འཕགས་པ་འཇམ་དཔལ་གྱ་རྩ་བའ་རྒྱད 142

142

and grahas—
That there is not a single one of them
That would not depend on the content of his food bowl.

“The Tathāgata has proclaimed
That some beings live on material foods
That are taken by mouth,
While others depend on subtle foods.

“Deities⁸⁴⁸ who inhabit the form realm
Live on the food of dhyāna;
Gods in the formless realm
Are nourished by the fruits of samādhi.

“Beings in the intermediate state⁸⁴⁹
Are said to depend on food too.⁸⁵⁰
Beings in the desire realm
Are nourished by a wide variety of foods.
Gods of the desire realm, asuras, and humans
Live on foods that are taken by mouth.⁸⁵¹

“It has been taught therefore by the victorious lords
That based upon karmic causes,
Sentient beings are sustained by food;
This is well known to all.

“For someone who always engages in mantra recitation
The act of eating is a matter of necessity.
One who relies on food
Will be able to practice the mantras.

“If one’s conduct is completely pure,
And one is competent and lives a celibate life,
Such a mantra adept, relying on food,
Will attain accomplishment without difficulty.

“He is then like a carter of a cart
Who has oiled the axles well,⁸⁵²
Because he can [travel] for a long time
And is able to convey heavy loads.

“So, too, a mantra adept with knowledge of mantras
Should use food for sustenance.
A mantra reciter should always take nourishment
For the upkeep and sustenance of his body,

“As this is necessary for the accomplishment of mantras
And also constitutes a cause for the two provisions for awakening.
Consequently, one should recite the mantras,
As this benefits beings in this world of mortals.⁸⁵³

“For this reason the supreme sage,
The previous buddha known as Kāśyapa,
One of great splendor, taught
At that time, on that occasion, upon the earth.

“He taught the following mantra
For the well-being of living beings—
All those afflicted by suffering,
Miserable, stricken with poverty,

“Weary, resigned, and oppressed;
For their sake he spoke this mantra.
He taught it for the welfare of beings
Who keep circling in saṃsāra.
He taught this best of all mantras
So that beings may find nourishment.⁸⁵⁴

“He said, ‘May all the śrāvakas and all the bodhisattvas,