Viyahapannatti 14.6.616

14.6.616

"Venerable Sir! Do the inhabitants of hell nourish themselves on discontinuous matters (vīcī-dravya) or on continuous matters (avīcī-dravya)?"
"Gautama! The inhabitants of hell nourish themselves on discontinuous matters as well, and on continuous matters as well."
"For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: 'The inhabitants of hell nourish themselves on discontinuous matters as well, and on continuous matters as well'?"
"Gautama! Those inhabitants of hell who nourish themselves on matters deficient even by a single space-point (pradeśa), those inhabitants of hell nourish themselves on discontinuous matters; those inhabitants of hell who nourish themselves on complete matters, those inhabitants of hell nourish themselves on continuous matters.
For that reason, Gautama, it is said: 'The inhabitants of hell nourish themselves on discontinuous matters as well, and on continuous matters as well.' In this manner, up to the celestial beings."