Sutta 4: Four kinds of sustenance

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0656c09] Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha (佛 [fu]) was in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park (舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園 [she wei guo qi shu gei gu du yuan]) in Śrāvastī (舍衛國 [she wei guo]).

[0656c09] wén rú shì:

yī shí, fú zài shě wèi guó qí shù gěi gū dú yuán.

[0656c09] wen ru shi:

yi shi, fu zai she wei guo qi shu gei gu du yuan.

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0656c10] At that time, the World-Honored One (世尊 [shi zun]) told the bhikkhus (比丘 [bi qiu]), "There are four kinds of sustenance (四種食 [si zhong shi]) that nourish sentient beings (眾生 [zhong sheng]). What are the four? They are: nutriment (摶食 [tuan shi]), whether coarse or fine (或大 [huo da]、或小 [huo xiao]); contact (更樂食 [geng le shi]); volitional thought (念食 [nian shi]); and consciousness (識食 [shi shi]). These are the four kinds of sustenance."

[0656c10] ěr shí, shì zūn gào zhū bǐ qiū: “zhòng shēng zhī lèi yǒu sì zhǒng shí, zhǎng yǎng zhòng shēng. hé děng wèi sì? suǒ wèi tuán shí huò dà,, huò xiǎo, gèng lè shí,, niàn shí,, shí shí, shì wèi sì shí.

[0656c10] er shi, shi zun gao zhu bi qiu: "zhong sheng zhi lei you si zhong shi, zhang yang zhong sheng. he deng wei si? suo wei tuan shi huo da,, huo xiao, geng le shi,, nian shi,, shi shi, shi wei si shi.

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0656c12] "What is called nutriment (摶食 [tuan shi])? Nutriment (摶食 [tuan shi]) refers to what people eat now (如今人中所食 [ru jin ren zhong suo shi]), all things that can be eaten and drunk through the mouth (諸入口之物可食噉者 [zhu ru kou zhi wu ke shi dan zhe]). This is called nutriment (摶食 [tuan shi]).

[0656c12] “bǐ yún hé míng wèi tuán shí? bǐ tuán shí zhě, rú jīn rén zhōng suǒ shí, zhū rù kǒu zhī wù kě shí dàn zhě, shì wèi míng wèi tuán shí.

[0656c12] "bi yun he ming wei tuan shi? bi tuan shi zhe, ru jin ren zhong suo shi, zhu ru kou zhi wu ke shi dan zhe, shi wei ming wei tuan shi.

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0656c14] "What is called contact (更樂食 [geng le shi])? Contact (更樂食 [geng le shi]) refers to clothing (衣裳 [yi shang]), parasols (繖蓋 [san gai]), various fragrant flowers (雜香華 [za xiang hua]), incense (熏火 [xun huo]), and fragrant oils (香油 [xiang you]), gathering with women (與婦人集聚 [yu fu ren ji ju]), and all other things that the body enjoys (諸餘身體所更樂者 [zhu yu shen ti suo geng le zhe]). This is called contact (更樂之食 [geng le zhi shi]).

[0656c14] “yún hé míng gèng lè shí? suǒ wèi gèng lè shí zhě, yī shang,, sǎn gài,, zá xiāng huá,, xūn huǒ jí xiāng yóu, yǔ fù rén jí jù, zhū yú shēn tǐ suǒ gèng lè zhě, shì wèi míng wèi gèng lè zhī shí.

[0656c14] "yun he ming geng le shi? suo wei geng le shi zhe, yi shang,, san gai,, za xiang hua,, xun huo ji xiang you, yu fu ren ji ju, zhu yu shen ti suo geng le zhe, shi wei ming wei geng le zhi shi.

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0656c17] "What is called volitional thought (念食 [nian shi])? All thoughts (念想 [nian xiang]) and deliberations (所思惟者 [suo si wei zhe]) in the mind (意中 [yi zhong]), whether spoken by mouth (以口說 [yi kou shuo]) or touched by body (以體觸 [yi ti chu]), and all dharmas (法 [fa]) that are upheld (所持之法 [suo chi zhi fa]). This is called volitional thought (念食 [nian shi]).

[0656c17] “bǐ yún hé míng wèi niàn shí? zhū yì zhōng suǒ niàn xiǎng,, suǒ sī wéi zhě, huò yǐ kǒu shuō, huò yǐ tǐ chù, jí zhū suǒ chí zhī fǎ, shì wèi míng wèi niàn shí.

[0656c17] "bi yun he ming wei nian shi? zhu yi zhong suo nian xiang,, suo si wei zhe, huo yi kou shuo, huo yi ti chu, ji zhu suo chi zhi fa, shi wei ming wei nian shi.

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0656c19] "What is called consciousness (識食 [shi shi])? What is known by consciousness (所念識者 [suo nian shi zhe]), known by the mind (意之所知 [yi zhi suo zhi]), starting from Brahma Heaven (梵天為首 [fan tian wei shou]), up to the heaven of neither perception nor non-perception (有想 [you xiang]、無想天 [wu xiang tian]), all take consciousness (識 [shi]) as food. This is called consciousness (識食 [shi shi]).

[0656c19] “bǐ yún hé wèi shí shí? suǒ niàn shí zhě, yì zhī suǒ zhī, fàn tiān wèi shǒu, nǎi zhì yǒu xiǎng,, wú xiǎng tiān, yǐ shí wèi shí, shì wèi míng wèi shí shí.

[0656c19] "bi yun he wei shi shi? suo nian shi zhe, yi zhi suo zhi, fan tian wei shou, nai zhi you xiang,, wu xiang tian, yi shi wei shi, shi wei ming wei shi shi.

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0656c22] "Thus, bhikkhus (比丘 [bi qiu])! There are these four kinds of sustenance (四食 [si shi]). Sentient beings (眾生之類 [zhong sheng zhi lei]) with these four kinds of sustenance (以此四食 [yi ci si shi]) transmigrate through samsara (流轉生死 [liu zhuan sheng si]), from this life to the next (從今世至後世 [cong jin shi zhi hou shi]). Therefore, all bhikkhus (諸比丘 [zhu bi qiu])! You should all abandon these four kinds of sustenance (捨離此四食 [she li ci si shi]). Thus, all bhikkhus (諸比丘 [zhu bi qiu])! You should train yourselves in this way."

[0656c22] “shì wèi, bǐ qiū! yǒu cǐ sì shí, zhòng shēng zhī lèi yǐ cǐ sì shí, liú zhuǎn shēng sǐ, cóng jīn shì zhì hòu shì. shì gù, zhū bǐ qiū! dāng gòng shě lí cǐ sì shí. rú shì, zhū bǐ qiū! dāng zuò shì xué.”

[0656c22] "shi wei, bi qiu! you ci si shi, zhong sheng zhi lei yi ci si shi, liu zhuan sheng si, cong jin shi zhi hou shi. shi gu, zhu bi qiu! dang gong she li ci si shi. ru shi, zhu bi qiu! dang zuo shi xue."

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0656c25] At that time, the bhikkhus (諸比丘 [zhu bi qiu]), hearing what the Buddha (佛 [fu]) had said, rejoiced and put it into practice.

[0656c25] ěr shí, zhū bǐ qiū wén fú suǒ shuō, huān xǐ fèng xíng.

[0656c25] er shi, zhu bi qiu wen fu suo shuo, huan xi feng xing.