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

อธิบายบทตั้งTo explain: "Living together" means living closely with one another, which gives the opportunity to observe each other's conduct continuously. This principle can be applied to study, work and friendship. The saying teaches that to know how good a person's conduct is, one should look at his consistent actual behaviour, not judge hastily by appearance, words or first impressions.

ขยายความบทตั้งThe Buddha said that virtue is to be known by living together, and that this takes a long time, not just a short period; moreover, the one who observes must be attentive and wise. Living together alone is therefore not enough. Without careful observation and reflection, one may misunderstand another person's conduct. What matters is to consider whether the person maintains good conduct consistently, and how honest, fair and harmless he is towards others.

ขยายความบทตั้งTaking time to learn about someone's conduct lets one see him in many situations: in ordinary life, when gain is involved and when conflict arises. This gives more to go on than a single meeting. Nevertheless, the observation should be fair, not aimed at fault-finding or judging by personal likes and dislikes. One should distinguish an occasional mistake from habitual behaviour, and also take into account the person's intention to correct and improve himself.

ประโยคสะพาน + ที่มา ๑True goodness rests on virtue. One who keeps body and speech well-ordered and does not harm others has done the goodness that is the foundation of all goodness. This accords with the Buddha's saying found in Khuddaka Nikāya, Jātaka, Ekanipāta:

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑To explain: This saying teaches the value of good conduct. "They say" means it is heard or said, and "indeed" is an emphatic word meaning "that very thing". The main point is that a person's goodness should be judged by his conduct, not only by family background, status or knowledge and ability, because even with these qualities, if one behaves dishonestly, one can cause harm to oneself and others.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑The commentary on the Sīlavīmaṃsana Jātaka tells of a brahmin chaplain who was respected by the king. He wanted to test whether this respect came from his family and learning or from his virtue, so he took some of the royal treasure without permission until he was arrested. While being taken before the king, he saw snake charmers handling a venomous snake and warned them of the danger. The snake charmers replied that the snake was virtuous and harmed no one, unlike him, who had been arrested for taking the king's property. The brahmin reflected that even a snake is praised for not harming others. When he came before the king and the king ordered him punished, he explained the reason for his action and spoke in praise of the virtue of sīla.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑The lesson of this story is that family, position and knowledge cannot replace good conduct or serve as an excuse for wrongdoing. Honesty and not harming others are the essential foundation of trust; when a person violates these principles, the trust he once had may decline. The story is meant to make us aware of the value of virtue, not to encourage imitating wrongdoing in order to test others.

ตัวอย่างในชีวิตIn daily life, when choosing friends one should consider whether a friend is honest, respects the rights of others and does not lead others into wrongdoing. Working together shows how responsible a person is with shared property and whether he seeks improper gain. When choosing a life partner, one should take time to learn about the other's conduct, respect and responsibility, not rely only on looks or pleasant words. These examples apply the principle of living together to getting to know people carefully.

สรุปTo conclude: Those who wish to associate with good people should therefore not judge others hastily, but should use time, attention and wisdom to consider the conduct that appears consistently. At the same time, they should keep their own virtue firm, both in public and in private, because they see the value of honesty and harmlessness. Consistent good conduct is an essential foundation of trust in living together. This accords with the Dhamma saying set forth as the theme at the beginning:

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