..续本文上一页iousness.[12]

　　"How, O monks, should the nutriment edible food be considered

　　 Suppose a couple, husband and wife, have set out on a journey through the desert, carrying only limited provisions. They have with them their only son, dearly beloved by them. Now, while these two traveled through the desert, their limited stock of provisions ran out and came to an end, but there was still a stretch of desert not yet crossed. Then the two thought: ”Our small stock of provisions has run out, it has come to an end; and there is still a stretch of desert that is not yet crossed. Should we not kill our only son, so dearly beloved, prepare dried and roasted meat, and eating our son”s flesh, we may cross in that way the remaining part of the desert, lest all three of us perish

　　”

　　"And these two, husband and wife, killed their only son, so dearly beloved by them, prepared dried and roasted meat, and, eating their son”s flesh, crossed in that way the remaining part of the desert. And while eating their son”s flesh, they were beating their breast and crying: ”Where are you, our only and beloved son

　　 Where are you, our only and beloved son

　　”

　　"What do you think, O monks

　　 Will they eat the food for the pleasure of it, for enjoyment, for comeliness” sake, for (the body”s) embellishment

　　"[13]

　　"Certainly not, O Lord."

　　"Will they not rather eat the food merely for the sake of crossing the desert

　　"

　　"So it is, O Lord."

　　"In the same manner, I say, O monks, should edible food be considered. If, O monks, the nutriment edible food is comprehended, the lust for the five sense-objects is (thereby) comprehended. And if lust for the five sense-objects is comprehended, there is no fetter enchained by which a noble disciple might come to this world again.[14]

　　"And how, O monks, should the nutriment sense-impression be considered

　　 Suppose, O monks, there is a skinned cow that stands close to a wall, then the creatures living in the wall will nibble at the cow; and if the skinned cow stands near a tree, then the creatures living in the tree will nibble at it; if it stands in the water, the creatures living in the water will nibble at it; if it stands in the open air, the creatures living in the air will nibble at it. Wherever that skinned cow stands, the creatures living there will nibble at it.

　　"In that manner, I say, O monks, should the nutriment sense-impression be considered. If the nutriment sense-impression is comprehended, the three kinds of feeling[15] are thereby comprehended. And if the three kinds of feeling are comprehended, there is, I say, no further work left to do for the noble disciple.[16]

　　"And how, O monks, should the nutriment volitional thought be considered

　　 Suppose, O monks, there is a pit of glowing embers, filled to cover a man”s height, with embers glowing without flames and smoke. Now a man comes that way, who loves life and does not wish to die, who wishes for happiness and detests suffering. Then two strong men would seize both his arms and drag him to the pit of glowing embers. Then, O monks, far away from it would recoil that man”s will, far away from it his longing, far away his inclination. And why

　　 Because the man knows: ”If I fall into that pit of glowing embers, I shall meet death or deadly pain.”

　　"In that manner, I say, O monks, should the nutriment volitional thought be considered. If the nutriment volitional thought is comprehended, the three kinds of craving[17] are thereby comprehended. And if the three kinds of craving are comprehended, there is, I say, no further work left to do for the noble disciple.

　　"And how, O monks, should the nutriment consciousness be considered

　　 Suppose, O monks, people have seized a criminal, a robber, and brought him before the king saying: ”This is a criminal, a robber, O Majesty! Mete o…

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