..续本文上一页ut to him the punishment you think fit!” Then the king would tell them: ”Go, and in the morning strike this man with a hundred spears!” And they strike him in the morning with a hundred spears. At noon the king would ask his men: ”How is that man

　　” — ”He is still alive, Your Majesty.” — ”Then go and strike him again at noontime with a hundred spears!” So they did, and in the evening the king asks them again: ”How is that man

　　” — ”He is still alive.” — ”Then go and in the evening strike him again with a hundred spears!” And so they did.

　　"What do you think, O monks

　　 Will that man, struck with three hundred spears during a day, suffer pain and torment owing to that

　　"

　　"Even if he were to be struck only by a single spear, he would suffer pain and torment owing to that. How much more if he is being struck by three hundred spears!"

　　"In that manner, I say, O monks, should the nutriment consciousness be considered. If the nutriment consciousness is comprehended, mind-and-matter are thereby comprehended. And if mind and body are comprehended, there is, I say, no further work left to do for the noble disciple."

　　— SN 12.63

　　COMMENTARY ON THE DISCOURSE ON "SON”S FLESH"

　　(Taken from the Venerable Buddhaghosa”s Saarattha-ppakaasini, the Commentary to the Sa.myutta-Nikaaya.)

　　In explaining the "need arisen" (atthuppatti), i.e., the particular reason for the Buddha giving this discourse, the commentator says that, at that time, the community of monks received abundant support by way of alms food and other requisites. Considering this, the Master asked himself:

　　"Will the bhikkhus be able, or will they not be able, to eat the alms food and still keep to that mindfulness and clear comprehension which lays hold (of the true nature) of nutriment

　　 Will they be detached, and free of desire and greediness

　　" And he saw that there were some sons of good families, recently ordained, who ate the alms food without due reflection. Seeing this, he thought: "When I practiced the perfections (paarami) for four incalculable periods and a hundred thousand kalpas, I did not do so for the sake of the requisites, such as robes, alms food, etc., but for the sake of the highest fruition, of sainthood, did I practice them. Also these bhikkhus who went forth under me, did not go forth for the sake of these requisites, but for the sake of attaining sainthood did they go forth. And now they take the unessential for the essential, the worthless for what is worthy!" Such concern arose in him, and he thought further: "If it were possible to declare a fifth grave offense (paaraajika), the monks, partaking of food without due reflection should be made a fifth grave offense. It is, however, not possible to do so, because food is constantly used by beings. But I shall speak to them in such a way that they will consider (such thoughtlessness) as if it were a fifth grave offense. I shall place before them a mirror of the Dhamma for their self-control and restraint, so that, contemplating on it again and again, the bhikkhus of times to come will make use of the four requisites only after due reflection."

　　Nutriment (aahaara) has the meaning of "condition" (paccaya); because conditions carry (aaharan.ti) their own results.

　　...Here an objection may be raised: "If the meaning of nutriment is that of condition, why are only four of them mentioned here, though living beings are conditioned also in other ways

　　" In reply it is said: "Because these four are prominent conditions for the inpidual life-continuity."

　　For beings living on material food, "edible food" is an important condition for their physical organism (ruupa-kaaya). As to their mental organism (naama-kaaya), sense-impression is an important condition of feeling, volitional thought of consciousness, and consciousness of mi…

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