Why is that? Think, O Subhuti, of the mountains of merit collected by an warrior saint who performs the act of giving without sating. This merit, O Subhuti, is not something that you could easily ever measure.

O Subhuti, what do you think? Would it be easy to measure all the space in the universe to the east of us?

And Subhuti replied,

O Conqueror, it would not.

The Conqueror spoke again:

And just so, would it be easy to measure all the space in the universe to the south of us, or to the north of us, or above us, or below us, or in any of the directions in between? Would it be easy to measure all the space in the universe, in any of the ten directions from where we now stand?

And Subhuti replied,

O Conqueror, it would not.

Finally then did the Conqueror say,

And just so, O Subhuti, it would be no easy thing to measure the mountains of merit collected by any warrior saint who performs the act of giving without staying.

— 'The Diamond Cutter' book