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Chapter Four CONCEPT OF AHARA IN BUDDHISM As discussed, most other religions have used ahara as a special symbol of ceremony, ritual, taboo, or a certain metaphor, and some other rules and practices for dietary, kosher, or fasting days. The followers will be able to observe these rules whenever fasting and ritual days come. This means that the practice of laws or moderation in food and deeds is not regular; therefore, it is difficult to explore how we nourish ourselves with food and to understand that transformational mourishment is about feeding our entire being. Different from other religions in the world, Buddhism is neither only a philosophy, nor also a religion of mere belief, but a religion that involves practice, understanding, learning, a way of living, or useful application in real life. Hence, ahara is not a pure symbol of any ritual or ceremony. Lord Buddha did not attach special importance to dietary or fasting laws; hence, He showed that liberation is not possible through extreme fasting, but equally to be avoided is attachment to the sensual 195 pleasure of eating. Because ahara is a special thing (dhamma) that must be understood, chant daily, "This single doctrine should be a chanting in concord, not a wrangling, that thus this holy life may persist and be long maintained. That may be for the welfare and happiness of many folk, for compassion on the world, for the good, the welfare, the 195 Robert E. Buswell, Encyclopedia of Buddhism, vol. I, p. 228.

110 ,,196 happiness of devas and of men. It is clear that ahara quite bears an extraordinary and profound meaning, so it is difficult for historians of religion and cultural anthropologists to face and analyze. As already mentioned, while discussing about ahara in Buddhism people often refer to the problems of vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism in relation to Theravada and Mahayana tradition, and refer to their traditional standpoints to talk about. In fact, this discussion has not showed concept of the Buddha on ahara as recorded in Pali Nikaya. The researcher will not be dependent upon any traditional standpoint to discuss because it is clear that all dhammas are taught by Lord Buddha quite relate directly to the truth of life, the truth of suffering and the end of suffering, and ahara that is one of the dhammas, covers those truths as discussed in the third chapter. This chapter centers on solving the basic and main points of the present study. Firstly and secondly, the meaning and enumeration of ahara will be found in the Pancanikaya and other Commentaries (atthakatha.) Thirdly, the consideration of each of four aharas that maintains physical and mental life, then explains the meaning of each type in details. Fourthly, the operation of four aharas from which the eater not only has consumed food, but also so has done food, they have constantly consumed each other, and this is carefully analyzed in this chapter. Fifthly, an attempt to point out a state of happiness and suffering is always present at a process of operation of the four foods (cattaro ahara).