3. Donapaka Sutta Discourse on very heavy meal Dutiya Vagga, Kosala Samyutta, Sagatha Vagga Samyutta, Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka SOURCE: "FIVE SAMYUTTAS FROM SAGATHAVAGGA SAMYUTTA" Translated by U Tin U (Myaung), Yangon Edited by the Editorial Committee, Burma (Myanmar) Tipitaka Association, 1998

      124. The Bhagava was staying at Savatthi. During that time King Pasenadi of Kosala ate a large measure¹ of cooked rice. Then, after the meal he went to the Bhagava breathing heavily due to immoderate eating and when he got there he made obeisance to the Bhagava and sat at a suitable place. The Bhagava, finding that King Pasenadi of Kosala was breathing heavily after an immoderate meal uttered this verse on that occasion:

The person who is always mindful and

who knows the proper amount to eat suffers only a little.

He ages only slowly, thus making for longevity.

      At that time a young man named Sudassana was at the back of King Pasenadi of Kosala. And King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the young man Sudassana, "Come you, dear Sudassana, learn this verse from the Bhagava. Recite it at every meal I take. I shall give you a hundred coins every day for your service."

      "Very well your Majesty" replied the young man Sudassana to King Pasenadi of Kosala and learning the verse from the Bhagava recited it at the King's meals:

"The person who is always mindful and

who knows the proper amount to eat suffers only a little.

He ages only slowly thus making for longevity."

      Then, King Pasenadi of Kosala gradually got to the point where he ate just only a nali² measure of rice. Later, King Pasenadi of Kosala came to have a thin body, and stroking it repeatedly with his hands he made at that time this joyous utterance:

      "The Bhagava has indeed shown great compassion to me, both for my present benefit and for my future welfare³".

      1. a large measure: In the Pali text 'dona'; a dona is a capacity measure which is difficult to determine exactly, but generally taken as a portion of a basket.

      2. nali: A small measure of capacity amounting to one-sixteenth of a dona.

      3. Both for my present benefit and my future welfare: The present benefit is the slimming down of his body and greater alertness; the future welfare is the merit he acquires by observing the moral conduct of restraint in eating.

End of the Donapaka Sutta,

the third in this vagga