【法句经 204】
健康是最大的利益，知足是最大的财富，可信任的朋友是最亲的亲人，涅槃是至上的寂乐。
𝐃𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐝𝐚 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟒
Pasenadikosala Vatthu
Arogyaparama labha
santutthiparamam dhanam
vissasaparama1 nati
nibbanam paramam sukham.
Verse 204: 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵, a trusted friend is the best relative, Nibbana is the greatest bliss.
1. vissasaparama: vissasa + parama: vissasa here means trust, also interpreted as intimacy.
The Story of King Pasenadi of Kosala
While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (204) of this book, with reference to King Pasenadi of Kosala.
One day, King Pasenadi of Kosala went to the Jetavana monastery after having his full morning meal. It was said that the king had eaten one quarter basket (about half a bushel) of rice with meat curry on that day; so while listening to the Buddha’s discourse he felt very sleepy and was nodding most of the time. Seeing him nodding, the Buddha advised him to take a little less rice everyday and to decrease the amount on a sliding scale to the minimum of one-sixteenth part of the original amount he was taking. The king did as he was told and found that by eating less he became thin, but he felt very much lighter and enjoyed much better health. When he told the Buddha about this, the Buddha said to him, “O king! Health is a great boon; contentment is a great wealth; a close and trusted friend is the best relative; Nibbana is the greatest bliss.”
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 204: Health is the greatest gift, contentment is the greatest wealth, a trusted friend is the best relative, Nibbana is the greatest bliss.