Factors Leading to a Great Mass of Merit

Monks, the female Household Practitioner Veļukantakī Nandamātā is preparing an offering possessed of six factors for The Community of Monks headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna.

And how is an offering possessed of six factors?

Here, the donor has three factors and the recipients have three factors.

What are the three factors of the donor?

(1) The donor is joyful before giving:

(2) she has a calm, confident mind in the act of giving; and

(3) she is joyful after giving.

These are the three factors of the donor.

What are the three factors of the recipients?

Here,

(4) the recipients are free of craving or are practicing to remove craving;

(5) they are free of anger or are practicing to remove anger;

(6) they are free of ignorance (unknowing of true reality) or are practicing to remove ignorance (unknowing of true reality).

These are the three factors of the recipients.

Thus the donor has three factors, and the recipients have three factors. In such a way the offering possesses six factors. It is not easy to measure the merit of such an offering thus: Just so much is the stream of merit, stream of the wholesome, nutriment of peacefulness - heavenly, ripening in peacefulness, conducive to heaven — that leads to what is aspired for, needed, and agreeable, to one’s welfare and peacefulness; rather, it is considered simply as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.

Monks, just as it is not easy to measure the water in the great ocean thus: There are so many gallons of water, or there are so many hundreds of gallons of water, or there are so many thousands of gallons of water, or there are so many hundreds of thousands of gallons of water; but rather it is considered simply as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of water,...

Prior to giving one is joyful;

while giving one settles the mind in trust;

after giving one is joyful;

this is success in the act of offering.

When they are free of craving and anger,

free of ignorance (unknowing of true reality), without taints (fetters),

mentally disciplined, living the spiritual life,

the field for the offering is complete.

Having cleansed oneself

and given with one’s own hands,

the act of charity is very fruitful

for oneself and in relation to others.

Having performed such a charitable deed

with a mind free from selfishness,

the wise person, rich in confidence,

is reborn in a happy, non-afflictive world.

(Reference: AN 6.37)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how a gift to Teachers is fully purified and ensures the most benefit through six factors - three of these factors are for the donor and three of the factors are for the recipient.

What are the three factors of the donor?

1.) A donor should have a mind that is joyful prior to making an offering.

2.) A donor should have a mind that is calm and confident while giving.

3.) A donor should have a mind that is joyful after making the offering. There should be no remorse or regret that one gave too little or too much.

What are the three factors of the recipients?

4.) A recipient should have eliminated craving/desire/attachment from the mind or practicing towards the elimination of craving/desire/attachment. A recipient should be practicing generosity where they are willingly and openly sharing these Teachings for the benefit of those who choose to learn, reflect, and practice The Teachings. The recipient is not hiding or holding on to The Teachings but instead, openly sharing them without any expectation of anything in return.

5.) A recipient should have eliminated anger/hatred/ill will from the mind or practicing towards the elimination of anger/hatred/ill will. A recipient should be practicing loving-kindness where they have active goodwill towards all beings without judgment and a genuine interest in seeing all beings be well.

6.) A recipient should have eliminated ignorance/delusion/confusion (unknowing of true reality) from the mind or practicing towards the elimination of ignorance/delusion/confusion (unknowing of true reality). A recipient should be practicing wisdom where they have cultivated deep understanding and practice of these Teachings through independent verification of The Teachings. They should be able to easily explain The Teachings drawing from personal and direct experience of training their own mind to improve the condition of their mind and life.

The Buddha explains that making offerings with these six factors “it is not easy to measure” the benefits associated with these gifts. “It is considered simply as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit”.