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

อธิบายบทตั้งTo explain: This saying warns that knowledge or skill arising in a fool, that is, in someone without virtue who lacks the wisdom to use it, becomes a source of harm rather than benefit.

ขยายความบทตั้ง"The bright portion" means the goodness, virtue and fine qualities still present in that person, while "splits his head" means that it twists his thinking and leads him astray. For when a fool has knowledge or special abilities, he tends to use them wrongly, such as to harm others or to seek improper gain. As he does so again and again, the goodness he once had gradually disappears, and the evil brings trouble upon himself.

ขยายความบทตั้งIn the Dhammapada, this saying concerns someone who trained in a skill until he was expert, but used that skill to harm others and so suffered bad consequences. This story shows that knowledge is only a tool; whether it brings benefit or harm depends on the user. This saying therefore does not teach that knowledge is bad, but that education must go together with training in virtue, and those who gain knowledge must take care to use it rightly.

ประโยคสะพาน + ที่มา ๑One of poor wisdom, having gained honour, rank, power, and followers, tends to use them in unbeneficial ways, until they become a means of harming both themselves and others. This accords with the Buddha's saying found in Khuddaka Nikāya, Jātaka, Ekanipāta:

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑To explain: "Honour" (yasa) here means position, power, fame and followers. This saying warns that honour in the hands of one without wisdom becomes a means of destroying both himself and others.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑Honour and power are like a very powerful tool. In the hands of the wise, they are used to create benefit for the public; in the hands of the foolish, they are used to satisfy their own desires, such as using power to oppress others, seeking improper gain, or becoming so conceited that they ignore all warnings. Such actions harm others directly and in the end turn back to harm oneself, leading to the loss of respect, to punishment and to the loss of that very honour.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑This saying teaches that gaining honour is not simply something to rejoice over, but a responsibility that requires wisdom and virtue to maintain. Those who will receive important positions should prepare themselves, and those responsible for selecting people for positions should consider their wisdom and conduct rather than merely their ability or closeness.

ประโยคสะพาน + ที่มา ๒When a person lets the days go by without seeking knowledge and the Dhamma, the passing years add only to the body, unlike one who loves learning, whose wisdom grows deeper with age. This accords with the Buddha's saying found in Khuddaka Nikāya, Dhammapada:

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๒To explain: "A person of little learning" means one who does not care to listen, read or seek knowledge and Dhamma. This saying compares such a person to an ox that grows older every day: the body grows, but understanding of life does not increase with age.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๒The comparison with an old ox means that living a long time does not always make a person wise. An ox eats and sleeps by nature, so its body grows and ages with time. A human being who simply lets the days pass without learning likewise gains only years and body weight, but not understanding of reason, goodness and how to solve life's problems. Old age without wisdom therefore does not add value to life.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๒In Buddhism, listening or learning is the first path to wisdom. Wisdom that arises from listening and reading is called sutamayā paññā. When one reflects on what one has heard, cintāmayā paññā arises, and when one puts it into practice until one sees it for oneself, bhāvanāmayā paññā arises. One of little learning is thus like someone who has closed the first door to developing wisdom. However, this saying does not look down on those who had few educational opportunities; it reminds everyone to keep learning throughout life according to the opportunities they have.

ตัวอย่างในชีวิตIn daily life, someone with computer knowledge who uses it to hack into systems and steal others' data causes damage and must face punishment. Someone with legal knowledge who uses it to find loopholes to cheat others loses both reputation and career. A student who is clever but uses his cleverness to look down on classmates finds no one wants to be his friend. But those who use their knowledge to help others receive respect and happiness.

สรุปTo conclude: Those who gain any knowledge or ability should therefore develop virtue alongside it and use that knowledge for benefit, not to harm 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.