瑜伽論記 18.273

18.273

下別有五，即釋由種種門令住所以。一、此諸食令有情住易取入愚智同知，故偏立食；二、令羸損根大增益，謂蘇膏等益；三、令疾病得愈謂藥草等；四、有長壽有情不食中夭，亦可服仙藥，有情長壽於長時中須數進藥助前勢，藥是段食，若不更服非時中夭；五、此諸食令易入道修四念住，謂由段食故能修身念住，由觸食故能修受念住，由識食故能修心念住，由思食故能修法念住。

Below there are five specific points, which explain why they cause [conditioned things] to abide through various gates: 1. These foods cause sentient beings to abide, are easy to comprehend, and are equally known by the foolish and the wise, so food is specifically established; 2. They cause emaciated and damaged faculties and elements to increase, referring to the benefit of ghee, balms, and so forth; 3. They cause diseases to be cured, referring to medicinal herbs and so forth; 4. There are long-lived sentient beings who die prematurely without food; or alternatively, sentient beings who consume immortal elixir and are long-lived must repeatedly take medicine over a long period to assist their previous vigor—the medicine being material food, and if they do not take it again, they die prematurely; 5. These foods make it easy to enter the path and cultivate the four applications of mindfulness: due to material food one can cultivate mindfulness of the body; due to contact as food one can cultivate mindfulness of feelings; due to consciousness as food one can cultivate mindfulness of the mind; and due to mental volition as food one can cultivate mindfulness of dharmas.