The Universe may implode, but the Stream-Winner is Safe! Once in Savatthi the Blessed Buddha said this: Bhikkhus, those for whom you have sympathy & who you think should be respected, whether friends or colleagues, relatives or associates, these you should try to explain, convince, and establish in these four factors of stream-entry. What four? You should explain, convince, & establish them in Faith in the Three Jewels thus: Worthy, honourable & perfectly self-Enlightened is the Buddha! Consummated in... Perfectly formulated is the Dhamma, visible right here & now, immediately effective... Perfectly training is this Noble Sangha community of the Buddha's Noble disciples...
You should explain, convince, & establish them in the saving purity of Morality thus: Any Noble possesses the Morality esteemed by the Noble ones: Unbroken, pure... untorn, unspotted, freeing, praised by the clever, natural, leading to concentration. Why? Bhikkhus, there may be alteration in these four great elements: In the earth element; all solidity, in the water element; all fluidity, in the heat element; all thermal vibration, in the air element; all motion, but there cannot be alteration in the Noble Disciple who possesses confirmed confidence in the Three Jewels. It always remains impossible that such Noble Disciple should be reborn in hell, as animal, angry demon or as ghost! Therefore: Those for whom you have sympathy & who you think should be respected, whether friends or colleagues, relatives or associates, these you should try to explain, convince, and establish in these four factors of stream-entry...
Source (edited extract): The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya. [V:365-6] section 55: Sotāpattisamyutta. Thread 17: Friends and Colleagues 2...
Faith is the Seed, the Initiator, the Source of the Beginning. Faith is the Hand that takes up all the advantageous states. Faith is the Wealth above all, since it brings real Happiness. Faith is the Jump, since it enables beings to cross the flood. Faith is the Purifier, since it clears contaminating defilements.
