At one time the Buddha's attendant Ananda asked if spiritual friendship was not half of the holy life. In response, the Buddha declared, "Spiritual friendship, association with wise and noble firends, and wise and noble deeds are the whole of the holy life,"

Understanding how our states of mind are easily prompted by others, we can also see the importance of spiritual friendships. Whether in meditation communities, churches, group psychotherapy, or AA, the help we provide for one another is critical. At one time the Buddha's attendant Ananda asked if spiritual friendship was not half of the holy life. In response, the Buddha declared, "Spiritual friendship, association with wise and noble firends, and wise and noble deeds are the whole of the holy life," No matter what our intentions, we all need help from others around us as mirrors. Sometimes we need prompting in the form of fierce critical support from our AA sponsor or the honest feedback of our friends when we go astray. We also need the prompting of those who can see our goodness and who can speak with wisdom and courage to our good heart.