The Golden
Buddhist Life Standards 2
The golden Buddhist's life standards make
harmony for oneself and others.
This layman's code of discipline =
(gihi-vinaya) organize social relationships
so that they produce a
society of happy beings being in sweet harmony...
Law 2: Choose only True Friends and Prudent Money Planning:
A. Choosing only good
people as true friends will make life constructive!
How to
recognize the 4 kinds of friends with a genuine goodness (suhada-mitta)?
I. The helping friend has 4 features:
1. When his friend is off guard, then he guards
and protects him.
2. When his friend is off guard, he guards
and protects
his property.
3. In times of danger, he is always a refuge of help,
and ready assistance.
4. In times of need, then he gives much more than
actually asked for.
II. The friend through thick and thin
has 4 features:
1. He confess his own secrets to his friend.
2. He keeps his friend's secrets safe and sound.
3. He does not desert, or betray his friend
not even in times of danger.
4. He will give even his own life for his friend's sake.
III The good counsellor has
4 features:
1. He restrains his friend from doing any evil, or harmful.
2. He encourages him to do good,
and accumulate precious merit.
3. He explain to his friend, what he has not heard before.
4. He points out the way to
future prosperity, progress, and happiness.
IV. The loving friend has
4 features:
1. When his friend is unhappy, he
sympathizes in true compassion.
2. When his friend is happy, he is also mutually happy
with him.
3. When others criticize his friend, he comes to his defence.
4. When others praise his friend, he joins in their praise.
Such are the 4 true friends. Please take note of that!

How to recognize the 4 kinds of false imitating
friends (mitta-patirūpaka)
?
I. The habitual cheater who only takes from
friends, has 4 features:
1. He thinks only of getting, and rarely of giving
2. He gives only little when in the hope of getting much
back.
3. Only when he is pressed in danger does he help his friend.
4. He imitates friendliness only to promote his own advantage.
II. The smooth talker has
4 features:
1. He talks only of what is already done,
and now gone.
2. He talks only of what has not yet come into
being.
3. He offers only help that has neither
any true effect, nor cost him anything.
4. When his friend needs a
helping hand, then he
makes many-fold bad excuses.
III.
The empty flatterer has 4 features:
1. He agrees even, when his friend is doing something
obviously wrong.
2. He also agrees,
when his friend is
doing something right.
3. He sings only his beguiling praises, when the friend is present.
4. He
smears and runs him down behind his back,
when his friend is absent.
IV. The leader to ruin has
4 features:
1. He is a companion only when drinking.
2. He is a companion only when partying.
3. He is a companion
only in gambling, gaming, and betting.
4.
He is a companion only
in frequenting shows, and amusements.
B. Allocating one's
wealth rightly by intelligent earning, spending & saving:
1. One portion is to be used for supporting oneself, family, dependents, and
for charity.
2. Two portions to be used for investment in one's business and owned
structures.
3. Another portion to be put aside as savings for future needs.

Source:
A constitution for Living.
Buddhist Principles for a Fruitful and Harmonious Life.
Ven. P.A. Payutto. Thailand. Buddhist Publication
Society 2007: BP 620S
https://www.bps.lk
Sound
Ethics make Harmony. On these golden Buddhist Life Standards:
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Buddhist_Life_Standards_Law_1.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Buddhist_Life_Standards_Law_2.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Buddhist_Life_Standards_Law_3.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Buddhist_Life_Standards_Law_4.htm