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Full Idea
If on the great journey of life a man cannot find one who is better or at least as good as himself, let him joyfully travel alone: a fool cannot help him on his journey.
Gist of Idea
Don't befriend fools; either find superior friends, or travel alone
Source
Anon (Dham) (The DhammaPada [c.250 BCE], §5.61)
Book Ref
'The DhammaPada', ed/tr. Mascaro,Juan [Penguin 1973], p.44
A Reaction
This is a slightly disturbing aspect of Buddhism, possibly leading to contradiction. It urges friendship and love, but the finest people will have virtually no friends, and solitude is presented as a finer state than friendship.
| 7893 | Our life is the creation of our mind [Anon (Dham)] |
| 7894 | Hate is conquered by love [Anon (Dham)] |
| 7898 | The world is just the illusion of an appearance [Anon (Dham)] |
| 7899 | Even divine pleasure will not satisfy the wise, as it is insatiable, and leads to pain [Anon (Dham)] |
| 7900 | Speak the truth, yield not to anger, give what you can to him who asks [Anon (Dham)] |
| 7895 | Don't befriend fools; either find superior friends, or travel alone [Anon (Dham)] |
| 7896 | The foolish gradually fill with evil, like a slowly-filled water-jar [Anon (Dham)] |
| 7897 | The wise gradually fill with good, like a slowly-filled water-jar [Anon (Dham)] |