Four Kinds of Friends

 Friends are like mirrors: good friends can encourage one to correct one’s errors and promote one’s good character, while bad friends can serve as warning on how not to behave. Many people in this world end up treading the wrong path because they make the wrong kinds of friends. The wrong kinds of “friends” impede one’s ability to tell right from wrong. Therefore, we must be very careful in choosing friends.
      One day, a disciple asked the Buddha, “How does one find friends with whom one can share goals and purposes?”
      The Buddha said to him, “There are four kinds of friends that you should know about.”
      “What are the four kinds of friends?” asked the disciple. “Some friends treat you like flowers, some are like a scale, some are like mountains, and others are like the earth. These are the four kinds of friends,” replied the Buddha.
      The Buddha continued, “What kinds of friends treat you like flowers? When flowers are in full bloom, they can be worn on the head. But after they have withered, one then throws them away. Some people only want to be your friend when you are rich, and leave when you are poor. These people treat friends like flowers.
      “In what way can a friend be like a balancing scale? A scale drops when a heavy object is placed on it and rises up when a light object is placed on it. Some people show their respect when you have something they want. They become arrogant when you no longer have anything they need. These people are like a scale in the way they treat friends.
      In what way can a friend be like a mountain? If birds and animals gather on a gold mountain, their feathers or hair will shimmer with gold light. When one's friends share their honor and good fortune, they are friends like mountains.
      In what way can a friend be like the earth? Like the earth yielding hundreds of grains and treasures for all living beings to rely on. Likewise, some friends share everything they have and help in every way they can. This kind of friend is like the earth.”
      “Among the four kinds of friends, how does one distinguish one from the other?” asked the disciple.
      The Buddha replied, “The first two types of friends befriend you when you are rich and abandon you when you are poor. They honor you when you bestow them with gifts, and they become aloof when the giving stops. They are superficial friends. Do not consider these people intimate friends. As for the latter two types of friends, they share happiness and joy with others, and they protect and care for all beings. These are the kinds of friends with whom one should be closely associated.”