Saṃyuktāgama (372), Part One

(1) Original text: 如是我闻。一时。佛住舍卫国祇树给孤独园。尔时。世尊告诸比丘。有四食资益众生。令得住世摄受长养。何等为四。一粗抟食。二细触食。三意思食。四识食。时有比丘名曰颇求那。住佛后扇佛。白佛言。世尊。谁食此识。佛告颇求那。我不言有食识者。我若言有食识者。汝应作是问。我说识是食。汝应问言。何因缘故有识食。我则答言。能招未来有。令相续生。有有故有六入处。六入处缘触。

Explanation: The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: There are four kinds of food that nourish and benefit sentient beings, enabling them to be sustained and to dwell in the world for a long time. What are these four kinds of food? The first is coarse edible food; the second is subtle contact-food; the third is deliberation-food of the mind consciousness and the manas; the fourth is the discerning food of the conscious mind. At that time, a bhikṣu named Phalguṇa stood behind the Buddha fanning Him, and said to the Buddha: World-Honored One, who takes this conscious mind as food? The Buddha told Phalguṇa: I did not say there is someone who takes consciousness as food. If I had said there is someone who takes consciousness as food, then you could ask in that way. What I said is that the conscious mind is also a kind of food that sustains sentient beings; you should ask in this way: By what causes and conditions does this food of consciousness exist? Then I would answer: The food of consciousness can attract future existence, enabling the existence of the three realms to arise continuously. Because there is existence in the three realms, there are the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition, contact arises.

Question: Why did the Buddha say there is no one who feeds on the seven consciousnesses? Or why did the Buddha say there is no one who takes the seven consciousnesses as food?

Original text: 颇求那复问。为谁触。佛告颇求那。我不言有触者。我若言有触者。汝应作是问。为谁触。汝应如是问。何因缘故生触。我应如是答。六入处缘触。触缘受。复问。为谁受。佛告颇求那。我不说有受者。我若言有受者。汝应问为谁受。汝应问言。何因缘故有受。我应如是答。触缘故有受。受缘爱。

Explanation: Phalguṇa asked again: Who is it that contacts? The Buddha told Phalguṇa: I did not say there is one who contacts. If I had said there is one who contacts, only then should you ask who it is that contacts. You should ask in this way: By what causes and conditions does contact arise? Then I would answer: Because there are the six sense bases as condition, contact arises; with contact as condition, feeling arises. Phalguṇa asked again: Who is it that feels? The Buddha told Phalguṇa: I did not say there is a person who feels. If I had said there is one who feels, only then should you ask who it is that feels. You should ask in this way: By what causes and conditions does feeling exist? Then I would answer: Because there is contact as condition, feeling arises; because of feeling, craving arises.

Question: Why is there no one who contacts? Why is there no one who feels? Why is there no one who craves? Why is there no one who grasps? Why is there no one who exists?