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 (“food�) 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 7 - Conclusion
6 (of 30)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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existence. The food that is to maintain one's life is hope, wish, or dream.
The function of this food supports man in developing the noble wishes
that are inclined to cultivate his deeds, to help and to benefit others, are
not harmful to the humans, animals and environment. However, man has
been immoderate in wishes. Instead of the development of the noble
wishes, one has made his wish go a drift into the stream flow of “I,'
"mine," and his wishes relate to the false notions of "I am this," "I am
that, ," "I was this," "I was not this," "I will be thus in future," "I will not
be thus,� etc. With these wishes, he starts to enter into the battlefield of
goodness, badness, gain and loss, success and failure; superiority and
inferiority, etc. in which he has to encounter many serious troubles to get
his fame and position. When position is in his hand, immediately enemies
as well as envious people are on the watch round him and they can harm
him any time for his position; therefore, he tries to hold it with him at any
cost. However, he is doing a useless thing because what he has it will be
lost, further what he has now it has resulted from the struggles
competition, and many people have to lose their lives due to it. Thus, the
wrong wishes really are root causes of craving for sensual desire, craving
for existence, craving for non-existence, hatred, anger, etc. They lead
men to sorrow, lamentation, grief, and suffering. Such is the operation of
the idea "I" and "mine" and that of manosañcetanāhāra. If all efforts of
those who are searching for happiness are based on "I" and "mine,"
happiness will always be out of their reach. Such is the current problems.
On the subject of the doctrine of Dependent Origination, the idea of
“self� and “mine� means ignorance (avijjā,) and its operation really is the
operation of ignorance: this is the arising of Dependent Origination
leading to suffering, and is the truth of these current human problems.
