法苑珠林 99.27

99.27

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."