Ukuthethelela kungabonwa njengomkhuba ongokomoya owafundiswa uJesu, uBuddha kanye nabanye abafundisi benkolo abaningi. Uhlelo lwesithathu lwe-Webster’s New International Dictionary luchaza “ukuthethelela” ngokuthi “ukuyeka imizwa yokucasuka nokucasuka ngokungabi nabulungisa okwenziwe.”
Le ncazelo ifanekiselwa kahle isisho saseTibet esaziwayo mayelana nezindela ezimbili ezihlangana zodwa eminyakeni eminingana ngemva kokuboshwa nokuhlukunyezwa:
Ukuthethelela kuwumkhuba wokukhulula imizwa yomuntu siqu engemihle, ukuthola incazelo nokufunda ezimweni ezimbi kakhulu. Kwenziwa ukuthi umuntu azikhulule ebudloveni bentukuthelo yakhe. Ngakho-ke, isidingo sokuthethelela sikhona ikakhulukazi kumthetheleli ukuze adedele intukuthelo, ukwesaba nokucasuka. Ukucasuka, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ulaka noma umuzwa ongathi sína wokungabi nabulungisa, kukhubaza imizwa, kunciphise izinketho zakho, kukuvimbele ekuphileni okwanelisayo nokwanelisayo, kugudluza ukunaka kulokho okubaluleke ngempela kuye kulokho okukubhubhisayo. UBuddha wathi:. UJesu wathi: .
Kuhlale kunzima ngomuntu ukuthethelela ngoba ukungalungi okubangelwa kuye “kumboza umgubuzelo” engqondweni ngendlela yobuhlungu, umuzwa wokulahlekelwa nokungaqondi. Nokho, le mizwa ingasetshenzwa. Imiphumela eyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu intukuthelo, impindiselo, inzondo, kanye… nokunamathela kule mizwa eyenza umuntu azihlanganise nayo. Ukuhlonza okunjalo okungekuhle kumile ngokwemvelo futhi kuhlala kungashintshile ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uma kungelashwa. Engena esimweni esinjalo, umuntu uba yisigqila semizwa yakhe enzima.
Ikhono lokuxolela ngenye yezinhloso ezibalulekile ukuphila ngazo. IBhayibheli lithi: . Khumbula ukuthi ngamunye wethu kufanele anake, okokuqala, emikhubeni yethu siqu, njengokuhaha, inzondo, inkohliso, eziningi zazo esingazazi. Ukuthethelela kungahlakulelwa ngokuzindla. Abanye othisha bokuzindla bamaBuddha aseNtshonalanga baqala umkhuba womusa ngokucela intethelelo ngokwengqondo kubo bonke labo esibacasule ngamazwi, ngomcabango noma ngesenzo. Sibe sesinikela intethelelo kubo bonke abasiphatha kabi. Ekugcineni, kukhona ukuzithethelela. Lezi zigaba ziphindaphindwa izikhathi eziningana, emva kwalokho umkhuba womusa uqobo uqala, lapho kuba khona ukukhululwa ekuphenduleni okufiphaza ingqondo nemizwelo, kanye nokuvimbela inhliziyo.
I<em>Webster’s Dictionary inikeza enye incazelo yokuthethelela: “ukukhululwa esifisweni sokuphindisela ngokuphathelene nomenzi wobubi.” Uma uqhubeka nokuba nezimangalo ezibhekiswe kumuntu okonile, uyingxenye yesisulu. Kubonakala kunengqondo, kodwa empeleni, kuwuhlobo oluthile lokuzibopha ejele.
Owesifazane okhalayo uza kuBuddha ephethe umntwana osanda kufa ezandleni zakhe, ecela ukubuyisela ingane ekuphileni. UBuddha uvumelana nombandela wokuthi owesifazane amlethele imbewu yesinaphi evela endlini engakwazi ukufa. Owesifazane ugijima engena umuzi nomuzi efuna umuntu ongakafi kodwa angamtholi. Ngenxa yalokho, kufanele akwamukele ukuthi ukulahlekelwa okukhulu kuyingxenye yokuphila.