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 teaches that one should give what ought to be given. This statement has two levels of meaning. The first level is an encouragement: human beings should be givers and should not be stingy, because giving is the basic virtue of being a good person. The second level is a warning: what is given must be something that ought to be given, that is, something obtained honestly and beneficial to the receiver, not something that brings harm or decline.

ขยายความบทตั้งThings that ought to be given include things obtained honestly and things that help to relieve suffering, such as food, medicine, clothing and shelter, as well as knowledge, right advice and the Dhamma. Things that ought not to be given include things obtained by theft or fraud, things that are causes of heedlessness and decline, such as alcohol, drugs and weapons used to harm others, or giving that makes the receiver lazy and not self-reliant. Giving what ought not to be given, even if the giver has good intentions, may cause damage to the receiver and to society.

ประโยคสะพาน + ที่มา ๑The wise one knows that bringing happiness to others through giving, helping, and not harming them is a cause for obtaining happiness oneself in return. This accords with the Buddha's saying found in Aṅguttara Nikāya, Pañcakanipāta:

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑To explain: The word "wise one" means one who has wisdom and knows what is beneficial and what is not beneficial. "One who gives happiness" means one who makes others happy, whether by giving things, by helping, or by not harming them. This saying teaches that a person of wisdom who gives happiness to others receives happiness in return, in accordance with the principle that whatever cause one makes, one receives a corresponding result.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑The reason the words "the wise one who gives" are used is that giving true happiness requires wisdom. The giver must know that the happiness he gives is wholesome happiness, not happiness that leads to decline. For example, inviting friends to go out carousing and loitering, even though the friends enjoy it, is not a right way of giving happiness. Giving happiness with wisdom means making others feel at ease, safe and able to prosper. When one gives in this way, the giver receives happiness at the very moment of giving, namely contentment, and receives happiness later on, namely the love, respect and help of others.

ตัวอย่างในชีวิตIn real life, one who wants to throw a celebration for friends should choose to treat them to good and wholesome food rather than to intoxicants. One who wants to help a relative who has lost his job should help him find work or give him capital to earn a living, rather than giving him money to spend from day to day until he makes no effort to support himself. Parents who love their children should give them good education and upbringing, which is worth more than indulging them by giving them everything they ask for.

สรุปTo conclude: Giving is therefore both a virtue and an art. It requires both a mind of self-sacrifice and the wisdom to know what ought to be given and what ought not to be given. One who gives rightly gains merit and truly helps 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.