food – Daily Sutta Reading

“Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks for a family who takes their meals late in the day. What five? When guests visit, they are not served on time. The deities who accept spirit-offerings are not served on time. Ascetics and brahmins who eat in one part of the day, abstaining from eating at night, and from food at the wrong time are not served on time. Bondservants, workers, and staff do their duties neglectfully. A meal eaten during the wrong period is not nutritious. These are the five drawbacks for a family who takes their meals late in the day.

There are these five benefits for a family who takes their meals at a proper time. What five? When guests visit, they are served on time. The deities who accept spirit-offerings are served on time. Ascetics and brahmins who eat in one part of the day, abstaining from eating at night, and from food at the wrong time are served on time. Bondservants, workers, and staff do their duties attentively. A meal eaten during the proper period is nutritious. These are the five benefits for a family who takes their meals at a proper time.”

Read this translation of Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.228 Ussūrabhattasutta: Eating Late by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on Voice.SuttaCentral.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Or read a translation in Deutsch, Bengali, Indonesian, မြန်မာဘာသာ, ру́сский язы́к, සිංහල, ไทย, Tiếng Việt, or 汉语. Learn how to find your language.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Koliyans, where they have a town named Pajjanika.

Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the home of Suppavāsā the Koliyan, where he sat on the seat spread out. Then Suppavāsā served and satisfied the Buddha with her own hands with a variety of delicious foods. When the Buddha had eaten and washed his hand and bowl, she sat down to one side. The Buddha said to her:

“Suppavāsā, when a noble disciple gives food, she gives the recipients four things. What four? Long life, beauty, happiness, and strength. Giving long life, she has long life as a god or human. Giving beauty, she has beauty as a god or human. Giving happiness, she has happiness as a god or human. Giving strength, she has strength as a god or human. When a noble disciple gives food, she gives the recipients these four things.

When she gives well-prepared food,
pure, fine, and full of flavor,
that offering—given to the upright,
who have good conduct, and are big-hearted—
joins merit to merit. It’s very fruitful,
and is praised by those who know the world.

Those who recall such sacrifices,
live in the world full of inspiration.
They’ve driven out the stain of stinginess, root and all,
blameless, they go to a heavenly place.”

Read this translation of Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.57 Suppavāsāsutta: Suppavāsā by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on PaliAudio.com or Voice.SuttaCentral.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

AN 5.228 Ussūrabhattasutta: Eating Late

AN 4.57 Suppavāsāsutta: Suppavāsā

Sign up for free daily suttas by email