四分律行事鈔資持記 2.1209

2.1209

Explaining the name. The four nutriments are: 1. Solid food (divided into coarse and fine; the coarse is understandable, while the fine refers to intermediate beings consuming aroma; for devas and at the beginning of the kalpa, food undergoes no foul transformation, spreading through the limbs like oil poured on sand, hence it is called fine); 2. Contact food (the conjunction of sense base, object, and consciousness produces contacts, as when seeing forms produces joy and pleasure; the present precept pertains to this); 3. Mental volition food (referring to mental karma; hopes of the thinking mind, because they can prolong life); 4. Consciousness food (sentient beings in the intermediate state, the hells, and the formless realm, or those entering the cessation attainment, although lacking present active consciousness, can retain consciousness; in the Hīnayāna it is the consciousness aggregate, while in the Mahāyāna teaching it is the ālaya, which can maintain the sense faculties through the assistance of its power). Solid food is restricted to the desire realm; the other three pervade the three realms. It is briefly understood like this, because the doctrinal marks of other schools cannot be expounded extensively. From "five" onwards, it cites proof. In the Mahīśāsaka-vinaya, "sentient" is discussed solely in terms of consciousness. The Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya lists all three: sense base, object, and consciousness.