To Develop a Mind of Loving-kindness Is More Fruitful Than Giving

Monks, if someone were to give away a hundred pots of food as charity in the morning, a hundred pots of food as charity at noon, and a hundred pots of food as charity in the evening, and if someone else were to develop a mind of loving-kindness even for the time it takes to pull a cow’s udder, either in the morning, at noon, or in the evening, this would be more fruitful than the former.

Therefore, Monks, you should train yourselves thus: We will develop and cultivate the liberation of mind by loving-kindness, make it our vehicle, make it our basis, stabilize it, exercise ourselves in it, and fully perfect it.

Thus should you train yourselves.

(Reference: SN 20.4)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how practicing loving-kindness meditation and practicing loving-kindness in daily life is more beneficial than a gift of a hundred pots of food given in the morning, noon, and evening.

Through eliminating one’s own anger/hatred/ill will through cultivating and developing a mind of loving-kindness, a Practitioner is helping others in a significant way. They will not need to experience the unskillful bodily, verbal, or mental conduct motivated by the unwholesome root of anger/hatred/ill will.

The Buddha encourages Students to “develop and cultivate the liberation of mind by loving-kindness” guiding a Practitioner to eliminate the unwholesome root of anger/hatred/ill will so that the mind can be liberated to attain Enlightenment.