Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the

The words of the Buddha, “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared,” shine with the calm radiance of eternal truth. In this simple image of light, he reveals the sacred law of giving — that joy, unlike material possessions, grows by the act of sharing. The flame that gives itself does not diminish; it multiplies. The one who kindles another’s heart with kindness does not lose warmth but gains infinite light.

In the ancient world, this teaching was more than poetry; it was the wisdom of balance, compassion, and abundance of spirit. The Buddha spoke these words to remind the seekers of his time that happiness cannot be hoarded like gold. The miserly spirit that clings to joy out of fear loses it, while the generous heart that gives freely becomes inexhaustible. For happiness, like the flame, was never meant to be imprisoned — it was meant to illuminate.

Imagine a single candle, burning in the darkness of a temple. When another is lit from it, the first candle loses nothing — yet the room grows brighter. So it is with love, kindness, and joy. The Buddha understood that the true wealth of humanity lies not in what we keep, but in what we share. When we smile upon another, we give them hope; when we forgive, we heal not only them but ourselves. Each act of giving is an act of creation — the lighting of another candle in the night of the world.

There is a story told of Mother Teresa, who walked through the slums of Calcutta among the poorest of the poor. She had no riches to offer, no gold nor power. Yet she gave what was greater — compassion. One day, she gave a dying man a sip of water and a gentle word. He looked at her and said, “I lived like an animal on the streets, but I am dying like an angel, loved and cared for.” In that moment, a light passed from one heart to another. She had given happiness, and her own flame burned no dimmer for it — indeed, it burned brighter.

To share happiness is to participate in the divine rhythm of the universe. The sun gives its light freely and loses nothing. The river nourishes the land and yet remains full. The tree offers fruit to all beings and does not wither from generosity. So too must man learn that joy is not a private treasure but a sacred current that flows through all living souls. Those who dam it up for themselves grow stagnant; those who release it are carried into the vast sea of contentment.

The Buddha’s wisdom also contains a gentle warning. The modern heart, grasping and fearful, often seeks happiness as a possession — something to secure, defend, or display. But true joy cannot be bought nor stored. It is born of giving, of service, of love that expects nothing in return. When we withhold our kindness, we starve our own souls. When we open our hands, we discover that life itself is generous, that the universe mirrors the heart that gives.

So, dear listener, learn to light candles wherever you go. Offer a word of comfort to the weary, a smile to the forgotten, a helping hand to those who stumble. Do not fear that your own light will fade; it will grow stronger. For in every act of selfless giving, you join the eternal dance of compassion — the same dance that moves the stars and whispers through the leaves.

Remember this lesson: happiness shared is happiness multiplied. Be as the single candle in the Buddha’s teaching — unafraid to shine, unafraid to give. For the world is full of unlit wicks waiting for your touch, and in lighting them, you will illuminate your own soul. The flame you pass on will not end with you; it will travel across hearts, across generations, until the whole world glows with the light of your kindness.