諸經要集 12.63

12.63

Question: It is not yet known which nutriment predominates in which of the six realms? Answer: As taught in the Abhidharma, among the six realms, in the ghost realm entirely, among egg-born beings, and in the first three formless [realms], volitional nutriment predominates in all. Why is this? Because in that realm of hungry ghosts, mental activities are plentiful. When egg-born beings are in the eggshell, because they maintain thoughts of their mother, the egg does not spoil. The first three formless realms are also like this: because mental activity and thinking are plentiful, volitional nutriment predominates in all of them. Furthermore, in this human realm and in the six desire heavens, solid food predominates in all. Why is this? Because in these two places one must rely on food to sustain bodily life. Furthermore, in the hell realm entirely and in [the realm of] neither-perception-nor-non-perception, consciousness nutriment predominates in all. Why is this? Because in the hells, consciousness sustains name-and-form; in the stage of neither-perception[-nor-non-perception], consciousness sustains name. Furthermore, in the form realm and among the moisture-born, contact nutriment predominates in all. Why is this? Because in the form realm, one experiences the bliss of cultivating dhyāna, and contact sustains the body; among moisture-born beings, it is due to moist contact that the body is sustained and lives.