摩訶止觀 4.100

4.100

檀越送食者，若人不能即事通達，又不能歷法作觀，自無食義；應須隨善知識能說般若者，善為分別，隨聞得解而見中道。是人根鈍，從聞生解，名為「得食」。如人不能如上兩事，聽他送食。又僧中結淨食者，即是證得禪定支林功德，藉定得悟，名「僧中食」也。

As for dānapatis delivering food: if a person cannot achieve penetration directly through phenomena, nor can they practice contemplation across all dharmas, they lack food in themselves; they must follow a good spiritual friend who can preach prajñā and make good distinctions, so that following what they hear, they attain understanding and see the middle way. This person's faculties are dull; generating understanding from hearing is called 'obtaining food.' It is like someone unable to perform the above two matters, who relies on others delivering food. Furthermore, food prepared through purity rituals in the Saṅgha refers to realizing the virtues of the limbs of dhyāna-concentration and relying on concentration to attain awakening; this is called 'food within the Saṅgha.'