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AN 3.16 mantra: eat to live, don't live to eat

 I heard that saying from a vegan expert.


But it's also a great mantra, something you can slowly chant to yourself while you're eating, alternating with the Buddha's detailed explanation of the same mantra:


4👑☸ → AN‍ → AN 3 → AN 3.16 


...


Kathañ-ca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
bhojane mattaññū hoti?
eat (in) moderation ****?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
Here, monks, a-monk
paṭisaṅkhā yoniso āhāraṃ āhāreti:
reflecting carefully (on) food (he) consumes:
‘neva davāya
'not (for) amusement,
na madāya
not (for) intoxication,
na maṇḍanāya
not (for) beautification,
na vibhūsanāya,
not (for) attractiveness,
yāva-deva imassa kāyassa ṭhitiyā yāpanāya
only-for this body's maintenance (and) nourishment,
vihiṃs-ūparatiyā
injury-avoidance [from under eating],
brahmacariy-ānuggahāya,
[for] assisting (the) holy-life,
iti purāṇañca vedanaṃ paṭihaṅkhāmi,
[thinking:] thus old feelings [of hunger] I-will-terminate,
navañca vedanaṃ na uppādessāmi,
new feelings [of overeating] I-will-not-arouse,
yātrā ca me bhavissati anavajjatā ca
{and} healthy I will-become, blamless and
Phāsu-vihāro cā’ti.
(in) comfort (I) dwell ****.
Evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
Thus indeed, monks, a-monk
bhojane mattaññū hoti.
eat (in) moderation ****.


The Buddha's mantra which might serve as a summary of that passage, might be something like:

Eat in moderation for brahmacariya, not for sensual pleasure indulgence.

but this is short and catchy:

eat to live, don't live to eat




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