It’s like trying to grasp how much water is in the ocean. It’s not easy to say how many gallons, how many hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands of gallons there are. It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of water. In the same way, it’s not easy to grasp the merit of such a six-factored donation …

A good mood before giving,

confidence while giving,

feeling uplifted after giving:

this is the perfect sacrifice.

Free of greed, free of hate,

free of delusion, undefiled;

this is the field for the perfect sacrifice,

the disciplined spiritual practitioners.

After rinsing,

you give with your own hands.

This sacrifice is very fruitful

for both yourself and others.

When an intelligent, faithful person,

sacrifices like this, with a mind of letting go,

that astute one is reborn

in a happy, pleasing world.”

Numbered Discourses 6.38 4. Deities One’s Own Volition

Then a certain brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“Worthy Gotama, this is my doctrine and view: One does not act of one’s own volition, nor does one act of another’s volition.”

“Brahmin, may I never see or hear of anyone holding such a doctrine or view! How on earth can someone who comes and goes on his own say that one does not act of one’s own volition, nor does one act of another’s volition?

What do you think, brahmin, is there an element of initiative?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Since this is so, do we find sentient beings who initiate activity?”

“Yes, sir.”