The Translation
[F.304.b]
1.1Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
1.1禮敬一切佛陀和菩薩。
1.2Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was dwelling in the Grove of Twin Sāl-Trees in the vicinity of the Malla town of Kuśinagara, together with a retinue of śrāvakas. Then, when the Bhagavān was about to pass into parinirvāṇa, he addressed the bhikṣus: “Bhikṣus, you should train in this way. Bhikṣus, you should train thinking, ‘One should live with a virtuous spiritual friend, a virtuous companion, a virtuous support. One should not, however, live with a nonvirtuous spiritual friend, a nonvirtuous companion, a nonvirtuous support.’ ”
1.2我這樣聽說過：一次，世尊住在末羅國拘尸那羅附近的雙娑羅樹林中，與許多聲聞弟子在一起。那時，世尊即將般涅槃，他對比丘們說：「比丘們，你們應該這樣修行。比丘們，你們應該這樣修行，思維著『應該與善知識、善伴侶、善的依靠共同生活。然而，你們不應該與惡知識、惡伴侶、惡的依靠共同生活。』」
1.3Then, the venerable Ānanda said to the Bhagavān, “Honorable One, having come here alone to a secluded place, I had gone into meditative retreat when the following thought arose in my mind: ‘A virtuous spiritual friend, a virtuous companion, a virtuous support is half the holy life. A nonvirtuous spiritual friend, a nonvirtuous companion, a nonvirtuous support, however, is not.’ ”
1.3那時，尊者阿難對世尊說：「世尊，我獨自來到這個隱僻的地方，進入了禪修靜閉。當時，我的心中生起了這樣的念頭：『善知識、善伴侶、善依靠是梵行的一半。但是，非善知識、非善伴侶、非善依靠則不是。』」
1.4The Bhagavān replied, “Ānanda, [F.305.a] do not say that a virtuous spiritual friend, a virtuous companion, a virtuous support is half the holy life, but that a nonvirtuous spiritual friend, a nonvirtuous companion, a nonvirtuous support is not.
1.4世尊回答說：「阿難，不要說善知識、善伴侶、善支援只是梵行的一半，而非善知識、非善伴侶、非善支援則不是。
“Why? Ānanda, the point is that a virtuous spiritual friend, a virtuous companion, a virtuous support is the whole, the unadulterated, the complete, the pure, the totally purified holy life, but a nonvirtuous spiritual friend, a nonvirtuous companion, a nonvirtuous support is not.
「為什麼呢？阿難，善知識、善伴侶、善依靠就是整個梵行、純淨的梵行、完整的梵行、清潨的梵行、完全清淨的梵行，但非善知識、非善伴侶、非善依靠則不是。」
1.5“Why is that? Ānanda, it is because, by relying on me as their spiritual friend, sentient beings subject to birth will be completely released from being subject to birth, and sentient beings subject to aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, distress, and agitation will be completely released from being subject to aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, distress, and agitation.
1.5「為什麼呢？阿難，正是因為眾生依靠我作為善知識，那些受制於生的眾生將完全從受制於生中解脫出來，而那些受制於衰老、疾病、死亡、憂傷、哀慟、痛苦、苦惱和煩擾的眾生將完全從受制於衰老、疾病、死亡、憂傷、哀慟、痛苦、苦惱和煩擾中解脫出來。
“Therefore, Ānanda, you should understand this in the following way alone. A virtuous spiritual friend, a virtuous companion, a virtuous support is the whole, the unadulterated, the complete, the pure, the totally purified holy life, but a nonvirtuous spiritual friend, a nonvirtuous companion, a nonvirtuous support is not. Ānanda, you should train thinking in this way.”
「因此，阿難，你應當單獨以這樣的方式來理解。善知識、善伴侶、善支持是完整的、純淨的、圓滿的、清淨的、完全淨化的梵行，而非善知識、非善伴侶、非善支持則不是。阿難，你應當以這樣的方式來思惟並進行修行。」
1.6When the Bhagavān had spoken these words, the bhikṣus rejoiced and highly praised what the Blessed One had taught.
1.6世尊說完這些話後，比丘們歡喜讚歎世尊所教授的法。
1.7This completes “The Noble Sūtra on Reliance upon a Virtuous Spiritual Friend.”
1.7（結尾）