Section Four   The Relationship Between the Four Kinds of Nutriment and the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

(371) The Arising of the Four Kinds of Nutriment

Original Text: At that time, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "There are four kinds of nutriment that sustain, support, and nourish sentient beings, enabling them to persist in existence. What are the four? They are: 1. Coarse edible food (kabaliṅkārāhāra), 2. Subtle contact-nutriment (phassāhāra), 3. Mental volition-nutriment (manosañcetanāhāra), 4. Consciousness-nutriment (viññāṇāhāra)."

Explanation: The Blessed One told the bhikkhus: There are four kinds of nutriment that nourish and benefit the life-form of sentient beings, enabling them to be sustained and augmented, to abide in the world, and to be upheld and nourished. What are these four kinds? The first, coarse edible food, is the comparatively coarse diet composed of the four great elements, which nourishes the physical body and sustains life. The second, subtle contact-nutriment, is the comparatively subtle nutriment of contact, feeding on the contact between the six sense faculties and their objects, and the contact arising from the conjunction of the six faculties, six consciousnesses, and six objects. It nourishes the five aggregates subject to clinging and sustains life. The third, mental volition-nutriment, feeds on the mental volition of the mind-consciousness and the mental faculty (manas). It nourishes the body composed of the five aggregates and sustains life. The fourth, consciousness-nutriment, feeds on the consciousness-mind that upholds the body, maintaining the functioning of the body composed of the five aggregates and sustaining life.

The first kind, coarse edible food, is the food consumed by sentient beings in the human realm of the desire realm and by animals. It is chewed, enters the stomach and intestines, is absorbed by the body, and nourishes the physical body to sustain life and existence. This is because the physical bodies of humans and animals are coarse, heavy bodies composed of the four great elements, requiring coarse food to sustain them. Subtle physical bodies require subtle food to sustain them, or they can be sustained by meditative absorption (dhyāna). If there is no physical body composed of the four elements, then food composed of the four elements is unnecessary; life can be sustained solely by meditative absorption. Although beings in the desire realm heavens also consume food composed of the four elements, their food is extremely subtle; they do not chew it but become satiated merely by smelling it.

The second kind, subtle contact-nutriment, feeds on the contact between sense faculties and their objects. Beings with physical bodies composed of the four elements require contact-nutriment. Beings without physical bodies composed of the four elements also require contact-nutriment, because although formless realm beings lack a physical body composed of the four elements, they possess the mental faculty (manas). The mental faculty contacts mental objects (dharmas), which sustains the life of formless realm beings. Why do sentient beings need contact-nutriment? Because sentient beings have the aggregate of form, the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of mental formations, and the aggregate of consciousness; they have the six sense faculties, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses. Only when the faculties and objects contact each other, giving rise to the six consciousnesses, can the five aggregates function, can they discern the objects of the six senses, and possess the experiences of the six sense fields. This is essential for life. If contact-nutriment ceases, sentient beings will necessarily enter Nirvāṇa, and life will cease.

The third kind, mental volition-nutriment, primarily feeds on the mental faculty's (manas) volition regarding dharmas. The mental faculty constantly examines and wills without a moment's cessation, while the mind-consciousness provides intermittent volition-nutriment as a supplement. Only volition enables the five aggregates to continue functioning and absorbing sense objects. This is essential for sentient beings obscured by ignorance in the three realms. If volition-nutriment ceases, sentient beings will necessarily enter Nirvāṇa, and life will cease.

The fourth kind, consciousness-nutriment, feeds on the eight consciousnesses to sustain the functioning of life. All eight consciousnesses have the function of upholding the body. The eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) is the absolute body-upholding consciousness, the primary body-upholding consciousness. The seventh consciousness (manas) is the relative body-upholding consciousness, the secondary body-upholding consciousness. The sixth consciousness (mano-vijñāna) is the tertiary body-upholding consciousness. The five sense consciousnesses are the quaternary body-upholding consciousnesses. As long as the eighth and seventh consciousnesses together uphold the body, the life-form composed of the five aggregates can persist in existence, but the functions of the five aggregates will be incomplete. The vast majority of sentient beings cannot do without the body-upholding function of the sixth consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses; only then can the functions of the five aggregates operate fully, and life continue, accumulate, and arise. Exceptions are eighth-ground Bodhisattvas and above who have mastered the mutual use of the faculties. Although the eighth consciousness has the absolute function of upholding the body and is the root and foundation of all nutriments, the fundamental nutriment, the consciousness-nutriment discussed here primarily refers to the nutriment of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses.

The four kinds of nutriment required by sentient beings all depend on consciousness-nutriment. Consciousness-nutriment is the fundamental nutriment that upholds the body composed of the five aggregates. Based on this, the need for contact-nutriment and volition-nutriment arises. Without profound meditative absorption, it is necessary to have coarse edible food composed of the seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind as nutritional elements for the physical body. If meditative absorption is relatively deep, one can abandon coarse edible food and rely primarily on consciousness-nutriment and volition-nutriment to nourish the body. There can be slight contact-nutriment, or part of it can also be abandoned. The more sentient beings depend on these four kinds of nutriment, the more they revolve in birth and death, and the more suffering they experience. The deeper the meditative absorption, the less dependence there is on these four kinds of nutriment, and the greater the freedom in life. However, dependence on the eighth consciousness can never be severed; one need only avoid clinging to the eighth consciousness.

Original Text: "With what as cause, with what as origin, with what as arising, with what as condition do these four kinds of nutriment exist? With craving as cause, with craving as origin, with craving as arising, with craving as condition. With what as cause, with what as origin, with what as arising, with what as condition does this craving exist? With feeling as cause, with feeling as origin, with feeling as arising, with feeling as condition. With what as cause, with what as origin, with what as arising, with what as condition does this feeling exist? With contact as cause, with contact as origin, with contact as arising, with contact as condition."

Explanation: With what dharmas as cause do these four kinds of nutriment appear? Because of what dharmas arising collectively are they produced? What dharmas give rise to them? What dharmas, when contacted, produce them? These four kinds of nutriment appear with craving as their cause; they are produced due to the collective arising of craving; they are brought about by the arising of craving; they are produced when craving is contacted. Then, with what dharmas as cause does this craving appear? Because of what dharmas arising collectively is it produced? Because of what dharmas arising is it brought about? What dharmas, when contacted, produce it?

This craving appears with feeling as its cause; it is produced due to the collective arising of feeling; it is brought about by the arising of feeling; it is produced when feeling is contacted. With what dharmas as cause does this feeling appear? Because of what dharmas arising collectively is it produced? Because of what dharmas arising is it brought about? What dharmas, when contacted, produce it? This feeling appears with the contact between the six faculties and their six objects as its cause; it is produced due to the collective arising of contact; it is brought about by the arising of contact; it is produced when the six faculties contact the six objects.

If there is no craving, if craving is extinguished, consciousness-nutriment does not arise, then there is no contact-nutriment, and without contact-nutriment, there is no volition-nutriment or coarse edible food. Thus, the four kinds of nutriment cease and do not arise. Therefore, craving is suffering; craving is the cause of suffering in the cycle of birth and death.

Original Text: "With what as cause, with what as origin, with what as arising, with what as condition does this contact exist? With the six sense bases as cause, with the six sense bases as origin, with the six sense bases as arising, with the six sense bases as condition. The arising of the six sense bases is the arising of contact. The arising of contact is the arising of feeling. The arising of feeling is the arising of craving. The arising of craving is the arising of nutriment. With the arising of nutriment, there is the arising of birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair in the future. Thus arises this entire mass of suffering."

"Thus, with the cessation of the six sense bases comes cessation of contact. With the cessation of contact comes cessation of feeling. With the cessation of feeling comes cessation of craving. With the cessation of craving comes cessation of nutriment. With the cessation of nutriment, in the future, birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease. Thus ceases this entire mass of suffering."

Explanation: With what dharmas as cause does this contact appear? What dharmas arising collectively produce it? What dharmas arising bring it about? What dharmas, when contacted, cause it? Contact appears with the six sense bases as its cause; it is produced due to the collective arising of the six sense bases; it is brought about by the arising of the six sense bases; it is caused when the six sense bases are contacted. The collective arising of the six sense bases is the arising of contact. The arising of contact is the arising of feeling. The arising of feeling is the arising of craving. The arising of craving is the arising of the four kinds of nutriment. Because of the arising of nutriment, birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair in future lives will arise, and the entire mass of suffering will arise.

According to the dependent relationship of these dharmas, if the six sense bases cease, contact ceases. If contact ceases, feeling ceases. If feeling ceases, craving ceases. If craving ceases, the four kinds of nutriment cease. If the four kinds of nutriment cease, then birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, despair, and the entire mass of suffering in future lives cease.

(372) The Relationship Between the Four Kinds of Nutriment and the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

Original Text: At that time, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "There are four kinds of nutriment that sustain, support, and nourish sentient beings, enabling them to persist in existence. What are the four? 1. Coarse edible food, 2. Subtle contact-nutriment, 3. Mental volition-nutriment, 4. Consciousness-nutriment."

Explanation: The Blessed One told the bhikkhus: There are four kinds of nutriment that nourish and benefit sentient beings, enabling them to be upheld and to abide for a long time. What are these four kinds? The first is coarse edible food; the second is subtle contact-nutriment; the third is volition-nutriment of the mind-consciousness and the mental faculty; the fourth is the discerning nutriment of the consciousness-mind.

Original Text: At that time, a bhikkhu named Poṭṭhapāda was standing behind the Blessed One, fanning him. He said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, who consumes this consciousness?" The Blessed One said to Poṭṭhapāda: "I do not say there is one who consumes consciousness. If I had said there is one who consumes consciousness, you should have asked thus. I say consciousness is nutriment. You should ask: 'For what reason is there consciousness-nutriment?' I would answer: 'It is able to bring about future existence, causing continuity of birth.'"

Explanation: At that time, a bhikkhu named Poṭṭhapāda was standing behind the Blessed One fanning him. He said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, who takes consciousness as food?" The Blessed One told Poṭṭhapāda: "I did not say there is a consumer of consciousness. If I had said there is a consumer of consciousness, then you could ask that question. What I said is that consciousness-mind is also a kind of nutriment that benefits sentient beings. You should ask like this: 'For what reason is there consciousness as this kind of nutriment?' I would then answer: Consciousness-nutriment is able to induce future existence in the three realms, enabling the continuity of existence in the three realms."

Why did the Buddha say there is no consumer of the seventh or eighth consciousness? Why did the Buddha say there is no one who consumes the seventh or eighth consciousness as food? Because the one who needs consciousness-nutriment is the sentient being composed of the five aggregates, and the five-aggregate being is a composite without a master. Consciousness is the primary element within this masterless composite. Consciousness does not consume itself. Without a master, there is no consumer. Why then is there consciousness-nutriment? The Buddha said because with consciousness-nutriment, future existence in the three realms can be induced. From this statement, we can understand that in the Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha vehicles, consciousness-nutriment refers to the nutriment of the six consciousnesses; with the nutriment of the six consciousnesses, there will be future name-and-form (nāmarūpa). In the Mahāyāna, consciousness-nutriment includes the seventh and eighth consciousnesses, primarily the seventh and eighth, with the six consciousnesses supplementary.

Original Text: "With existence as condition, there are the six sense bases. The six sense bases are condition for contact." Poṭṭhapāda asked further: "Who contacts?" The Blessed One said to Poṭṭhapāda: "I do not say there is one who contacts. If I had said there is one who contacts, you should have asked 'who contacts?' You should ask thus: 'For what reason does contact arise?' I would answer thus: 'With the six sense bases as condition, contact arises.'"

Explanation: Due to the condition of existence in the three realms, there are the six sense bases. With the six sense bases as condition, contact is produced. Poṭṭhapāda again asked the Buddha: "Who contacts?" The Blessed One told Poṭṭhapāda: "I did not say there is one who contacts. If I had said there is one who contacts, you should have asked 'who contacts?' You should ask like this: 'For what reason does contact arise?' I would answer: 'Because of the condition of the six sense bases being contacted, contact is produced.'"

Why did the Buddha say there is no one who contacts? Why is there no one who feels, no one who craves, no one who clings, no one who has existence, no one who is born, no one who ages and dies? Because contact is the contact between faculties and objects; it is the contact between the internal six sense bases and the external six sense bases. The faculties, objects, internal and external six sense bases have no inherent nature, no master, no owner. Therefore, there is no agent of contact and no object contacted; there is no one who contacts. Similarly, there is no one who feels, no one who craves, no one who clings, no one who has existence, no one who is born, no one who ages and dies.

Original Text: "Contact is condition for feeling." [Poṭṭhapāda] asked again: "Who feels?" The Blessed One said to Poṭṭhapāda: "I do not say there is one who feels. If I had said there is one who feels, you should have asked 'who feels?' You should ask thus: 'For what reason is there feeling?' I would answer thus: 'With contact as condition, there is feeling.'"

"Feeling is condition for craving." [Poṭṭhapāda] asked again: "Venerable sir, who craves?" The Blessed One said to Poṭṭhapāda: "I do not say there is one who craves. If I had said there is one who craves, you should have asked 'who craves?' You should ask thus: 'For what reason is there craving?' I would answer thus: 'With feeling as condition, there is craving.'"

Explanation: Due to the condition of contact, feeling is produced. Poṭṭhapāda again asked: "Who feels?" The Blessed One told Poṭṭhapāda: "I did not say there is one who feels. If I had said there is one who feels, you should have asked 'who feels?' You should ask like this: 'For what reason is there feeling?' I would answer: 'Because of the condition of contact, feeling is produced.'"

Due to the condition of feeling, craving is produced. Poṭṭhapāda again asked: "Venerable sir, who has craving?" The Blessed One told Poṭṭhapāda: "I did not say there is one who craves. If I had said there is one who craves, you should have asked 'who craves?' You should ask like this: 'For what reason does craving arise?' I would answer: 'Because of feeling, craving arises.'"

Original Text: "Craving is condition for clinging." [Poṭṭhapāda] asked again: "Venerable sir, who clings?" The Blessed One said to Poṭṭhapāda: "I do not say there is one who clings. If I had said there is one who clings, you should have asked 'who clings?' You should ask thus: 'For what reason is there clinging?' I would answer thus: 'With craving as condition, there is clinging.'"

Explanation: Conditioned by craving, the activity of clinging arises. Poṭṭhapāda again asked: "Venerable sir, who clings?" The Blessed One told Poṭṭhapāda: "I did not say there is one who clings. If I had said there is one who clings, you should have asked 'who clings?' You should ask like this: 'What causes the arising of clinging?' I would answer: 'Craving causes the arising of clinging.'"

Original Text: "Clinging is condition for existence." [Poṭṭhapāda] asked again: "Venerable sir, who has existence?" The Blessed One said to Poṭṭhapāda: "I do not say there is one who has existence. If I had said there is one who has existence, you should have asked 'who has existence?' Now you should ask thus: 'For what reason is there existence?' I would answer thus: 'Conditioned by clinging, there is existence. It is able to bring about future existence. Contact having arisen, this is called existence.'"

Explanation: Conditioned by clinging, existence in the three realms is produced. Poṭṭhapāda again asked: "Venerable sir, who has existence?" The Blessed One told Poṭṭhapāda: "I did not say there is one who has existence. If I had said there is one who has existence, you should have asked 'who has existence?' You should now ask like this: 'What causes the appearance of existence in the three realms?' I would answer: 'Because of the mental activity of clinging, existence in the three realms arises. Clinging is able to induce future existence. Contact having arisen is called existence.'"

Original Text: "There are the six sense bases. The six sense bases are condition for contact. Contact is condition for feeling. Feeling is condition for craving. Craving is condition for clinging. Clinging is condition for existence. Existence is condition for birth. Birth is condition for aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Thus arises this entire mass of suffering. With the cessation of the six sense bases comes cessation of contact. With the cessation of contact comes cessation of feeling. With the cessation of feeling comes cessation of craving. With the cessation of craving comes cessation of clinging. With the cessation of clinging comes cessation of existence. With the cessation of existence comes cessation of birth. With the cessation of birth comes cessation of aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Thus ceases this entire mass of suffering."

Explanation: Because there are the six sense bases, there is contact. The condition of the six sense bases causes contact to arise. The condition of contact produces feeling. Conditioned by feeling, there is craving. Conditioned by craving, there is clinging. Conditioned by clinging, existence is produced. Conditioned by existence, birth occurs. With birth, there is aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Thus the entire mass of suffering arises. If the six sense bases cease, contact ceases. If contact ceases, feeling ceases. If feeling ceases, craving ceases. If craving ceases, clinging ceases. If clinging ceases, existence ceases. If existence ceases, birth ceases. If birth ceases, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease. The entire mass of suffering ceases.

In the law of the twelve links of dependent origination, there is no consumer of consciousness-nutriment, no one who contacts, no one who feels, no one who craves, no one who clings, no one who has existence, no one who is born, no one who ages and dies. This is because all these dharmas are dependently originated. Dependently originated dharmas have no master; none are the master. So who takes consciousness as food? Who contacts, feels, craves, clings, has existence, is born, ages, and dies? There is no agent. All this is merely an illusion like floating clouds, passing without lingering, constantly migrating and transforming, arising and ceasing, changing, ungraspable. When circumstances change and time passes, there is no longer that contact. Even if there is contact, it is not the same feeling as before; there is even less craving, and no clinging. Yet, future existence is still unavoidable, because there will be different contact, different feeling, craving, and clinging. This is change.

If there were a master, these dharmas would not change – there would be constant contact, constant feeling, constant craving, constant clinging, constant existence, without birth, aging, and death. Without a master, there is necessarily arising, ceasing, change, and impermanence; nothing is constant. Therefore, necessarily, there is no consumer of consciousness-nutriment, no one who contacts, feels, craves, clings, has existence, is born, ages, and dies.