The Bowl of Saki Commentary

First, considering physical want: food or clothing should be given with a blessing, with a feeling that imparts life to another. The mere presentation of something without this feeling may turn a gift into a curse, for every particle of such food may bring life or disease. Only by removing the idea of self from our action of giving can we be sure that it will bring life.

The same principle applies when one considers the knowledge to be given to another, even the knowledge of the world. You cannot teach geography, arithmetic, language, or anything to another if you put self into the picture. Self does not belong there. And so when it comes to satisfying the hunger of the heart, we feed others either with our personal food or with that drawn from the universe. If we give this heart-food for the sake of getting, poison is transferred and hunger may be followed by death. But if in the giving we consider it our duty-whether spiritual or ethical duty-then someone benefits and perhaps all concerned benefit.