อารัมภบทI shall now explain and expand upon the meaning of the Dhamma theme written above, as a guide for study and practice.

อธิบายบทตั้งTo explain: The word "giving" (dāna) means giving, sacrificing one's own things for the benefit and happiness of others, while "battle" means fighting in war. This saying compares giving with battle and says they are alike, because both require courage and both must overcome an enemy. The enemy in battle is outside, but the enemy in giving is within our own mind, namely stinginess, possessiveness and the reluctance that keeps whispering, "Don't give; it is better to keep it for yourself."

ขยายความบทตั้งIn battle, brave warriors, even when few in number, can defeat many cowards. Giving is the same: even a small gift, if given with faith and a mind that dares to let go, can overcome the stinginess that has long accumulated in the mind, and it bears greater fruit than a large gift given grudgingly. One who has never trained in giving feels that giving is difficult, like a new soldier who has never gone into battle, but when one gives often, the mind becomes braver and stinginess grows weaker and weaker.

ประโยคสะพาน + ที่มา ๑The love of others cannot be demanded, but it arises from giving. One who is generous by habit is therefore beloved and wished well by the people around them. This accords with the Buddha's saying found in Aṅguttara Nikāya, Pañcakanipāta:

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑To explain: The words "one who gives" in this saying mean one who has self-sacrifice as a habit and is ready to share what he has for the benefit of others. The words "is loved" mean that he receives affection, kindness and goodwill from the people around him. This saying of the Buddha points to a law of nature: the love of others cannot be demanded or forced, but arises of its own accord towards one who gives.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑The reason one who gives is loved is that all human beings wish for happiness and do not want suffering. Whoever makes them happy and helps them out of difficulty, they love that person. Conversely, those who only take, never give, and keep taking advantage of others, no matter how much wealth or power they have, may have people around them only because those people hope for some benefit. When the benefit runs out, those people leave. Love that arises from sincere giving is therefore more stable than love bought with power or benefits.

ตัวอย่างในชีวิตIn daily life, a student who shares snacks or school supplies with a classmate in need, even though part of him wants to keep them for his own use, may be said to have won a battle against the stinginess in his own mind once. An adult who gives up his rest time to help with communal work, or donates money to help disaster victims even though he himself does not have much, is likewise a brave warrior on the battlefield of giving. Victory on the battlefield brings enmity and loss, but victory in giving brings friendship, contentment, and merit that no one can take away.

สรุปTo conclude: Those who wish to be generous should therefore constantly train themselves in giving, giving according to their means, without waiting until they have a great deal before they give, because every act of giving is a training in courage and in overcoming the defilements in one's own mind. When one has trained in this way, one becomes noble-minded and can be a refuge for others. This accords with the Dhamma saying set forth as the theme at the beginning:

ปิดท้ายThus has the meaning been explained, as set forth above.