俱舍論頌疏論本 10.75

10.75

"The latter two, with respect to future existence, lead and bring about in the same way"—this explains the pre-eminence of the latter two foods. "Future existence" refers to future birth. Volition-food is karma, which can lead to future existence. After volition-food has led it, the force of the seeds of consciousness can bring about future existence; only by the force of the seeds of consciousness perfumed by karma does future existence arise. Therefore, these two foods can benefit future birth and are the most pre-eminent. Hence, although all defiled things support and augment existence, only four foods are spoken of in terms of their pre-eminence. The first two are like a nursing mother, nurturing what is already born; the latter two are like a birth mother, giving birth to what is not yet born. Furthermore, the text of the treatise analyzes morsel food into four alternatives: the first alternative is that which is a morsel but not food, referring to what is drunk and eaten functioning as a condition to damage the faculties and great elements; the second alternative is that which is food but not a morsel, referring to the three foods of contact and so forth; the third alternative is that which is both a morsel and food, referring to what is drunk and eaten functioning as a condition to benefit the faculties and great elements; the fourth alternative refers to what excludes the previous characteristics. The three foods of contact and so forth also each have four alternatives; among them, that which is contact and so forth but not food refers to undefiled contact and defiled contact functioning as conditions to damage the faculties and great elements; the rest can be understood by analogy. The treatise says: "The five destinies and the four types of birth all possess the four foods." Question: "How can there be morsel food in the hells?" Answer: "Swallowing molten iron pellets and the like, although damaging after being eaten, can temporarily relieve hunger and thirst; having the characteristic of food, it is also called food. Moreover, in the solitary hells, eating and drinking are like those of humans; hence all five destinies possess the four foods."