大般涅槃經義記 8.311

8.311

自下第二明中起生。於中先辯中陰之相，「中陰二」下明中起生。前中三句：一約對現陰辯其同異，「名雖無差」是其同也，五陰名同故曰無差。「時節各異」是辯異也，時別中現故曰各異。二約眼分別，現陰麁故肉眼能見，中陰細故唯天眼見。三約食分別，現陰麁故多藉揣食，中陰細故多藉三食，所謂思、觸及與識食。意猶識也。四食如何？論釋不同。依如《成實》，餅菓飯等名為揣食，思求揣食令命不絕名為思食，冷煖等觸名為觸食，心識持身令不滅壞名為識食。若依《毘曇》，一切色法持身不壞悉名揣食，心數法中思為思食、觸為觸食，六識心王名為識食。此經所說多同《毘曇》。然今從多宣說中陰但有三食，理實於中亦有揣食。如《雜心》說，食何等物？女人中陰還食人中所食香氣，餘亦如是。

Next below is the second, explaining that from the intermediate arises birth. Therein, he first discusses the characteristics of the intermediate existence (antarābhava); from "the intermediate existence has two..." below, he explains that from the intermediate arises birth. In the former, there are three clauses: First, discussing their similarities and differences relative to the present aggregates: "though names are not different" is their similarity, for the names of the five aggregates are identical, hence called "not different"; "their periods are each distinct" discusses their difference, for the periods of the intermediate and the present are distinct, hence called "each distinct". Second, distinguishing them according to the eye: because the present aggregates are coarse, the flesh eye can see them; because the intermediate aggregates are subtle, only the divine eye sees them. Third, distinguishing them according to food: because the present aggregates are coarse, they mostly rely on solid food; because the intermediate aggregates are subtle, they mostly rely on three foods, namely volitional, contact, and consciousness food. "Mind" here means consciousness. How are the four foods explained? The treatises explain them differently. According to the *Tattvasiddhi*, cakes, fruit, cooked rice, and the like are called solid food; yearning for solid food so that life is not cut off is called volitional food; contacts of cold, warmth, and the like are called contact food; the mental consciousness sustaining the body so that it does not perish or disintegrate is called consciousness food. If according to the *Abhidharma*, all form dharmas that sustain the body without disintegration are all called solid food; among mental factors, volition is volitional food, contact is contact food, and the mind-king of the six consciousnesses is called consciousness food. What this sūtra speaks of mostly accords with the *Abhidharma*. However, here, following the majority, it is declared that the intermediate existence has only three foods, but in principle and fact it also has solid food. As the *Miśrakābhidharmahṛdaya* states: "What kind of things do they eat? A woman's intermediate existence eats the fragrance of what humans eat, and the rest are also like this."