Atthirāgasutta
The discourse Atthirāga is found in Sāvatthi.
Disciples, there are these four kinds of nutriment for the maintenance of beings that have come to be, for the support of those seeking existence.
What are the four?
They are physical food, whether coarse or fine; contact; mental volition; and consciousness.
These are the four nutriments for the maintenance of beings that have come to be, for the support of those seeking existence.
If there is desire, delight, and craving in physical food, consciousness becomes established there and comes to growth.
Where consciousness is established and has come to growth, there is the descent of name-and-form.
Where there is the descent of name-and-form, there is the growth of formations.
Where formations grow, there is the production of renewed existence in the future.
Where there is the production of renewed existence in the future, there is future birth, aging, and death.
Where there is future birth, aging, and death, I say, suffering arises accompanied by sorrow, lamentation, and despair.
The same applies to the nutriment of contact, mental volition, and consciousness.
If there is desire, delight, and craving in the nutriment of contact, mental volition, or consciousness, then consciousness becomes established there and grows.
Where consciousness is established and grows, there is the descent of name-and-form.
Where there is the descent of name-and-form, there is the growth of formations.
Where formations grow, there is the production of renewed existence in the future.
Where there is the production of renewed existence in the future, there is future birth, aging, and death.
Where there is future birth, aging, and death, I say, suffering arises accompanied by sorrow, lamentation, and despair.
Just as a dyer or painter, with dyes of red, yellow, blue, or carmine, could produce the image of a man or woman complete in all its features on a well-polished plank or wall or piece of cloth, in the same way, if there is desire, delight, and craving in the nutriment, consciousness becomes established and grows.
Where consciousness is established and grows, there is the descent of name-and-form.
Where there is the descent of name-and-form, there is the growth of formations.
Where formations grow, there is the production of renewed existence in the future.
Where there is the future arising of rebirth, there is the future arising of birth, aging, and death.
Where there is the future arising of birth, aging, and death, it is declared to be accompanied by sorrow, by lamentation, by suffering.
If there is attachment to sensory contact for sustenance...
If there is attachment to intention for sustenance...
If consciousness feeds on desires, delight, and craving, the consciousness stands established and grows.
Where consciousness is established and grows, there is the descent of name-and-form.
Where there is the descent of name-and-form, there is the growth of formations.
Where there is the growth of formations, there is the future arising of rebirth.
Where there is the future arising of rebirth, there is the future arising of birth, aging, and death.
Where there is the future arising of birth, aging, and death, it is declared to be accompanied by sorrow, by lamentation, by suffering.
If there is no attachment, no delight, and no craving in solid food, the consciousness is not established and does not grow.
Where consciousness is not established and does not grow, there is no descent of name-and-form.
Where there is no descent of name-and-form, there is no growth of formations.
Where there is no growth of formations, there is no future arising of rebirth.
Where there is no future arising of rebirth, there is no future arising of birth, aging, and death.
Where there is no future arising of birth, aging, and death, it is declared to be free from sorrow, from lamentation, from suffering.
If there is no attachment to sensory contact for sustenance...
If there is no attachment to intention for sustenance...
If consciousness feeds on no desires, no delight, and no craving, the consciousness is not established and does not grow.
Where consciousness is not established and does not grow, there is no descent of name-and-form.
Where there is no descent of name-and-form, there is no growth of formations.
Where there is no growth of formations, there is no future arising of rebirth.
Where there is no future arising of rebirth, there is no future arising of birth, aging, and death.
Where there is no future arising of birth, aging, and death, it is declared to be free from sorrow, from lamentation, from suffering.
Just as if the sun were to rise and its rays were to enter through the window of a spire or a pavilion from the north, south, east, or west:where would they find establishment?
In the western wall, venerable sir, he replied.
If there were no wall, where would it stand? the teacher asked.
On the earth, venerable sir, he answered.
If there were no earth, where would it stand?
In water, venerable sir, he replied.
If there were no water, where would it stand?
It would be ungrounded, venerable sir, he acknowledged.
In the same way if there is no desire, no delight, no craving in material food...
If there is no desire in contact as food...
If there is no desire in mental volition as food...
If there is no desire in consciousness as food, then consciousness is ungrounded, non-establishable.
Where consciousness is ungrounded, non-establishable, there is no descent of name-and-form.
Where there is no descent of name-and-form, there is no growth of formations.
Where there is no growth of formations, there is no future birth and becoming.
Where there is no future birth and becoming, there is no future birth, aging, and death.
Where there is no future birth, aging, and death, that is said to be sorrowless, sorrow-free, and painless I declare.