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SN 12.11PTS SN 2.111 min read

Fuel

Āhārasutta

The Buddha defines the four kinds of “food” or “nutriment”, which include edible food, contact, intention, and consciousness. These are all produced by craving, and hence connect with dependent origination.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.11Linked Discourses 12.11
  • 0.22. Āhāravagga2. Fuel

0.3ĀhārasuttaFuel

1.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme …At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. …

1.3“cattārome, bhikkhave, āhārā bhūtānaṁ vā sattānaṁ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṁ vā anuggahāya.“Mendicants, these four fuels maintain sentient beings that have been born and help those about to be born.11.4Katame cattāro?What four?1.5Kabaḷīkāro āhāro oḷāriko vā sukhumo vā, phasso dutiyo, manosañcetanā tatiyā, viññāṇaṁ catutthaṁ.Edible food, whether solid or subtle; contact is the second, mental intention the third, and consciousness the fourth.21.6Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro āhārā bhūtānaṁ vā sattānaṁ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṁ vā anuggahāya.These are the four fuels that maintain sentient beings that have been born and help those about to be born.

2.1PTS 2.12Ime, bhikkhave, cattāro āhārā kiṁnidānā kiṁsamudayā kiṁjātikā kiṁpabhavā?What is the source, origin, birthplace, and inception of these four fuels?2.2Ime cattāro āhārā taṇhānidānā taṇhāsamudayā taṇhājātikā taṇhāpabhavā.Craving.32.3Taṇhā cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānā kiṁsamudayā kiṁjātikā kiṁpabhavā?And what is the source, origin, birthplace, and inception of craving?2.4Taṇhā vedanānidānā vedanāsamudayā vedanājātikā vedanāpabhavā.Feeling.2.5Vedanā cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānā kiṁsamudayā kiṁjātikā kiṁpabhavā?And what is the source of feeling?2.6Vedanā phassanidānā phassasamudayā phassajātikā phassapabhavā.Contact.2.7Phasso cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidāno kiṁsamudayo kiṁjātiko kiṁpabhavo?And what is the source of contact?2.8Phasso saḷāyatananidāno saḷāyatanasamudayo saḷāyatanajātiko saḷāyatanapabhavo.The six sense fields.2.9Saḷāyatanañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānaṁ kiṁsamudayaṁ kiṁjātikaṁ kiṁpabhavaṁ?And what is the source of the six sense fields?2.10Saḷāyatanaṁ nāmarūpanidānaṁ nāmarūpasamudayaṁ nāmarūpajātikaṁ nāmarūpapabhavaṁ.Name and form.2.11Nāmarūpañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānaṁ kiṁsamudayaṁ kiṁjātikaṁ kiṁpabhavaṁ?And what is the source of name and form?2.12Nāmarūpaṁ viññāṇanidānaṁ viññāṇasamudayaṁ viññāṇajātikaṁ viññāṇapabhavaṁ.Consciousness.2.13Viññāṇañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānaṁ kiṁsamudayaṁ kiṁjātikaṁ kiṁpabhavaṁ?And what is the source of consciousness?2.14Viññāṇaṁ saṅkhāranidānaṁ saṅkhārasamudayaṁ saṅkhārajātikaṁ saṅkhārapabhavaṁ.Choices.2.15Saṅkhārā cime, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānā kiṁsamudayā kiṁjātikā kiṁpabhavā?And what is the source of choices?2.16Saṅkhārā avijjānidānā avijjāsamudayā avijjājātikā avijjāpabhavā.Ignorance.

3.1Iti kho, bhikkhave, avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;And so, mendicants, ignorance is a requirement for choices.

3.2saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe…Choices are a requirement for consciousness. …3.3evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.3.4Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho;When ignorance fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, choices cease.3.5saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho …pe…When choices cease, consciousness ceases. …3.6evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti.That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”

3.7Paṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. Āhāra (“fuel”, “food”, “nutriment”) means literally “intake”, and is etymologically parallel to upādāna (“grasping”, “uptake”). Both terms have dual senses, on the one hand denoting fuel or sustenance, and on the other grasping and attachment.

    “About to be born” is sambhavesī, which I follow Norman and Bodhi in reading as a future active participle, although the commentary takes it in the sense “seeking” to be born. Compare such Sanskrit constructions as Rig Veda 1.66.8, yamo ha jāto yamo janitvaṁ (“the twin that is born and the twin about to be born”) and Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 2.3.1.24, bhūtaṁ caiva bhaviṣyacca jātaṁ ca janiṣyamāṇaṁ (“has become and will be, born and to be born”).

    The phrase is one of several in the suttas that appears to indicate an intermediate state between one life and the next, despite the fact that this view is formally rejected by the Theravada Abhidhamma (Kv 8.2).

    ↩ sn12.11:1.3

  2. Coarse edible food sustains the bodies of beings in the human and animal realms, while fine edible food sustains the gods and ancestors, a belief intertwined with the Vedic notion that the gods partake of the food offered in sacrifice (eg. Rig Veda 1.187).

    “Contact” (phassa) is the interaction between the inner and outer worlds, allowing us to situate ourselves in a sensory world full of fears and joys, stimulating feeling and hence the craving for more.

    “Volition” (manosañcetanā) allows us to act in the world revealed by the senses and secure further “fuel”.

    “Consciousness” (viññāṇa) is aware of all this, experiencing suffering, and giving rise to a new “name and form” in a future life in a fruitless search to find a world free of pain. Thus the four “fuels” can be considered as a distinctive perspective on dependent origination.

    ↩ sn12.11:1.5

  3. Āhāra is created by craving, just like upādāna in the standard sequence (MN 9:11.5, MN 38:16.1).

    ↩ sn12.11:2.2