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neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arises. With the cessation of that very contact felt as neither painful nor pleasant, that feeling born of it, that neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arisen dependent on contact felt as neither painful nor pleasant, it ceases, it is appeased. Just as, monks, from the rubbing together and coming together of two pieces of wood, heat is born, fire is produced. With the separation and dispersal of those very two pieces of wood, that heat born of them, it ceases, it is appeased. In the same way, monks, dependent on contact felt as pleasant, pleasant feeling arises. With the cessation of that very contact felt as pleasant, that feeling born of it, that pleasant feeling arisen dependent on contact felt as pleasant, it ceases, it is appeased… dependent on contact felt as neither painful nor pleasant, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arises. With the cessation of that very contact felt as neither painful nor pleasant, that feeling born of it, that neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arisen dependent on contact felt as neither painful nor pleasant, It ceases, It is appeased. "Seeing thus, monks, a well-taught noble disciple becomes disenchanted with contact, becomes disenchanted with feeling, becomes disenchanted with perception, becomes disenchanted with volitional formations, becomes disenchanted with consciousness. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he is liberated. In the liberated state, the knowledge 'it is liberated' arises. 'Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being,' he understands." The Second. 3. The Discourse on the Simile of the Son's Flesh 63. In Sāvatthī... "These four, monks, are nutriments for the maintenance of beings who have come to be, or for the support of those seeking birth. Which four? Edible food, coarse or subtle, contact is the second, mental volition is the third, consciousness is the fourth. These four nutriments, monks, are for the maintenance of beings who have come to be, or for the support of those seeking birth." "And how, monks, should edible food be regarded? Just as, monks, a husband and wife, taking a small amount of provisions, might set out on a desert road. They would have one son, dear and beloved. Then, monks, for those two, the husband and wife, having gone into the desert, the small amount of provisions would come to an end, would be exhausted. And there would be for them a remaining part of the desert, not yet crossed. Then, monks, for those two, the husband and wife, it would occur thus: 'Indeed, our small amount of provisions has come to an end, has been exhausted. And there is this remaining part of the desert, not yet crossed. What if we were to kill this one son, dear and beloved, and make him into dried meat and jerky, eating the son's flesh, thus cross that remaining part of the desert, lest all three of us perish?' Then, monks, those two, the husband and wife, having killed that one son, dear and beloved, and made him into dried meat and jerky... having made their son's flesh, eating it, they would cross the remaining wilderness. They would eat their son's flesh, and beat their breasts, 'Where, my only son, where, my only son!' "What do you think, monks, would they eat that food for sport, or for indulgence, or for adornment, or for beautification?" "No, venerable sir." "Would they not, monks, eat that food only for the sake of crossing the wilderness?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Even so, monks, I say that solid food is to be seen. When solid food, monks, is fully understood, the craving for the five sense-pleasures is fully understood. When the craving for the five sense-pleasures is fully understood, there is no bond by which an noble disciple, bound by that bond, would come back to this world again. "And how, monks, is contact-food to be seen? Just as, monks, a skinless cow might stand leaning against a wall. The creatures living on the wall would eat it. If it stood leaning against a tree, the creatures living on the tree would eat it. If it stood leaning against water, the creatures living in the water would eat it. If it stood leaning against the air, the creatures living in the air would eat it. Wherever that skinless cow, monks, might stand leaning, the creatures living there would eat it. Even so, monks, I say that 'contact-food is to be seen.' When contact-food, monks, is fully understood, the three feelings are fully understood. When the three feelings are fully understood, I say that there is nothing further for the noble disciple to do. "And how, monks, is mental volition-food to be seen? Just as, monks, a pit of glowing coals, more than a man's height, full of glowing coals." of embers, with the flames gone, with the smoke gone. Then a man might come, desiring to live, not desiring to die, desiring happiness, averse to suffering. Him, two strong men, seizing by both arms, would drag towards that pit of embers. Then, monks, for that man, his intention would be far off, his aspiration far off, his resolve far off. For what reason? For thus, monks, it would be for that man: ‘If I fall into this pit of embers, from that cause I will meet death or suffering like death.’ Just so, monks, I say ‘mental volition as nutriment should be seen.’ With mental volition as nutriment fully understood, monks, the three cravings are fully understood. With the three cravings fully understood, for the noble disciple there is nothing further to be done, I say. And how, monks, should consciousness as nutriment be seen? Just as, monks, having seized a criminal thief, they would show him to the king: ‘This, sire, is your criminal thief; inflict upon him whatever punishment you wish.’ Then the king would say thus: ‘Go, sirs, this man, in the forenoon, strike him with a hundred spears.’ Him, in the forenoon, they would strike with a hundred spears. Then the king, at midday, would say thus: ‘Sirs, how is that man?’ ‘He is still alive, sire.’ Then the king would say thus: ‘Go, sirs, that man, at midday, strike him with a hundred spears.’ Him, at midday, they would strike with a hundred spears. Then the king, in the evening, would say thus: ‘Sirs, how is that man?’ ‘He is still alive, sire.’ Then the king would say thus: ‘Go, sirs, that man, in the evening, strike him with a hundred spears.’ Him, in the evening, they would strike with a hundred spears. What do you think, monks, would that man, throughout the day, being struck with three hundred spears, from that cause experience suffering and distress? Even one, venerable sir, struck by a spear, would experience pain and sorrow because of that; what then of one struck by three hundred spears! Just so, bhikkhus, I say that consciousness is to be seen as food. When consciousness, bhikkhus, as food, is fully understood, name-and-form is fully understood. When name-and-form is fully understood, for the noble disciple there is nothing further to be done, I say. The Third. 4. Discourse on Having Lust 64. Residing at Savatthi… (as before) … Bhikkhus, there are these four foods for the maintenance of beings that have come to be or for the support of those seeking birth. Which four? Physical food, coarse or subtle, contact is the second, mental volition is the third, consciousness is the fourth. These, bhikkhus, are the four foods for the maintenance of beings that have come to be or for the support of those seeking birth. If, bhikkhus, in physical food there is lust, there is delight, there is craving, consciousness is established there, it grows. Where consciousness is established, it grows, there is a descent of name-and-form. Where there is a descent of name-and-form, there is a growth of volitional formations. Where there is a growth of volitional formations, there is future renewed existence. Where there is future renewed existence, there is future birth, aging, and death. Where there is future birth, aging, and death, that, bhikkhus, I say, is accompanied by sorrow, by agony, by despair. If, bhikkhus, in contact as food… (as before) … in mental volition as food… in consciousness as food, there is lust, there is delight, there is craving, consciousness is established there, it grows. Where consciousness is established, it grows, there is a descent of name-and-form. Where there is a descent of name-and-form, there is a growth of volitional formations. Where there is a growth of volitional formations, there is future renewed existence. Where there is future renewed existence… future rebirth, there is future birth, aging, and death there. Where there is future birth, aging, and death, that, bhikkhus, I say is sorrowful, with anguish, with despair. Just as, bhikkhus, a dyer or a painter, having dyes or lac or turmeric or indigo or crimson, on a well-polished board or a wall or a piece of cloth, might create a woman's form or a man's form, complete with all its limbs and minor parts; even so, bhikkhus, if in edible food there is passion, there is delight, there is craving, consciousness is established there, grown. Where consciousness is established, grown, 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 future rebirth. Where there is future rebirth, there is future birth, aging, and death. Where there is future birth, aging, and death, that, bhikkhus, I say is sorrowful, with anguish, with despair. If in the food of contact, bhikkhus... ...if in the food of mental volition, bhikkhus... ...if in the food of consciousness, bhikkhus, there is passion, there is delight, there is craving, consciousness is established there, grown. Where consciousness is established, grown, 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,