SN12.64 — Atthirāgasutta
Dwelling at Sāvatthi.
Disciples, there are these four nutriments for the maintenance of beings that have come to be and for the support of those seeking to be.
What four?
Physical food as coarse or fine, second is contact, third is mental volition, and fourth is consciousness.
These are the four nutriments for the maintenance of beings that have come to be and for the support of those seeking to be.
If there is lust, delight, and craving for the physical food, 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 there is the growth of formations, there is the future rebirth.
Where there is the future rebirth, there is future birth, aging, and death.
Where there is future birth, aging, and death I declare that to be with sorrow, with lamentation, with pain.
Similarly just as a painter or a painter's apprentice might create the figure of a woman or a man, complete in all its features, on a wall or on a canvas, so too, if there is lust, delight, and craving for physical food, 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 there is the growth of formations, there is the future rebirth.
Where there is the future rebirth, there is future birth, aging, and death.
Where there is future birth, aging, and death I declare that to be with sorrow, with lamentation, with pain.
If for the physical food, there is no lust, no delight, no craving, consciousness is not established there 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 rebirth.
Where there is no future rebirth, there is no future birth, aging, and death.
Where there is no future birth, aging, and death I declare that to be without sorrow, without lamentation, without pain.
Just as in a gabled house or a gabled hall with windows on the northern, southern, or eastern side, when the sun rises, the beams enter through the window and light up the interior, similarly, if for the physical food, there is no lust, no delight, no craving, consciousness is not established there 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 rebirth.
Where there is no future rebirth, there is no future birth, aging, and death.
Where there is no future birth, aging, and death I declare that to be without sorrow, without lamentation, without pain.
Where would it stand?
On the western wall, venerable sir.
If there were no western wall, where would it stand?
On the earth, venerable sir.
If there were no earth, where would it stand?
In water, venerable sir.
If there were no water, where would it stand?
It would not stand anywhere, venerable sir.
Just so if in the case of food there is no passion, no delight, no craving...
If in the case of contact...
If in the case of mental volition...
If in the case of consciousness there is no passion, no delight, no craving, consciousness is not established, 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 rebirth.
Where there is no future rebirth, there is no future birth, aging, and death.
Where there is no future birth, aging, and death, I say there is no sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair.