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A false friend is someone who is not really one鈥檚 friend. They are the type of people who ones sometimes accidentally become friends with. With regard to false friends, The Buddha pointed out four kinds of a false friend and how to identify the characteristics of a false friend. The four types of a false friend can be seen as follow: -

1) First type:

鈥�颁补迟迟腻谤辞尘别, gahapatiputta, amitt膩, mittapatir奴pak膩 veditabb膩. 础帽帽补诲补迟迟丑耻丑补谤辞 amitto mittapatir奴pako veditabbo, vac墨paramo amitto mittapatir奴pako veditabbo, anuppiyabh膩峁嚹� amitto mittapatir奴pako veditabbo, 补辫腻测补-sah膩yo amitto mittapatir奴pako veditabbo.鈥�

鈥溾�楬ouseholder鈥檚 son, there are these four types who can be seen as foes in friendly guise: the man who is all takes is one, the great talker is one, the flatter is one and the fellow-spendthrift is one.鈥�^[1]

According to this demonstration of the Buddha, the four types of foes can be seen in series as follows:-

(1) 础帽帽补诲补迟迟丑耻丑补谤补-mitta: A foe who only takes all from his friend in guise of friend but helps nothing,
(2) 痴补肠墨辫补谤补尘补-mitta: A foe who is only a great talker in guise of friend but helps nothing,
(3) 础苍耻辫辫颈测补产丑腻 n墨: A foe who flatters his friend in the guise of friend but helps nothing,
(4) 础辫腻测补-蝉补丑腻测补-mitta: A foe who is only the fellow-spendthrift in the guise of friend but helps nothing.
Again, each of these four has his respective characteristics. Thus the Lord Buddha continued to point out each of their characteristics in four-fold ways.

Initially, Buddha categorized the four characteristics of 鈥�础帽帽补诲补迟迟丑耻丑补谤补-mitta鈥� as mentioned under:-

2) Second type:

鈥�Cat奴hi kho, gahapatiputta, 峁環 膩nehi a帽帽adatthuharo amitto mittapatir奴pako veditabbo.
础帽帽补诲补迟迟丑耻丑补谤辞 hoti, appena bahumicchati.
Bhayassa 办颈肠肠补峁� koroti, sevati attha k膩ra峁嚹�.鈥�

鈥溾�楬ouseholder鈥檚 son, the man who is all-take can be seen to be a false friend for four reasons:-

鈥淗e takes everything, he wants a lot for very little, what he must do he does out of fear, and he seeks his own ends.鈥�^[2]

As demonstrated above, the four characteristics of a false friend can be categorized as follows:-

(1) The characteristic of only all taking from his friend,
(2) The characteristic of getting wanted a lot from his friend,
(3) The characteristic of doing for his friend only when he encounters a crisis or goes through an emergency.
(4) The characteristic of seeking friend for his own benefit. (not for his friend)

Thus one who has these four characteristics is called a false friend or a foe in the guise of friend. He should be also abandoned or avoided from far away. That is because he can make your welfare decreased in the long run.

For the second, the Lord Buddha continued to preach four further characteristics of 鈥�痴补肠墨辫补谤补尘补-mitta鈥�, a false friend who is a great talker.

3) Third type:

鈥�Cat奴hi kho, gahapatiputta, 峁環 膩nehi vac墨paramo amitto mittapatir奴pako veditabbo.
础迟墨迟别苍补 辫补峁璱蝉补苍迟丑补谤补迟颈, an膩gatena 辫补峁璱蝉补苍迟丑补谤补迟颈, niratthakena sa峁単an膩ti, paccuppannesu kiccesu vyassana峁� dasseti.鈥�

鈥淗ouseholder鈥檚 son, the great talker can be seen to be a false friend in four reasons: he talks of favors in the past,and in the future, he mouths empty phrases of good-will, when something needs to be done in the present, he pleads inability owing to some disaster. Thus, householder鈥檚 son, the great talker has to be seen in these four reasons.鈥�^[3]

Accordingly, the characteristics of the great talker can be summarized as the following:-

(1) Only talking of favors in the past,
(2) Only talking of favors in the future,
(3) Only Giving empty phrases of good-will in oral help,
(4) Only pleading inability because of some disaster when he is asked for something to be done in the present.

In connection with the first reason, it should be noted that 鈥榯alking of favors in the past鈥� means that 鈥榃hen someone is asked for help, he says his friend that I could give you something if you came to me yesterday but now I cannot give you help something left for you yesterday has ended now鈥�. In actual, although he has something to give his friend, he tells lies him because he does not have good-will to help his friend.

This is the example for the second reason in the future. 鈥榃hen someone is asked for some help, he says his friend that I will give you the help you want, please come to me tomorrow. If his friend would come to him tomorrow, he will, again, tell lies his friend as if the past reason鈥�. So he will use telling lies in the past and future in rotation whenever he is asked for help.

The example of the third reason is that he tells his friend, 鈥淧leas have, or please take鈥� in a false cordiality, etc. But it is only empty phrases of good-will and he does not want to serve his friend within his mind.

The last reason is that when he is asked for help of his car, he will tell his friend 鈥淚 am sorry it is now out of order鈥�. Actually, it is not out of order and it is in use and something like that. It does not mean it is really out of order.

Thus he can be said that he is only a great talker who gives his help with empty hand and oral help. Nothing can be got from him. This empty phrased of good-will does not provide anything for the development of welfare and so he is a man of worthy avoiding from far away.

For the third one, the Lord Buddha continued to explain the four reasons of 鈥�础苍耻辫辫颈测补产丑腻 n墨鈥�, a false friend of empty phrases of good-will in the following expositions:-

4) Fourth type:

鈥�Cat奴hi kho, gahapatiputta, 峁環 膩nehi anuppiyabh膩ni amitto mittapatir奴pako veditabbo.
笔腻辫补办补峁僷颈蝉蝉补 补苍耻箩腻苍腻迟颈, kaly膩na峁僷issa 补苍耻箩腻苍腻迟颈, sammukh膩ssa 惫补峁囜箛补峁� 产丑腻蝉补迟颈, parammukh膩ssa a惫补峁囜箛补峁� 产丑腻蝉补迟颈.鈥�

They mean that 鈥淗ouseholder鈥檚 son, the flatter can be seen to be a false friend for four reasons: he assents to bad actions, he dissents from good actions, he praises you to your face, and he disparages you behind your back. Householder鈥檚 son, the flatter can be seen to be a false friend in these four reasons.鈥�^[4]

These four reasons to be a false friend can be put into series as under:-

(1) One assents his friend to bad actions,

(2) One dissents his friend from good actions,

(3) One praises his friend to his face or face to face,

(4) One disparages his friend behind his back.

This kind of a false friend can be said that he is a very fearful one and one should be aware of associating with him. One can be ruined or spoiled by him in association with him. It is sure that he can make the welfare of his friend decrease or reduced in the near future. Thus he is involved in the group of false or pretended friends. He should be avoided from far away. Even though one inevitably associates with him, he should not associate with him from the bottom of the heart. He is worthy of associating with superficiality. Nevertheless, it is the best for someone by avoiding him far away.

The four reasons for the last one are continually pointed out by the Buddha as following ways:-

5) Fifth type:

鈥�Cat奴hi kho, gahapatiputta, 峁環 膩nehi 补辫腻测补sah膩yo amitto mittapatir奴pako veditabbo. 厂耻谤腻尘别谤补测补-majjhapam膩da-峁�峁環膩n膩-nuyoge sah膩yo hoti, 惫颈办腻濒补-惫颈蝉颈办丑腻-肠补谤颈测腻-nuyoge sah膩yo hoti, samajj膩bhicarane sah膩yo hoti, j奴tappam膩da-峁�峁環膩n膩-nuyoge sah膩yo hoti.鈥�

鈥淗ouseholder鈥檚 son, the fellow-spendthrift can be seen to be a false friend in four reasons: he is a companion when you indulge in strong drink, when you haunt the streets at unfitting times, when you frequent fairs, and when you indulge in gambling. Therefore, the four fellow-spendthrifts and false friends can be seen in these four ways talked by the Buddha.鈥�^[5]

According to this discourse, the four kinds of untrue and false friends can be understood as mentioned below one after another:-

(1) 厂耻谤腻尘别谤补测补-majjhappam膩da-峁�峁環膩n膩nuyoga-蝉补丑腻测补: one who encourages his friend in indulging in strong drink,
(2) Vik膩la-惫颈蝉颈办丑腻肠补谤颈测腻-nuyoga-蝉补丑腻测补: one who encourages his friend in haunting or taking stroll in unfitting times,
(3) 厂补尘补箩箩腻产丑颈肠补谤补峁嘺-蝉补丑腻测补: one who encourages his friend in frequenting in fairs or shows,
(4) J奴tappam膩da-峁�峁環膩n膩nuyoga-蝉补丑腻测补: one who encourages hi friend in indulging in gambling.^[6]

They should not be associated because they are fellow-spendthrift and false friends who encourage their friends in a misconduct or misbehavior in a bad situation or an unfitting times or circumstances. In fact, they have to forbid their friends not to do these bad misconduct or misbehavior. They are also the reasons which can make one鈥檚 social welfare under developed.

Therefore, the Buddha said that they are fellow spendthrift and false friends who should not be associated or accompanied in unfitting times.

These are four kinds of unreal friends or foes, who should not be associated or accompanied with them, added by the Buddha in 厂颈峁単腻濒补 Sutta.

They can be summarized as following:-

(1) 础帽帽补诲补迟迟丑耻丑补谤补-mitta: one who seeks only what he can get from his friend,
(2) 痴补肠墨辫补谤补-尘颈迟迟补: one who gives only empty hand nothing but talking,
(3) Aunppiya-mitta: one who merely flatters his friend helps nothing,
(4) 础辫腻测补-尘颈迟迟补: one who persuade his friend in false or wrong situations so as to destroy him.^[7]

These four are taken into account of bad friends because one cannot get any help or assistance from them. They are merely friends of words or talking and fair-weather friends as well. Thus they are included in bad friends by the Lord Buddha.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

D. III, P. 151. Pali Text Society III, P. 186. Pali Text Society Tr, IV, P. 404.

[2]:

D. III, P. 151. Pali Text Society III, P. 186. Pali Text Society Tr, P. 404.

[3]:

D. III, P. 151. Pali Text Society Tr, P. 404-5.

[4]:

D.III, P. 152. Pali Text Society III, P. 187. Pali Text Society, Tr. P. 465.

[5]:

D.III, P. 151. Pali Text Society III, P. 186. Pali Text Society Tr, IV, P. 465.

[6]:

Ibid, P. 151. Ibid, P. 186. Ibid, P. 465.

[7]:

D. III, P. 152. Pali Text Society III, P. 187.