6.
The Discourse on Who Should Be Associated With
26. "Monks, there are these three persons existing and found in the world. Which three? There is, monks, a person who should not be associated with, should not be kept company with, should not be attended upon. There is, monks, a person who should be associated with, should be kept company with, should be attended upon. There is, monks, a person who, having honoured and respected, should be associated with, should be kept company with, should be attended upon. And what, monks, is the person who should not be associated with, should not be kept company with, should not be attended upon? Here, monks, a certain person is inferior in morality, concentration, and wisdom. Such a person, monks, should not be associated with, should not be kept company with, should not be attended upon, except out of sympathy, except out of compassion.
"And what, monks, is the person who should be associated with, should be kept company with, should be attended upon? Here, monks, a certain person is similar in morality, concentration, and wisdom. Such a person, monks, should be associated with, should be kept company with, should be attended upon. What is the reason for this? For us who have attained similarity in morality, there will be talk about morality, and that will flow on for us, and that will be comfortable for us. For us who have attained similarity in concentration, there will be talk about concentration, and that will flow on for us, and that will be comfortable for us. For us who have attained similarity in wisdom, there will be talk about wisdom, and that will flow on for us, and that will be comfortable for us. Therefore such a person should be associated with, should be kept company with, should be attended upon.
"And what, monks, is the person who, having honoured and respected, should be associated with, should be kept company with, should be attended upon? Here, monks, a certain person is superior in morality, concentration, and wisdom. Such a person, monks, having honoured and respected, should be associated with, should be kept company with, should be attended upon. What is the reason for this? Thus: 'I shall fulfil the incomplete aggregate of morality, or I shall support with wisdom here and there the complete aggregate of morality; I shall fulfil the incomplete aggregate of concentration, or I shall support with wisdom here and there the complete aggregate of concentration; I shall fulfil the incomplete aggregate of wisdom, or I shall support with wisdom here and there the complete aggregate of wisdom.' Therefore such a person, having honoured and respected, should be associated with, should be kept company with, should be attended upon. These, monks, are the three persons existing and found in the world."
And one associating with an equal would never decline;
Approaching the excellent, one rises quickly,
Therefore one should associate with those superior to oneself." The sixth.