The Related Suttas Collection 55.17

2. The Royal Monastery

Friends and Colleagues (2nd)

“Bhikkhus, those who you have sympathy for, and those worth listening to—friends and colleagues, relatives and family—should be encouraged, supported, and established in the four factors of stream-entry. What four? Experiential confidence in the Buddha …

There might be change in the four primary elements—earth, water, fire, and air—but a noble disciple with experiential confidence in the Buddha would never change. In this context, ‘change’ means that such a noble disciple will be reborn in hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm: this is quite impossible.

Experiential confidence in the teaching …

Experiential confidence in the Saṅgha …

The ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to samādhi. There might be change in the four primary elements—earth, water, fire, and air—but a noble disciple with the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones would never change. In this context, ‘change’ means that such a noble disciple will be reborn in hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm: this is quite impossible.

Those who you have sympathy for, and those worth listening to—friends and colleagues, relatives and family—should be encouraged, supported, and established in these four factors of stream-entry.”