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has power to save a man from all sides. The family in which number of the female members is found lesser than that of the male members, lives fearlessly from theives and robbers. The spear which is itself sharp, is never pierced by other things. In the similar way the man who has awakened himself with friendship ( Maitri Bhāvanā) suffers fear neither from a being nor at a place. Therefore Buddha has told to Bhikṣu : ‘maitriceto vimukti.'
In the Kalyānamittasutta, the Kalyāņa mitrată, i.e., friendship for having good ( Kalyāņa ) has been considered as an anticipation of liberation. As the redness of the sky presumes the arrival of Sun, so the Kalyāņa mitrată is a sign of being benefitted by the Eight-fold-path. Buddha again has addressed a Buddhist saint :
“Bhikkhu ! Kalyāņa mitratā is the only means which can help a man to attain the advantage of the Aştānga-Mārga.lo” Brahma-Vihāra
The Mittasutta of Suttanipāta also focuses light upon friendship. The friendship with all beings is the Brahma-vihāra, which may be compared with the Brahmic Intution ( Brahma-jñāna) or the Brahmic-perception ( Brahma-sākṣātkāra ) of the Vedic philsophy. The person who wants to attain peace, should be very clean (Rju) with sweet tone ( Priya-vacana ) and benevolence. He should be simple and satisfied. He should not do even a single mistake so that wisemen may blaim him. He should wish for pleasure and good of all. He should think always that all beings either mobile or immobile; big or great, middle or small; atom like small or heavy; perceived or non-perceived far or near; originated or likely to be born may have a happy life. He should treat all beings as a mother behaves with her son. After being free from enmity he should be careful about the safety of all beings living up, down and vertical. He should love all beings while he is standing or moving or sitting or sleeping or walking, in all the stages he passes through. This is the Brahma-vihāra. By adopting this Brahma-vihāra and being free from sex ( Vāsanā) and desire ( Kāmanā) a saint can obtain Nirvāņa." Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only
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