At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

“Mendicants, one thing helps give rise to the noble eightfold path. “Ekadhammo, bhikkhave, bahūpakāro ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa uppādāya. What one thing? Katamo ekadhammo? It’s good friendship. Yadidaṁ—kalyāṇamittatā. A mendicant with good friends can expect to develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path. Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvessati, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarissati.

And how does a mendicant with good friends develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path? Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti? It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ. That’s how a mendicant with good friends develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.” Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarotī”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.