, Samyyutta 83th Sutra; and Samyutta-nikaya 46rd, Samyutta 29th Sutra, it is the “Right Thought”; “Reasonable Thought” and “Non-discriminating Thought”.

5. Observing a good and virtuous friend is just like observing the roundedness and brightness from the new moon to full moon. Similar similes could be found in Madyagama 148th Sutra, Charpter 17, Ekottarikagama 7th Sutra, and Volume V, Anguttara-nikaya 31st Sutra. ”.