Dear Piya, Dimitry, Robert and friends,

can I put it in this way. For this specific paragraph, the Buddha is
saying that:

Even if a person lives near a village, associating with monks and
nuns, with male and female followers, with king[s] and royal
ministers, with sectarians and their disciples, his companion [from a
buddhist psychoanalytical perspective] is craving. By abandoning
craving, [he does not abandon the people he used to live with], and
living in this way, he is said to be living alone, living [in a way]
as good as a monk [by abandoning craving].

metta,
Yong Peng

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Piya Tan wrote:
> Despite of what I have expressed here regarding Ven. Thanissaro's
translation, the Dhammapada has many verses that extol lay followers
who live the spiritual life, e.g. the Brahmana Vagga and esp Dh 142.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> > http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/sn35-063.html