法苑珠林 99.27

99.27

如增一阿含經云。爾時世尊告諸比丘。眾生之類有四種食長養眾生。何等為四。所謂段食。或大或小。更樂食念食識食。是謂四食。彼云何段食。謂今人中所食入口之物可食噉者。是謂段食。云何更樂食。謂衣裳繖蓋雜香華熏火。及香油與婦人集聚。諸餘身體所更樂者。是謂更樂食。云何念食。謂意中所念所想所思惟者。或以口說。或以體觸。及諸所持之法。是謂念食。云何識食。謂意之所知。梵天為首。乃至有想無想天。以識為食。是謂識食。以此四食流轉生死。

As the Ekottarika-āgama says: At that time, the World-Honoured One told the monks, "There are four kinds of nutriment that nourish sentient beings. What are the four? Namely, coarse material nutriment (kavaḍīkārāhāra), whether large or small; contact nutriment (sparśāhāra); volitional nutriment (manosañcetanāhāra); and consciousness nutriment (vijñānāhāra). These are called the four nutriments. What is coarse material nutriment? It refers to that which is eaten by humans today, whatever enters the mouth and can be consumed; this is called coarse material nutriment. What is contact nutriment? It refers to clothing, parasols, mixed fragrant flowers, incense, fire, and perfumed oil, as well as associating with women, and all other things experienced by the body with pleasure; this is called contact nutriment. What is volitional nutriment? It refers to what is recollected, thought, and deliberated in the mind, or spoken with the mouth, or physically touched, as well as the teachings one upholds; this is called volitional nutriment. What is consciousness nutriment? It refers to what is known by consciousness; beginning with the Brahmā heavens up to the Heaven of Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception, they take consciousness as nutriment; this is called consciousness nutriment. Sentient beings transmigrate through birth and death on account of these four nutriments."