Reading guide
A verse occasioned by what the Buddha sees, not what he's asked
Unlike most of this saṃyutta's discourses, no question precedes this teaching at all: the Buddha simply observes the king's visible discomfort after overeating and responds with an unprompted verse, the physical evidence itself functioning as the occasion for teaching.
A verse turned into a standing practice
Pasenadi does not merely receive the teaching once; he institutionalizes it, arranging for a specific student, Sudassana, to memorize the verse in the Buddha's presence and recite it at every single meal thereafter, paid a regular daily wage for the service.
A verse repeated, not elided, on its second appearance
Unusually for this collection's handling of repeated verses, the same four lines are written out in full both when the Buddha first speaks them and again when Sudassana recites them, rather than eliding the second occurrence — appropriate here since the verse's repeated recitation, not merely its content, is the discourse's own subject.
A change tracked in the body, not merely reported
The discourse does not simply assert that moderation worked; it reports a concrete physical outcome — the king's body ‘slimmed right down’ over time, with Pasenadi himself stroking his own limbs in evident surprise at the change.
A benefit named for both this life and the next
The king's own closing reflection — that the Buddha has shown sympathy for him ‘in both ways’, the good of this life and of the next — frames a simple dietary teaching within this saṃyutta's larger recurring concern with benefits that extend beyond the present existence.
Key terms
The text
§1At 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.
§2Then, knowing that King Pasenadi was huffing and puffing after eating, on that occasion the Buddha spoke this verse: “When a man is always mindful, knowing moderation in eating, his discomfort fades, and he ages slowly, taking care of his life.”
§3Now 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:
§4“When a man is always mindful, knowing moderation in eating, his discomfort fades, and he ages slowly, taking care of his life.”
§5Then 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 the next.”
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