諸經要集 5.91

5.91

The commentary states: If craving grows toward food, multiplying afflictions, one must contemplate disgust and generate the perception of impurity. Therefore, the Zhidu lun states: In explaining the perception of disgust, one should contemplate that this food arises from impurity. Just as meat arises from semen, blood, and the water channel, it is the dwelling place of pus and worms. Just as clarified butter and curds are formed from the transformation of blood, they are no different from putrid pus. The cooks' grime is impure in various ways. When placed in the mouth, putrid saliva from the brain flows down two paths, mixing with spit before the flavor is produced; its appearance is like vomit. Entering through the portal of the stomach, it is held by earth, rotted by water, moved by wind, and cooked by fire, like boiling gruel in a cauldron. The turbid dregs sink down, and the clear part remains on top, like brewing liquor: the turbid dregs become feces, and the clear part becomes urine. The throat has three openings; wind blows the greasy juice to disperse into the hundred channels, mixing with prior blood and congealing to turn into meat. From fresh meat arise fat, bone, and marrow, and from these arises the body sense-faculty. From the union of fresh and old meat, the five emotion-faculties are produced. From these five faculties arise the five consciousnesses. The five consciousnesses successively give rise to the mental consciousness, which discriminates, grasps marks, and calculates good and ugly. Then arise the notions of self and what belongs to the self, various afflictions, and various sinful karmas. Furthermore, consider that the labor for this food is extremely arduous. Calculating a single bowl of rice, the laborers' sweat poured out, gathered and measured together: the food is little and the sweat is much. This food is bitter and laborious like this; upon entering the mouth it immediately becomes impure, and overnight it turns into feces and urine. Originally a delicious flavor, it becomes foul and undesirable to see. The practitioner reflects: 'If I greedily attach to such vile food, I will fall into the three miserable realms.' Contemplating food in this way, one should feel revulsion toward the five desires. For example, there was a brāhmaṇa who cultivated pure practices. Due to some business, he went to an impure country. He thought to himself: 'How can I avoid impurity? Only by eating dry food can I attain purity.' Seeing an old woman selling white-marrow cakes, he said to her: 'I have business and must stay here for a hundred days. Constantly make cakes and deliver them; I will pay you a high price.' The old woman made cakes and delivered them daily. The brāhmaṇa was greedily attached, eating to his fill with joy. Initially, the cakes made by the old woman were white and clean, but later they gradually lost color and taste. He asked the old woman, 'Why is this so?' The woman said, 'Because the carbuncle has healed.' The brāhmaṇa asked, 'What does this mean?' The woman said, 'The mistress of my household had a carbuncle on her private parts; we applied flour and clarified butter to it. When the carbuncle ripened and the pus came out, we mixed it with butter cakes, doing so day after day. Using this to make cakes for you is why the cakes were good. Now that the lady's carbuncle has healed, where can I get more?' Hearing this, the brāhmaṇa beat his head with both fists, pounded his chest, and retched: 'How could I have broken my pure practices? I am ruined!' Abandoning his business, he rushed back to his home country. The practitioner is also like this: attached to such food and drink, delighting in eating without contemplating impurity, when suffering retribution later, how can regret help?"