Ahara as depicted in the Pancanikaya
by Le Chanh | 2010 | 101,328 words
This is a critical study of Ahara and its importance as depicted in the Pancanikaya (Pancha Nikaya).—The concept of Ahara (“food�) in the context of Buddhism encompasses both physical and mental nourishment. The Panca Nikaya represents the five collections (of discourses) of the Sutta Pitaka within Buddhist literature. The present study emphasizes ...
Text 4: Puttamansupamasutta "Savatthiyam ... pe ... "cattarome, bhikkhave, ahara bhatanam va sattanam thitiya sambhavesinam va anuggahaya. Katame cattaro? Kabalikaro aharo olariko va sukhumo va, phasso dutiyo, manosancetana tatiya, vinnanam catuttham. Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattaro ahara bhutanam va sattanam thitiya sambhavesinam va anuggahaya". - "Kathanca, bhikkhave, kabalikaro aharo datthabbo? Seyyathapi, bhikkhave, dve jayampatika parittam sambalam adaya kantaramaggam patipajjeyyum. Tesamassa ekaputtako piyo manapo. Atha kho tesam, bhikkhave, dvinnam jayampatikanam kantaragatanam ya paritta sambalamatta, sa parikkhayam pariyadanam gaccheyya. Siya ca nesam kantaravaseso anatinno. Atha kho tesam, bhikkhave, dvinnam jayampatikanam evamassa 'amhakam kho ya paritta sambalamatta sa parikkhina pariyadinna. Atthi cayam kantaravaseso anittinno. Yamnuna mayam imam ekaputtakam piyam manapam vadhitva valluranca sondikanca karitva puttamamsani khadanta evam tam kantaravasesam nitthareyyama, ma sabbeva tayo vinassimha ti. Atha kho te, bhikkhave, dve jayampatika tam ekaputtakam piyam manapam vadhitva valluranca sondikanca karitva puttamansani khadanta evam tam kantaravasesam nitthareyyum. Te puttamansani ceva khadeyyum, ure ca patipiseyyum - 'kaham, ekaputtaka, kaham, ekaputtaka'ti. "Tam kim mannatha, bhikkhave, api nu te davaya va aharam ahareyyum, madaya va aharam ahareyyum, mandanaya va aharam ahareyyum, vibhusanaya va aharam ahareyyu"nti? "No hetam, bhante". "Nanu te, bhikkhave, yavadeva kantarassa nittharanatthaya aharam ahareyyu" nti? "Evam, bhante". "Evameva khvaham, bhikkhave, kabatikaro aharo datthabbo" ti vadami. Kabalikare, bhikkhave, ahare parinnate
301 pancakamaguniko rago parinnato hoti. Pancakamagunike rage parinnate natthi tam samyojanam yena samyojanena samyutto ariyasavako puna imam lokam agaccheyya. "Kathanca, bhikkhave, phassaharo datthabbo? Seyyathapi, bhikkhave, gavi niccamma kuttam ce nissaya tittheyya. Ye kuttanissita pana te nam khadeyyum. Rukkham ce nissaya tittheyya, ye rukkhanissita pana te nam khadeyyum. Udakam ce nissaya tittheyya, ye udakanissita pana te nam khadeyyum. Akasam ce nissaya tittheyya, ye akasanissita pana te nam khadeyyum. Yam yadeva hi sa, bhikkhave, gavi niccamma nissaya tittheyya, ye tannissita pana te nam khadeyyum. Evameva khvaham, bhikkhave, "phassaharo datthabbo"ti vadami. Phasse, bhikkhave, ahare parinnate tisso vedana parinnata honti. Tisu vedanasu parinnatasu ariyasavakassa natthi kinci uttarikaraniyanti vadami. ' ' "Kathanca bhikkhave, manosancetanaharo datthabbo? Seyyathapi bhikkhave, angarakasu sadhikaporisa punna angaranam vitaccikanam vitadhumanam. Atha puriso agaccheyya jivitukamo amaritukamo sukhakamo dukkhappatikulo. Tamenam dve balavanto purisa nanabahasu gahetva tam angarakasum upakaddheyyum. Atha kho, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa arakavassa cetana araka patthana araka panidhi. Tam kissa hetu? Evanhi, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa hoti - 'imam caham angarakasum papatissami, tatonidanam maranam va nigacchami maranamattam va dukkha'nti. Evameva khvaham, bhikkhave, 'manosancetanaharo datthabbo'ti vadami. Manosancetanaya, bhikkhave, ahare parinnate tisso tanha parinnata honti. Tisu tanhasu parinnatasu ariyasavakassa natthi kinci uttarikaraniyanti vadami. - - - "Kathanca, bhikkhave, vinnanaharo datthabbo? Seyyathapi, bhikkhave, coram agucarim gahetva ranno dasseyyum 'ayam te, deva, coro agucari, imassa yam icchasi tam dandam panehiti. Tamenam raja evam vadeyya - 'gacchatha, bho, imam purisam pubbanhasamayam sattisatena hanatha'ti. Tamenam pubbanhasamayam sattisatena haneyyum. Atha raja majjhanhikasamayam evam vadeyya - 'ambho, katham so puriso'ti? 'Tatheva, deva, jivati'ti. Tamenam raja evam vadeyya 'gacchatha, bho, tam purisam majjhanhikasamayam sattisatena hanatha'ti. Tamenam majjhanhikasamayam sattisatena haneyyum. Atha raja sayanhasamayam evam vadeyya 'ambho, katham so puriso'ti? 'Tatheva, deva, jivati'ti. Tamenam raja evam vadeyya-'gacchatha, bho, tam purisam sayanhasamayam sattisatena hanatha'ti. Tamenam sayanhasamayam sattisatena haneyyum. Tam kim mannatha, bhikkhave, api nu so puriso divasam tihi sattisatehi hannamano tatonidanam dukkham domanassam patisamvediyetha" ti? "Ekissapi, bhante, sattiya hannamano tatonidanam dukkham -
302 domanassam patisamvediyetha; ko pana vado tihi sattisatehi hannamano" ti! "Evameva khvaham, bhikkhave, vinnanaharo datthabboti vadami. Vinnane, bhikkhave, ahare parinnate namarupam parinnatam hoti, namarupe parinnate ariyasavakassa natthi kinci uttarikaraniyanti vadami" ti. Tatiyam." (Samyuttanikaya II, 98, Nidanavaggapali, Puttamamsupamasutta No. 63.) Child's flesh (The Similes for the Four Nutriments) "While at Savatthi the Exalted One said: There are these four foods, brethren, for the maintenance of beings that have come to birth, or for the forwarding of those who seek to come to be. Which are the four? Material food, coarse or fine; contact is second, willing of mind is third, consciousness is the fourth. These are the four foods for the maintenance of beings that have come to birth, or for the forwarding of those who seek to come to be. And how, brethren, is material food to be considered? It is as if two parents who had taken slender provisions were on their way in path through the jungle, and theirs was an only child dear and sweet. Now suppose that the scanty provisions of those parents in the jungle came to an end, used up. And suppose that there was yet a portion of the jungle untraversed. Therigatha those parents might say: What scanty provisions we had are come to an end, are used up, and there is this remainder of the jungle to traverse. What if we were to slay this our only child, sweet and dear, and make both dried pieces and juicy pieces, and so, eating flesh of child, might traverse that remainder of the jungle. Let us not all three perish! And so those two parents slew that only child sweet and dear, and made both dried pieces and juicy pieces, and so, eating flesh of child they could traverse that remainder of the jungle. They would both eat child flesh and smite on their breasts crying: Where is our only child? Where is our only child? Now what think you, brethren? Would they take the food for sport? or would they take the food from indulgence? or would they take the food for plumpness? Not so, lord. Would they not take the food, brethren, in order that they might last till the jungle was crossed? Even so, lord. Even so, brethren, I declare should solid food be regarded.
303 When such food is well understood, the passion of the five senses are well understood. When the passion of the five senses are well understood, the fetters do not exist bound by which the Ariyan disciple could come again to this world. And how? Brethren, is the food that is contact to be regared? It is as if, brethren, a cow with a sore hide should stand leaning against a wall. The creatures that live in the wall would bite her; if she stood leaning against a tree, the creatures that live on the tree would bite her; yea, whatever she stood leaning against, whatever creatures lived thereon would bite her. If she stood buoyed up by the air, the creatures that live in dependence on the air would bite her, yea, whatever she stood up against, whatsoever creatures that lived in dependence thereon would bite her. Even so do I declare that the food which is contact should be regarded. When such food is well understood, the three feelings are well understood. When the three feelings are well understood, I declare that there is nothing further which the Ariyan disciple has to do. And how, brethren, is the food that is will of mind to be regarded? It is as if, brethren, there were a pit of charcoal, deeper that a man is high, filled with clear, glowing, smokeless charcoal. And a man were to come by, loving his life, not loving death, loving happiness, and loathing pain. And two strong men seizing him by each arm were to drag him up to the pit. Now to be far from that, brethren, would be the will of that man, to be far would be his wish, to be far would be his aspiration. Why so? Verily the man would think: I shall fall on that heap of charcoal; through that I shall come in for death, or for mortal pain. Even so, brethren, I declare that the food which is will of mind should be regared. When that food is well understood, the three cravings are well understood. When these are well understood, i declare that there is nothing further that the Ariyan disciple has to do. And how, brethren, is the food that is consciousness to be regarded? It is as if, brethren, they were to seize a robber, an evildoes, and were so show him to the king, saying: 'This man, sire, is a robber, an evildoes. Inflict on him such punishment as is desired.' And the king should pronounce this concerning him: Go, masters, smite this man at dawn with a hundred darts. And they were to do so. Therigatha at noon the king should declare this: Ho, masters, how is that man? At this moment, sire, he is alive.
304 And the king should pronounce this concerning him: Go, masters, smite this man at noon with a hundred darts. And they were to do so. The at eventide the should declare this: Ho, masters, how is that man? And this moment, sire, he is alive. And the king should pronounce this concerning him: Go, masters, smite this man at eventide with a hundred darts. And they were to do so. What think you, brethren? Would that man, smitten during the day by three hundred darts, suffer therefrom pain and sorrow? Were he smitten, lord, by but one dart, he would therefrom suffer pain and sorrow; what need to speak of being smitten by three hundred? Even so, brethren, do I declare that the food called consciousness should be regarded. When consciousness, brethren, is well understood, name-and-shape is well understood. When name-and-shape is well understood, I declare there is nothing further that the Ariyan disciple has to do." (Tran. Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids, The Book of The Kindred Sayings, part II, PTS, pp. 67-70.)