SN 3.13

Doṇapākasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena rājā pasenadi kosalo doṇapākakuraṁ bhuñjati. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhuttāvī mahassāsī yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

A Bucketful of Rice

At Sāvatthī. Now at that time King Pasenadi of Kosala used to eat boiled rice by the bucketful. Then after eating King Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the Buddha, huffing and puffing. He bowed and sat down to one side.

Atha kho bhagavā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhuttāviṁ mahassāsiṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

Then, knowing that King Pasenadi was huffing and puffing after eating, on that occasion the Buddha spoke this verse:

“Manujassa sadā satīmato, Mattaṁ jānato laddhabhojane; Tanukassa bhavanti vedanā, Saṇikaṁ jīrati āyupālayan”ti.

“When a man is always mindful, knowing moderation in eating, his discomfort fades, and he ages slowly, taking care of his life.”

Tena kho pana samayena sudassano māṇavo rañño pasenadissa kosalassa piṭṭhito ṭhito hoti. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo sudassanaṁ māṇavaṁ āmantesi: “ehi tvaṁ, tāta sudassana, bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ pariyāpuṇitvā mama bhattābhihāre bhattābhihāre bhāsa. Ahañca te devasikaṁ kahāpaṇasataṁ kahāpaṇasataṁ niccaṁ bhikkhaṁ pavattayissāmī”ti. “Evaṁ, devā”ti kho sudassano māṇavo rañño pasenadissa kosalassa paṭissutvā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ pariyāpuṇitvā rañño pasenadissa kosalassa bhattābhihāre sudaṁ bhāsati:

Now at that time the student Sudassana was standing behind the king. Then King Pasenadi addressed him, “Please, dear Sudassana, memorize this verse in the Buddha’s presence and recite it to me whenever I am served a meal. I’ll set up a regular daily allowance of a hundred dollars for you.” “Yes, Your Majesty,” replied Sudassana. He memorized that verse in the Buddha’s presence, and then whenever the king was served a meal he would repeat it:

“Manujassa sadā satīmato, Mattaṁ jānato laddhabhojane; Tanukassa bhavanti vedanā, Saṇikaṁ jīrati āyupālayan”ti.

“When a man is always mindful, knowing moderation in eating, his discomfort fades, and he ages slowly, taking care of his life.”

Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo anupubbena nāḷikodanaparamatāya saṇṭhāsi. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo aparena samayena susallikhitagatto pāṇinā gattāni anumajjanto tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi: “ubhayena vata maṁ so bhagavā atthena anukampi— diṭṭhadhammikena ceva atthena samparāyikena cā”ti.

Then the king gradually got used to having at most a cup of rice. After some time King Pasenadi’s body slimmed right down. Stroking his limbs with his hands, at that time he expressed this heartfelt sentiment: “In both ways the Buddha has sympathy for me: in the good of this life and the good of lives to come.”