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

อธิบายบทตั้งTo explain: "Khanti" means patience and forbearance, towards hardship, towards hurt feelings and towards temptations that urge us to do wrong. This saying shows that patience is a virtue with wide-ranging benefits, both in daily life and in the higher Dhamma.

ขยายความบทตั้งPatience benefits oneself because it helps one avoid mistakes made in anger, spares one later regret, and helps one carry difficult work through to success. Patience also benefits others, because a patient person does not retaliate with violence, does not let conflict spread and gives others the chance to correct themselves. Peace in the family, at work and in society therefore rests on patience as an important foundation.

ขยายความบทตั้งIt is said that one who has patience has set foot on the path to heaven and Nibbāna because patience is the foundation of keeping the precepts, practising concentration and developing wisdom. One who lacks patience will find it hard to keep the precepts when provoked, cannot meditate for long when weariness arises, and cannot give up the defilements when they make their demands. Patience is therefore like a ladder that helps one climb step by step towards higher goodness. Still, patience does not mean allowing others to harm us without protecting ourselves; it means not letting our emotions lead us into evil.

ประโยคสะพาน + ที่มา ๑A patient person who can endure and restrain themselves is truly practising the Teacher's advice, and venerates the Buddha, the conqueror of the defilements, with the highest homage, greater than any material offering. This accords with the Buddha's saying found in the Royal Chanting Book (Suat Mon Chabap Luang, 5th printing):

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑To explain: "The Conqueror" (Jina) means the Buddha, who conquered all defilements. This saying shows that patience and forbearance are a direct practice of the Buddha's teaching and a form of homage more valuable than homage with material things.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑In the Ovāda Pātimokkha, a core statement of Buddhist teaching, the Buddha said that patience and forbearance are the highest austerity. One who has patience is therefore said to follow the Teacher's instruction. Moreover, patience is the foundation for practising the other teachings, because giving up evil, doing good and purifying the mind all require patience with hardship and with the temptations of the defilements.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๑There are two kinds of homage: āmisa-pūjā, homage with material offerings such as flowers, incense and candles, and paṭipatti-pūjā, homage by practising the teaching. Buddhism praises homage by practice as the highest homage, because it is what the Buddha wished to see realised in people's lives. One who patiently refrains from harming others, even without offering many material things, is said to honour the Buddha with the noblest homage. Material offerings still have value, however, when made with a respectful heart and as a reminder to practise.

ประโยคสะพาน + ที่มา ๒When a person can endure displeasure and not respond with anger, they are loved and trusted by those around them, and prosperity in gain, honour, and happiness comes to them. This accords with the Buddha's saying found in the Royal Chanting Book (Suat Mon Chabap Luang, 5th printing):

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๒To explain: This saying shows several blessings of patience: virtue in the heart, prosperity in life and being loved by others.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๒One who has patience is counted as loving-kind because patience towards the faults of others arises from a heart that wishes them well and does not want them to suffer. Patience and loving-kindness therefore support each other. One who has patience gains and has honour because patience allows work to be accomplished, and a calm temperament earns the trust to be given important responsibilities. One who has patience is always happy because he is not burned by anger and does not have to regret what he did when he lost mindfulness.

อธิบายบทเชื่อม ๒Saying that he is dear to gods and humans shows that the virtue of patience is widely recognised. Everyone likes to be near someone who is calm, pleasant to talk with, and with whom one need not worry about being met with anger or retaliation. Being dear in this way does not come from pleasing others, but from the inner steadiness of the patient person himself.

ตัวอย่างในชีวิตIn daily life, a student who patiently practises a difficult subject becomes more capable and can help teach his friends. Someone who is criticised at a meeting but listens with restraint and then explains with reason preserves both the work and the relationship. Parents who patiently guide their children calmly instead of reacting emotionally help them grow up secure.

สรุปTo conclude: Those who wish for progress both in the world and in the Dhamma should therefore keep training in patience, beginning with patience in small matters of daily life. This accords with the Dhamma saying set forth as the theme at the beginning:

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