Essay name: Ahara as depicted in the Pancanikaya
Author:
Le Chanh
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Department of Sanskrit and Prakrit Languages
This critical study of Ahara (鈥渇ood鈥�) explores its significance in Buddhism, encompassing both physical and mental nourishment. The Panca Nikaya, part of the Sutta Pitaka, highlights how all human problems, including suffering and happiness, are connected to Ahara. Understanding this concept is crucial for comprehending and alleviating suffering, aiming for a balanced, enlightened life.
Chapter 3 - Ahara and specific teachings of the Buddha
7 (of 39)
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76
connected with experience. Volition of the mind is volition, wishing,
aspiring for something. (e.g. to be out of extreme danger and pain). It is
connected with desire. Consciousness-food is described as experience
through the sentient body, the later being specially connected with
consciousness. When ordinary food is fully understood passion is
understood. When contact is fully understood experience is fully
understood. When volition of mind is fully understood the three desires
(presumably for pleasure, existence or non-existence) are fully
understood. When consciousness-food is fully understood the sentient
body is fully understood.
131 Further, if there is passion, delight, craving as to solid food, then
consciousness finds a resting place and grows there. Then there is
descent of name-and-shape (into the womb), and as a result there is
growth of activities. Where there is growth of activities (samsk膩ra) there
in the future is renewed becoming and rebirth. Where in the future is
renewed becoming and rebirth (punarbhava), then there is in the future
decay-and-death, grief, affliction, despair and all kinds of unhappiness. It
is exactly the same if there are passion, pleasure, desire for the other
three kinds: Consciousness will find a resting place and grows the same
results. From this, the chain of Dependent and conditioned origin can be
made in the following sequence and their opposites:
Due to lust for four foods, consciousness is firmly placed.
Due to consciousness, name-and-shape arises.
Due to name-and-shape, formations arise.
Due to formations, becoming and rebirth are renewed.
Due to becoming and rebirth are renewed, decay and death arise.
Due to decay and death, grief, affliction, despair arises.
131 Ibid., 101.
