sn.12.63 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Son’s Flesh

At Savatthi. “Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of nutriment for the maintenance of beings that have already come to be and for the assistance of those about to come to be. What four? The nutriment edible food, gross or subtle; second, contact; third, mental volition; fourth, consciousness. These are the four kinds of nutriment for the maintenance of beings that have already come to be and for the assistance of those about to come to be.

“And how, bhikkhus, should the nutriment edible food be seen? Suppose a couple, husband and wife, had taken limited provisions and were travelling through a desert. They have with them their only son, dear and beloved. Then, in the middle of the desert, their limited provisions would be used up and exhausted, while the rest of the desert remains to be crossed. The husband and wife would think: ‘Our limited provisions have been used up and exhausted, while the rest of this desert remains to be crossed. Let us kill our only son, dear and beloved, and prepare dried and spiced meat. By eating our son’s flesh we can cross the rest of this desert. Let not all three of us perish!’

“Then, bhikkhus, the husband and wife would kill their only son, dear and beloved, prepare dried and spiced meat, and by eating their son’s flesh they would cross the rest of the desert. While they are eating their son’s flesh, they would beat their breasts and cry: ‘Where are you, our only son? Where are you, our only son?’

“What do you think, bhikkhus? Would they eat that food for amusement or for enjoyment or for the sake of physical beauty and attractiveness?”

“No, venerable sir.”

“Wouldn’t they eat that food only for the sake of crossing the desert?”

“Yes, venerable sir.”

“It is in such a way, bhikkhus, that I say the nutriment edible food should be seen. When the nutriment edible food is fully understood, lust for the five cords of sensual pleasure is fully understood. When lust for the five cords of sensual pleasure is fully understood, there is no fetter bound by which a noble disciple might come back again to this world.

“And how, bhikkhus, should the nutriment contact be seen? Suppose there is a flayed cow. If she stands exposed to a wall, the creatures dwelling in the wall would nibble at her. If she stands exposed to a tree, the creatures dwelling in the tree would nibble at her. If she stands exposed to water, the creatures dwelling in the water would nibble at her. If she stands exposed to the open air, the creatures dwelling in the open air would nibble at her. Whatever that flayed cow stands exposed to, the creatures dwelling there would nibble at her.

“It is in such a way, bhikkhus, that I say the nutriment contact should be seen. When the nutriment contact is fully understood, the three kinds of feeling are fully understood. When the three kinds of feeling are fully understood, I say, there is nothing further that a noble disciple needs to do.

“And how, bhikkhus, should the nutriment mental volition be seen? Suppose there is a charcoal pit deeper than a man’s height, filled with glowing coals without flame or smoke. A man would come along wanting to live, not wanting to die, desiring happiness and averse to suffering. Then two strong men would grab him by both arms and drag him towards the charcoal pit. The man’s volition would be to get far away, his longing would be to get far away, his wish would be to get far away from the charcoal pit. For what reason? Because he knows: ‘I will fall into this charcoal pit and on that account I will meet death or deadly suffering.’

“It is in such a way, bhikkhus, that I say the nutriment mental volition should be seen. When the nutriment mental volition is fully understood, the three kinds of craving are fully understood. When the three kinds of craving are fully understood, I say, there is nothing further that a noble disciple needs to do.

“And how, bhikkhus, should the nutriment consciousness be seen? Suppose they were to arrest a bandit, a criminal, and bring him before the king, saying: ‘Sire, this man is a bandit, a criminal. Impose on him whatever punishment you wish.’ The king says to them: ‘Go, men, in the morning strike this man with a hundred spears.’ In the morning they strike him with a hundred spears. Then at noon the king asks: ‘Men, how’s that man?’–‘Still alive, sire.’–‘Then go, and at noon strike him with a hundred spears.’ At noon they strike him with a hundred spears. Then in the evening the king asks: ‘Men, how’s that man?’–‘Still alive, sire.’ –‘Then go, and in the evening strike him with a hundred spears.’ In the evening they strike him with a hundred spears.

“What do you think, bhikkhus? Would that man, being struck with three hundred spears, experience pain and displeasure on that account?”

“Venerable sir, even if he were struck with one spear he would experience pain and displeasure on that account, not to speak of three hundred spears.”

“It is in such a way, bhikkhus, that I say the nutriment consciousness should be seen. When the nutriment consciousness is fully understood, name-and-form is fully understood. When name-and-form is fully understood, I say, there is nothing further that a noble disciple needs to do.”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

A Child’s Flesh

At Sāvatthī.
“Mendicants, there are these four fuels. They maintain sentient beings that have been born and help those that are about to be born.
What four?
Solid food, whether coarse or fine; contact is the second, mental intention the third, and consciousness the fourth.
These are the four fuels that maintain sentient beings that have been born and help those that are about to be born.
And how should you regard solid food?
Suppose a couple who were husband and wife set out to cross a desert, taking limited supplies.
They had an only child, dear and beloved.
As the couple were crossing the desert their limited quantity of supplies would run out,
and they’d still have the rest of the desert to cross.
Then it would occur to that couple:
‘Our limited quantity of supplies has run out,
and we still have the rest of the desert to cross.
Why don’t we kill our only child, so dear and beloved, and prepare dried and spiced meat? Then we can make it across the desert by eating our child’s flesh. Let not all three perish.’
Then that couple would kill their only child, so dear and beloved, and prepare dried and spiced meat. They’d make it across the desert by eating their child’s flesh.
And as they’d eat their child’s flesh, they’d beat their breasts and cry:
‘Where are you, our only child? Where are you, our only child?’
What do you think, mendicants?
Would they eat that food for fun, indulgence, adornment, or decoration?”
“No, sir.”
“Wouldn’t they eat that food just so they could make it across the desert?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I say that this is how you should regard solid food.
When solid food is completely understood, desire for the five kinds of sensual stimulation is completely understood.
When desire for the five kinds of sensual stimulation is completely understood, a noble disciple is bound by no fetter that might return them again to this world.
And how should you regard contact as fuel?
Suppose there was a flayed cow. If she stands by a wall, the creatures on the wall bite her.
If she stands under a tree, the creatures in the tree bite her.
If she stands in some water, the creatures in the water bite her.
If she stands in the open, the creatures in the open bite her.
Wherever that flayed cow stands, the creatures there would bite her.
I say that this is how you should regard contact as fuel.
When contact as fuel is completely understood, the three feelings are completely understood.
When the three feelings are completely understood, a noble disciple has nothing further to do, I say.
And how should you regard mental intention as fuel?
Suppose there was a pit of glowing coals deeper than a man’s height, filled with glowing coals that neither flamed nor smoked.
Then a person would come along who wants to live and doesn’t want to die, who wants to be happy and recoils from pain.
Then two strong men would grab them by the arms and drag them towards the pit of glowing coals.
Then that person’s intention, aim, and wish would be to get far away.
Why is that?
Because that person would think:
‘If I fall in that pit of glowing coals, that will result in my death or deadly pain.’
I say that this is how you should regard mental intention as fuel.
When mental intention as fuel is completely understood, the three cravings are completely understood.
When the three cravings are completely understood, a noble disciple has nothing further to do, I say.
And how should you regard consciousness as fuel?
Suppose they were to arrest a bandit, a criminal and present him to the king, saying:
‘Your Majesty, this is a bandit, a criminal. Punish him as you will.’
The king would say:
‘Go, my men, and strike this man in the morning with a hundred spears!’
The king’s men did as they were told.
Then at midday the king would say:
‘My men, how is that man?’
‘He’s still alive, Your Majesty.’
The king would say:
‘Go, my men, and strike this man in the middle of the day with a hundred spears!’
The king’s men did as they were told.
Then late in the afternoon the king would say:
‘My men, how is that man?’
‘He’s still alive, Your Majesty.’
The king would say:
‘Go, my men, and strike this man in the late afternoon with a hundred spears!’
The king’s men did as they were told.
What do you think, mendicants?
Would that man experience pain and distress from being struck with three hundred spears a day?”
“Sir, that man would experience pain and distress from being struck with one spear,
let alone three hundred spears!”
“I say that this is how you should regard consciousness as fuel.
When consciousness as fuel is completely understood, name and form is completely understood. When name and form are completely understood, a noble disciple has nothing further to do, I say.”