Householder, you might think: ‘Surely the brahmin Velāma must have been someone else at that time?’ But you should not see it like this. I myself was the brahmin Velāma at that time. I gave that gift, a great offering. But at that event there was no one worthy of a religious donation, and no one to purify the religious donation.

It would be more fruitful to feed one individual accomplished in view than that great offering of Velāma.

It would be more fruitful to feed one once-returner than a hundred of those accomplished in view.

It would be more fruitful to feed one non-returner than a hundred once-returners.

It would be more fruitful to feed one perfected one than a hundred non-returners.

It would be more fruitful to feed one independent Buddha than a hundred perfected ones.

It would be more fruitful to feed one Realized One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha than a hundred independent Buddhas.

It would be more fruitful to feed the mendicant Saṅgha headed by the Buddha than to feed one Realized One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha.

It would be more fruitful to build a dwelling especially for the Saṅgha of the four quarters than to feed the mendicant Saṅgha headed by the Buddha.

It would be more fruitful to go for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha with a confident heart than to build a dwelling for the Saṅgha of the four quarters.

It would be more fruitful to undertake the training rules—not to kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor—than to go for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha with a confident heart.

It would be more fruitful to develop a heart of love—even just as long as it takes to pull a cow’s udder—than to undertake the training rules.