註四十二章經 1.92

1.92

'Someone asked' means asking to resolve a doubt. This refers to the notion that by assisting with joy, one also obtains merit, and the doubt was whether this would diminish the retribution of merit of the one giving compassionately. The Buddha then answered: 'It is like the fire of a single torch: when several hundreds or thousands of people each bring a torch seeking it, whether to cook food or illuminate darkness, the original single torch is not diminished in the least; therefore, the retribution of merit for compassionate giving is also just like this.'