Good Friend

A question, What is the most important thing in living a happy life?. The Answer is Having good friends is the most important thing. The Buddha said this in the Kalayanamitta Sutta, translated into Good friends can bring about all good things. For further understanding, I would like to share with you a story which I have heard recently. Here is the story:

There was once a young man who had four friends whom he loved equally. One day he came across a holy man and helped him with everything. The holy man thought that he was a good young lad so he gave him four wishes. But the young man did not keep the wishes for himself. He saidd, I am going to share them out to all my four friends. The holy man said, OK, but these wishes have a time limit. The young man said, OK sir, I will do what I can for my friends. The holy man informed him what the conditions of the wishes.

The first wish lasts for only four days, and so the young man wished his first friend happiness and good health for four days i.e. every day in Spring, every day in Summer, every day in the Fall and every day in Winter. He said, May my fried be happy and healthy.

The second wish lasts three days and the man wished his second friend happiness and good heath for three days i.e. yesterday, today and tomorrow. He said, May my fried be happy and healthy.

The third wish lasts two days and the man wished his third friend happiness and good health for two days i.e. day and night. He said, May my fried be happy and healthy.

The fourth wish lasts one day and the man wished his fourth friend happiness and good health for one day i.e. today (present moment). He said, May my fried be happy and healthy.

The holy man smiled with loving-kindness and compassion and granted his wishes, From now on, may all your friends be happy and healthy as you wished. The young man thanked him profoundly and went to tell his friends about the wishes he had made.

The moral of the story: a good person always wishes for the happiness and wellbeing for his friends.

So good friends are a vital factor in helping us live a happy life; good friends can help and give us good advice when we are in need. Do you have any good friends? If you don’t have any, you have to find one and you must start with yourself. Be a good friend to yourself and to others and you in turn will have good friends.