At one time, the Buddha lived in the Garden of Solitude in the Gion Grove of the Acropolis. One day, the Buddha said to his monks, "Disciples, people or beings in this world need to constantly eat four kinds of food if they want to continue to survive in this world, or to continue to be reborn in this world in future lives. What four foods do they need to eat? The first is a material food that can fill the stomach either coarse or fine. The second is that the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and inner contact with external things produce cognition and feelings, such as the eyes see things, the ears hear sounds, the nose smells the smell, the tongue tastes, the body touches the touch, the mind after contacting the outside world, and these contact with the external things have cognition and feelings, which is called touching. The third type of food is the spiritual thought that arises in the heart, the desire to be fulfilled, and so on, which is called meaning food. The fourth type of food is the ability to perceive the existence of external things and the cognition, judgment, and distinction of different image natures, which is called food awareness. ”

Disciples, people or beings in the world who eat these four foods will allow them to survive in this world for a long time, or they will continue to be reborn in this world in future lives.

Disciples, how should we view material food? The disciples, just like a couple, they took their young children, they came to the desert, they lost their way in the desert, they ran out of food, they had not eaten for many days, disciples, at that time, the couple thought to themselves: "We have no food to eat now, and we have lost our way in the desert, if we want to live, if we want to go out of the desert, we can only kill our beloved child and make him jerky." Eat his flesh to fill our stomachs, only then may we have a chance to get out of the desert, otherwise all three of us will die in the desert."

In order to survive, the couple killed their beloved child, who they made into jerky, ate the child's flesh, and walked out of the desert. When they eat their children's flesh, they hammer their chests in pain, grief-stricken, and tearful wails: "This is my child's meat!" It's the meat of my cute child! I'm sorry for you, my poor child, where are you? Where are you? I really shouldn't have killed you, I'm in pain right now. It's better to kill me than to kill you." I shouldn't have done that, I was damned."

Disciples, what do you think now? Did the couple eat meat for pleasure? Is meat eaten to satisfy desires? Do you eat meat to keep your body beautiful? Is meat for juicy and delicious meat? Do you eat meat for the sake of your own status and dignity?

The monks replied, "Shizun, this is certainly not the case, eating the flesh of your beloved child is a last resort." ”

The Buddha said, "Disciples, they killed their beloved children and ate their flesh out of helplessness in order to get out of the desert and to survive. ”

The monks replied, "Shizun, it is true, what about the parents in the world who do not love their children?" Parents killing their children and eating his flesh must be something that happens when there is no way. ”

The Buddha said, "Disciples, in the same way, you should look at the material food you eat in this way, and you are forced to eat the material food of the world in order to survive. When you eat material food, visualize the couple who eat their children's flesh in order to survive, in order to get out of the desert, and you eat material food just like them, and you eat these material foods in desperate situations.

Disciples, when material food is fully understood, then the craving for the five desires is fully understood, which five desires are the cravings for it? That is, when the eyes see things, the ears hear sounds, the nose smells the smell, the tongue tastes, and the body touches the sense of touch, it develops a craving for things, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. It is a craving for things, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. Disciples, you must know that once you develop a lust for the five desires, then just like that couple in order to survive, in order to get out of the desert, kill their own children, and eat their own children's flesh, they will eventually cause themselves countless pains and troubles. If the disciples do not worry about and cling to the craving for the five desires, then they are freed from the craving for the five desires, so that they will not be bound by everything in the world, and they will be freed from all troubles and pains. There will be no rebirth in this world, there will be no rebirth of death and death, and there will be eternal liberation from this world.

Disciples, what should we think about touching? Just like a skinned cow, if the cow stands against the wall, then the various animals living on the wall will gnaw the body of the cow, if the cow stands against a tree, then the animal living on the tree will gnaw the body of the cow, if the cow dives into the water, then the animals living in the water will gnaw the body of the cow, if the cow stands in an open and open place, then the animals living in these open and open places will come to eat the body of the cow. Disciples, no matter where the skinned cow stands, there will be creatures that will gnaw at its body. Disciples, in the same way, you should visualize touching food in this way, and once you come into contact with external things and become aware and feeling, you will fall into trouble and pain, just as a skinned cow is eaten by other creatures.

Disciples, when the touch is fully understood, when the feelings of pain, happiness, and non-bitterness are fully understood, then they will understand that with "touch" as the precondition, all kinds of feelings will arise, and when "touch" is destroyed and eliminated, all kinds of feelings are destroyed and eliminated. When the "touch" is completely destroyed, all the feelings of pain, happiness, and non-bitterness are all destroyed and destroyed. Therefore, disciples, do not worry about and cling to all the "touches", so that you are free from all kinds of feelings of pain, happiness, and non-bitterness. He was freed from all the troubles and sufferings of the world.

Disciples, how should they view Yi Food? It's like there is a bottomless fire pit, and there is hot magma flowing in the fire pit, there is a man who wants to live and does not want to die, he likes to enjoy pleasure and hates all kinds of pain. As he passed the fire pit, two strong samurai grabbed the man's two arms, and they forcibly pulled the man to the side of the fire pit, ready to push him into the fire pit. Disciples, at this time, the man who was grabbed by the samurai's arms must have wanted to stay away from the fire pit, and he must have wanted to escape from the samurai's escort. The man must have thought something like, "If I were pushed into this fire pit, I would definitely be very painful, I would definitely be burned and scalded to death by the magma in the fire pit, and I would definitely have no bones." I don't want to die, I don't want to be burned and scalded alive like this, it's too painful! Help! Who will save me". Disciples, in the same way, when all kinds of thoughts and thoughts arise in the heart, when all kinds of wishes and so on arise in the heart, just like this man who is about to be pushed into the fire pit by a samurai and burned to death, once the inner thoughts and thoughts arise, troubles and pains will follow, that is, once you eat the meaning food, then the troubles and pains will accompany you and cannot be freed.

Disciples, when the meaning of food is fully understood, they will understand the three kinds of love, which three kinds of love? The first is desire, the craving for the five desires, that is, the eyes see things, the ears hear sounds, the nose smells the smell, the tongue tastes the taste, and after the body touches things and gives rise to touch, it has a craving for things, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. The second is love, the craving for survival, the craving for life. The third is lovelessness, craving for liberation from the world, craving for liberation from the cycle of life and death, craving for nirvana, and craving for immortality. Disciples, when thoughts and thoughts arise in their hearts, they will fall into the trap of love, love, and lovelessness, just like the man who is about to be pushed into the fire pit by the samurai, burned and scalded to death, once thoughts and thoughts arise, they will be bound by various thoughts and thoughts, and they will fall into it and cannot be freed. Therefore, disciples, do not worry and cling to all thoughts and thoughts, so that you will be freed from the trap of love, love, and lovelessness. He was freed from all the troubles and sufferings of the world.

Disciples, how should they view food literacy? It is as if a man captures a robber or criminal, he hands over the robber or criminal to the king, and says to the king: "Your Majesty, I have captured this evil bandit, please execute this criminal by the laws of the country." ”

The king immediately said to the man: "Warrior, thank you for catching this bandit, who burned and looted all evil, I have already issued a wanted warrant to the whole country, and sent countless officers and soldiers who have not caught him, and I will order the soldiers to pierce the body of this criminal with a spear a hundred times tomorrow morning to relieve the anger of the people against him." ”

So, early the next morning, the soldiers, following the king's orders, stabbed the criminal in the body with spears a hundred times.

At noon, the king asked the soldier carrying out the sentence: "What happened to this criminal?" Dead? ”

The soldier replied: "Your Majesty, he is still very strong, he has been assassinated by us a hundred times, and he is still alive." ”

The king said to the soldiers, "He is not dead, he is the most evil, he must be put to death, and now you will immediately stab him with a spear a hundred times." ”

In the evening, the king asked the soldiers, "How is it?" Is that criminal dead? ”

The soldier replied: "Your Majesty, this criminal was assassinated by us a hundred times at noon, and he still did not die. ”

The king said a little angrily, "What are you doing?" He was not stabbed to death in the morning, and he was still not stabbed to death at noon, do you want to disobey the military order? ”

The soldier replied: "Your Majesty, this is not the case, the people watching the execution shouted: "Let this criminal be stabbed to death like this, it is too cheap for him", because many of the people's families were killed by this criminal, and the people asked us: "Let this criminal suffer more, don't stab him to death so quickly, let him be stabbed by a spear hundreds of times without dying, let him experience the painful feeling before being killed, this is the most relief for them." ”

The king said: "So it is, and now you stab him with your spear a hundred times, and this time stab him to death, although he is the most evil, but the dignity of the law shall not be trampled on, and my orders shall not be played!" This time, in the face of the people, I forgive your sins, and next time, you must follow my orders to enforce the criminal law, or I will punish you for your transgressions! Now you will stab this criminal a hundred times, and this time you must stab him to death. ”

The soldiers then came to the execution site again and stabbed the criminal to death.

Disciples, think about it, was this robber stabbed three hundred times by a soldier's spear in one day, and his body was pierced by the spear, was he in pain? ”

The monks replied, "Shizun, being pierced once by a spear will be painful, let alone being pierced by a spear three hundred times in a row?" What kind of painful feeling is really unimaginable. ”

Disciples, in the same way, you should treat food literacy in this way. When perceiving the existence of external things and the different image natures, recognition, judgment, and distinction arise, just like this criminal who was stabbed three hundred times by a spear in one day. Once you know, judge, and separate, you are bound and bound.

Disciples, when the knowledge of food is fully understood, the name will be fully understood, that is, when the understanding, judgment, and distinction arise, material things, spiritual thoughts, and thoughts will be known, that is, with "knowledge" as the precondition for "fame" will be produced, and when "knowledge" is destroyed and eliminated, "famous color" will be destroyed and eliminated. Therefore, disciples, do not worry about and cling to all "knowledge", so that you will be free from material things, spiritual thoughts, and thoughts. He was freed from all the troubles and sufferings of the world. Disciples, this is the method of dependent origin (for the explanation of the method of dependent origin, see chapters 48 and 49). ”

After the Buddha's teachings, the monks who listened to the teachings all paid homage to the Buddha again, praising the immeasurable merits of the Buddha's teachings, and they all practiced according to the Buddha's teachings.

Pali original scripture

SN.12.63/(3). Puttamaṃsūpamasuttaṃ

　　 63. Sāvatthiyaṃ …pe… “cattārome bhikkhave, āhārā bhūtānaṃ vā sattānaṃ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṃ vā anuggahāya Katame cattāro? Kabaḷīkāro āhāro oḷāriko vā sukhumo vā, phasso dutiyo, manosañcetanā tatiyā, viññāṇaṃ catutthaṃ. Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro āhārā bhūtānaṃ vā sattānaṃ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṃ vā anuggahāya”.

　　 “Kathañca, bhikkhave, kabaḷīkāro āhāro daṭṭhabbo? Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, dve jāyampatikā parittaṃ sambalaṃ ādāya kantāramaggaṃ paṭipajjeyyuṃ. Tesamassa ekaputtako piyo manāpo. Atha kho tesaṃ, bhikkhave, dvinnaṃ jāyampatikānaṃ kantāragatānaṃ yā parittā sambalamattā, sā parikkhayaṃ pariyādānaṃ gaccheyya. Siyā ca nesaṃ kantārāvaseso anatiṇṇo. Atha kho tesaṃ, bhikkhave, dvinnaṃ jāyampatikānaṃ evamassa– ‘amhākaṃ kho yā parittā sambalamattā sā parikkhīṇā pariyādiṇṇā. Atthi cāyaṃ kantārāvaseso anittiṇṇo. Yaṃnūna mayaṃ imaṃ ekaputtakaṃ piyaṃ manāpaṃ vadhitvā vallūrañca soṇḍikañca karitvā puttamaṃsāni khādantā evaṃ taṃ kantārāvasesaṃ nitthareyyāma, mā sabbeva tayo vinassimhā’ti. Atha kho te, bhikkhave, dve jāyampatikā taṃ ekaputtakaṃ piyaṃ manāpaṃ vadhitvā vallūrañca soṇḍikañca karitvā puttamaṃsāni khādantā evaṃ taṃ kantārāvasesaṃ nitthareyyuṃ. Te puttamaṃsāni ceva khādeyyuṃ, ure ca paṭipiseyyuṃ– ‘kahaṃ, ekaputtaka, kahaṃ, ekaputtakā’ti.

　　 “Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu te davāya vā āhāraṃ āhāreyyuṃ, madāya vā āhāraṃ āhāreyyuṃ, maṇḍanāya vā āhāraṃ āhāreyyuṃ, vibhūsanāya vā āhāraṃ āhāreyyun”ti? “No hetaṃ, bhante”. “Nanu te, bhikkhave, yāvadeva kantārassa nittharaṇatthāya āhāraṃ āhāreyyun”ti? “Evaṃ, bhante”. “Evameva khvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, kabaḷīkāro āhāro daṭṭhabbo”ti vadāmi. Kabaḷīkāre, bhikkhave, āhāre pariññāte pañcakāmaguṇiko rāgo pariññāto hoti. Pañcakāmaguṇike rāge pariññāte natthi taṃ saṃyojanaṃ yena saṃyojanena saṃyutto ariyasāvako puna imaṃ lokaṃ āgaccheyya.

　　 “Kathañca, bhikkhave, phassāhāro daṭṭhabbo? Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gāvī niccammā kuṭṭaṃ ce nissāya tiṭṭheyya. Ye kuṭṭanissitā pāṇā te naṃ khādeyyuṃ. Rukkhaṃ ce nissāya tiṭṭheyya, ye rukkhanissitā pāṇā te naṃ khādeyyuṃ. Udakaṃ ce nissāya tiṭṭheyya, ye udakanissitā pāṇā te naṃ khādeyyuṃ. Ākāsaṃ ce nissāya tiṭṭheyya, ye ākāsanissitā pāṇā te naṃ khādeyyuṃ. Yaṃ yadeva hi sā, bhikkhave, gāvī niccammā nissāya tiṭṭheyya, ye tannissitā pāṇā te naṃ khādeyyuṃ. Evameva khvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, “phassāhāro daṭṭhabbo”ti vadāmi. Phasse, bhikkhave, āhāre pariññāte tisso vedanā pariññātā honti. Tīsu vedanāsu pariññātāsu ariyasāvakassa natthi kiñci uttarikaraṇīyanti vadāmi.

　　 “Kathañca bhikkhave, manosañcetanāhāro daṭṭhabbo? Seyyathāpi bhikkhave, aṅgārakāsu sādhikaporisā puṇṇā aṅgārānaṃ vītaccikānaṃ vītadhūmānaṃ. Atha puriso āgaccheyya jīvitukāmo amaritukāmo sukhakāmo dukkhappaṭikūlo. Tamenaṃ dve balavanto purisā nānābāhāsu gahetvā taṃ aṅgārakāsuṃ upakaḍḍheyyuṃ. Atha kho, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa ārakāvassa cetanā ārakā patthanā ārakā paṇidhi. Taṃ kissa hetu? Evañhi, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa hoti– ‘imaṃ cāhaṃ aṅgārakāsuṃ papatissāmi, tatonidānaṃ maraṇaṃ vā nigacchāmi maraṇamattaṃ vā dukkhan’ti. Evameva khvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, ‘manosañcetanāhāro daṭṭhabbo’ti vadāmi. Manosañcetanāya, bhikkhave, āhāre pariññāte tisso taṇhā pariññātā honti. Tīsu taṇhāsu pariññātāsu ariyasāvakassa natthi kiñci uttarikaraṇīyanti vadāmi.

　　 “Kathañca, bhikkhave, viññāṇāhāro daṭṭhabbo? Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, coraṃ āgucāriṃ gahetvā rañño dasseyyuṃ– ‘ayaṃ te, deva, coro āgucārī, imassa yaṃ icchasi taṃ daṇḍaṃ paṇehī’ti. Tamenaṃ rājā evaṃ vadeyya– ‘gacchatha, bho, imaṃ purisaṃ pubbaṇhasamayaṃ sattisatena hanathā’ti. Tamenaṃ pubbaṇhasamayaṃ sattisatena haneyyuṃ. Atha rājā majjhanhikasamayaṃ evaṃ vadeyya – ‘ambho, kathaṃ so puriso’ti? ‘Tatheva, deva, jīvatī’ti. Tamenaṃ rājā evaṃ vadeyya– ‘gacchatha, bho, taṃ purisaṃ majjhanhikasamayaṃ sattisatena hanathā’ti. Tamenaṃ majjhanhikasamayaṃ sattisatena haneyyuṃ. Atha rājā sāyanhasamayaṃ evaṃ vadeyya– ‘ambho, kathaṃ so puriso’ti? ‘Tatheva, deva, jīvatī’ti. Tamenaṃ rājā evaṃ vadeyya– ‘gacchatha, bho, taṃ purisaṃ sāyanhasamayaṃ sattisatena hanathā’ti. Tamenaṃ sāyanhasamayaṃ sattisatena haneyyuṃ. Taṃ kiṃ maññatha bhikkhave, api nu so puriso divasaṃ tīhi sattisatehi haññamāno tatonidānaṃ dukkhaṃ domanassaṃ paṭisaṃvediyethā”ti? “Ekissāpi, bhante, sattiyā haññamāno tatonidānaṃ dukkhaṃ domanassaṃ paṭisaṃvediyetha; ko pana vādo tīhi sattisatehi haññamāno”ti! “Evameva khvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, viññāṇāhāro daṭṭhabboti vadāmi. Viññāṇe, bhikkhave, āhāre pariññāte nāmarūpaṃ pariññātaṃ hoti, nāmarūpe pariññāte ariyasāvakassa natthi kiñci uttarikaraṇīyanti vadāmī”ti. Tatiyaṃ.