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 "the pure one" in this saying does not mean only a person whose body is clean, but a person whose mind is pure and whose conduct is pure in body, speech and mind. As for the words "does not delight in evil", they mean being displeased with evil, disliking it and not wanting to have anything to do with it. This saying of the Buddha shows the character of a good person: one whose mind is pure does not enjoy evil, and even when there is an opportunity to do it, has no wish to do it.

ขยายความบทตั้งDelight or lack of delight in evil is a good measure of the purity of the mind. Just as a person who likes cleanliness is disgusted by dirty things and does not want to go near them, so a person whose mind is pure is disgusted by evil and sees it as something repulsive, not as something enjoyable. Such a feeling arises from having moral shame (hiri), that is, being ashamed of evil, and moral dread (ottappa), that is, fearing the results of evil. When these two qualities govern the mind, evil has no way to come in and overwhelm it.

ประโยคสะพาน + ที่มา ๑One who does not keep to the truth and habitually lies is ready to do any evil at all, having already cast aside the most important safeguard of goodness. This accords with the sense of the Buddha's saying found in Khuddaka Nikāya, Dhammapada:

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑To explain: The word "lying" (musā) means falsehood, telling lies, speaking what does not match the truth in order to deceive others. This saying teaches that for a person who habitually lies, there is no evil at all that he would not do. In other words, a person who does not keep to truthfulness is ready to do every kind of evil, because he has already abandoned the most important safeguard of goodness.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑In the Dhammapada, the Buddha said that for a person who transgresses the one principle, namely truthfulness, who habitually tells lies and has no regard for the next world, there is no evil he would not do. The reason is that lying is the tool for concealing all evil. A person who does wrong and dares to lie thinks he can hide his wrongdoing, and so he dares to go on doing wrong. A person who keeps to the truth, however, admits it when he does wrong, so his wrongdoing does not pile up. Truthfulness is therefore like a gate that holds back all evils; when this gate breaks down, other evils flow in easily.

ตัวอย่างในชีวิตIn real life, when friends invite one to do something wrong, such as ganging up to bully a weaker classmate, going out to deface public property, or trying drugs, a person whose mind is pure feels uneasy and refuses without hesitation. When hearing stories of cheating or of harming others, a person whose mind is pure does not feel admiration, but feels saddened and has no wish to do such things.

สรุปTo conclude: Those who wish to keep their minds pure should therefore regularly reflect on the harm of evil, associate with good people and strengthen their shame of evil. When the mind is pure, evil has no charm at all that can attract it. This accords with the Dhamma saying set forth as the theme at the beginning:

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