The friend who is a helpmate,
the friend in happiness and woe,
the friend who gives good counsel,
the friend who sympathises too --
these four as friends the wise behold
and cherish them devotedly
as does a mother her own child.

Dīgha Nikāya 3.265

Everyman's Ethics: Four Discourses by the Buddha (WH 14), translated by Narada Thera

#buddhism #dhamma #friendship