iya memberi dana pada arahat memang meritnya besar namun Buddha juga bilang di Anggutara Nikaya 9.20: mengembangkan metta hanya sesingkat memerah susu sapi sekali, buahnya lebih besar daripada memberi dana pada arahat dan mengembangkan pandangan terang akan ketidakkekalan hanya selama sekali jentikan tangan, buahnya lebih besar daripada semua itu.
ini kutipannya:
Anguttara Nikaya 9.20. The Buddha :” As great as was the alms offering that the brahmin Velama gave, it would be more fruitful if one would feed a single person possessed of Right View (Sotapanna). As great as the brahmin Velama's alms offering was, and as though one would feed a hundred persons possessed of right view, it would be even more fruitful if one would feed a single Once Returner (Sakadagami). As great as...., feed a hundred Once Returners, it would be even more fruitful if one would feed a single Non Returner (Anagami).......As great as...., feed a hundred Non Returners, it would be even more fruitful if one would feed a single Arahant. As great as...., feed a hundred Arahants, it would be even more fruitful if one would feed a single Pacekka Buddha. As great as...., feed a hundred Pacekka Buddha, it would be even more fruitful if one would feed a single Perfectly Enlightened Buddha (Sammasambuddha)....It would be even more fruitful if one would feed the Sangha..... It would be even more fruitful, if with a Trusting Mind one would go for Refuge to the Buddha, Dhamma & Sangha. It would be even more fruitful than this if one would Undertake the Five Precepts. As great as this well might be, it would be even more fruitful if one would develop a mind of Lovingkindness (Metta) even for the time it takes to pull a cow's udder. And as great as this well might be, it would be even more fruitful if one would develop the Perception of Impermanence just for the time it takes to snap one's fingers.”