7.
The Second Discourse on Friends and Colleagues
1013.
"Those, monks, for whom you would have compassion, and who would think it worth hearing -
whether friends or colleagues or relatives or blood-relations -
they, monks, should be encouraged, settled, and established in the four factors of stream-entry.
In which four?
They should be encouraged, settled, and established in unwavering confidence in the Buddha:
'Thus indeed is the Blessed One, etc.
Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.'
"There might be, monks, alteration of the four primary elements - the solid element, the liquid element, the heat element, the air element - but there would not be alteration for a noble disciple endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha. Herein this is the alteration - that indeed a noble disciple endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha would be reborn in hell or the animal realm or the sphere of ghosts - this is impossible. Towards the Teaching... etc. towards the Community, etc. They should be encouraged, settled, and established in morality pleasing to the noble ones, unbroken, etc. conducive to concentration. There might be, monks, alteration of the four primary elements - the solid element, the liquid element, the heat element, the air element - but there would not be alteration for a noble disciple endowed with morality pleasing to the noble ones. Herein this is the alteration - that indeed a noble disciple endowed with morality pleasing to the noble ones would be reborn in hell or the animal realm or the sphere of ghosts - this is impossible. Those, monks, for whom you would have compassion, and who would think it worth hearing - whether friends or colleagues or relatives or blood-relations - they, monks, should be encouraged, settled, and established in these four factors of stream-entry." The seventh.