Why do we need to build good people network? How important is this network, and why do we have to build it?

 
Answer
 by Venerable Dhattajeevo Bhikku 

First of all, we have to understand that the word “Good people network” comes from the word “Kalayanamitata”; namely, associating with good people. Along the Lord Buddha’s teaching, no matter what career we have or how good at business we are, we do truly need good friends; therefore, good people network stated here means having many good friends. Let’s look at this point of issue first.

 

 

 

What is good people network? It means having many good friends. Why is it important? It’s important because it is the source of goodness. To say easily, we spend a lot of time in earning a living each day, but we don’t have that much time to learn about goodness, esp. Buddha’s teachings, to improve ourselves and to conquer Mara (devil). We hardly have time to read Tipitaka(Buddhist Scriptures) or to go to temples; thus, a way to bring goodness home is associating with good people.

 

 

Then, what is the importance of good people network building or having many good friends? The important thing is the bigger the network is, the more goodness will come to our houses. This is that importance.

 

 

 

Is it ok if we don’t build any? No, it’s not. Because even though we don’t build a good people network, we still have to associate with people. Why? Because naturally a person cannot live by himself. So, what shall we do? We shall depend on each other for our living since no man is an island. We are not skillful in everything; hence, we have to have some careers to make money, and spend that money for life requisites.

 

 

 

By the necessity that we have to depend on others, we normally make friends from that. It might be natural friends whom we make from regular activities; for example, the ones who go shopping with us, and we are accustomed to, or the ones who live nearby. When we are sick, we might need help from these people. Anyway, we have to be careful since there are both good and bad people, true and false friends in this world. What shall we do to get true friends then? We can make true friends from good people we associate with.

 

 

 

Knowledge and goodness can be brought to us by these good people. If we don’t associate with good people, bad people will take this chance to give us the false thing, and finally, we will be among ruffians without even realizing it; or we might have no choice, just like the current time that we were born in the land full of bandits, corruption, student fights and drugs gangs.

 

 

 

So, what shall we do? Should we just let it be or solve the problem? If we just let it be, we will get old day after day, and our descendants’ lives will be more difficult. But if we start building good people network now by spending the money we make for hosting and socializing with good people no matter where they are, then it will finally become goodness exchange in societies; we trade our goodness with others in order that the goodness we receive will kill the badness in our hearts, and the goodness we give to others will also do likewise to others.

 

 

 

When the goodness for wickedness killing is steadily shared, more good people will be given to the land, and then, who will get this profit and be good like others? That’s us, our descendants and our followers. In conclusion, good people network building is good society building, and it’s even good for morality accruement of ourselves and other people in societies. Besides, it’s also good for our careers since there will not be business force, business overthrow, nor betrayal between co-workers. This is the importance of good people network building. Before spending the money you make, you should apportion some for good people network building, and then the world will progress, our lives will progress; others’ lives will also progress by good people network or Kalayanamitata.