Advice on Friendship

Advice to Lama Rigdzin Gyatso

On Understanding the Influence of Companions and Avoiding and Adopting Them Accordingly

by Patrul Rinpoche

The influence of good friends’ behaviour is as follows:
The company of the wise increases intelligence.
The company of the compassionate awakens bodhicitta.
The company of the contented reduces desires.
The company of the generous inspires a willingness to give.
The company of the calm and collected improves one’s own temperament.
The company of the disenchanted inspires disillusionment, and
The company of the renunciant inspires a wish to be free.
The company of those concerned with future lives is a reminder of virtue.
The company of the good inspires the wish for liberation.
The company of the dharmic is a reminder to practice Dharma.
The company of those with limited desires inspires contentment.
The company of the diligent greatly strengthens one’s valour.
The company of the honourable inspires virtuous qualities.
The company of freedom-seekers encourages the pursuit of lasting happiness.
The company of the virtuous inspires a wholesome attitude.
The company of those with pure perception engenders devotion.
The company of the prudent leads to the fulfilment of long-term aspirations.
Such is the behaviour of positive friends.
Keep, therefore, to virtuous companions.

The influence of bad friends’ behaviour is as follows:
The company of the foolish obscures wisdom.
The company of the aggressive spoils one’s own character.
The company of the lustful produces thoughts of youth.[1]
The company of the miserly engenders avarice.
The company of the arrogant induces an attitude of posturing.
The company of those without renunciation breeds attachment to this life.
The company of those immersed in this life breeds forgetfulness of the next.
The company of the vulgar inspires thoughts of husbandry and trade.
The company of the wealth-seeking inspires concern for business.
The company of the acquisitive brings thoughts of accumulation and hoarding.
The company of the indolent engenders idle discouragement.
The company of the distracted leads to overwhelming diversions.
The company of the fanciful diverts attention toward this life.
The company of the wicked inspires an unwholesome mind.
The company of the faithless diminishes pure perception.
The company of the superficial triggers nonvirtuous thought.
Such is the behaviour of negative associates.
Avoid, for these reasons, unwholesome company.

Patrul wrote this for Lama Rigdzin Gyatso. May virtue abound!

| Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2021.

Bibliography

Tibetan Edition

o rgyan 'jigs med chos kyi dbang po. "grogs kyi kun spyod 'go bar shes nas spang blang la gdams pa bla ma rig 'dzin rgya mtsho la gnang ba/" in gsung 'bum/_o rgyan 'jigs med chos kyi dbang po. BDRC W1PD107142. 8 vols. khreng tu'u: si khron dpe skrun tshogs pa/ si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2009. Vol. 8: 254–255

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