{"id":"sn12.63","title":"A Child’s Flesh","languageCodes":["en","pi"],"languageNotes":{"en":"Bhikkhu Sujato · CC0","pi":"Mahāsaṅgīti edition · SuttaCentral"},"chapters":[{"id":"sn12.63","title":"A Child’s Flesh","units":[{"id":"sn12.63:0","sourceIds":["sn12.63:0.1","sn12.63:0.2","sn12.63:0.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.63\n7. Mahāvagga\nPuttamaṁsasutta","en":"Linked Discourses 12.63\n7. The Great Chapter\nA Child’s Flesh"}},{"id":"sn12.63:1","sourceIds":["sn12.63:1.1","sn12.63:1.2","sn12.63:1.3","sn12.63:1.4","sn12.63:1.5"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Sāvatthiyaṁ …\n“cattārome, bhikkhave, āhārā bhūtānaṁ vā sattānaṁ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṁ vā anuggahāya.\nKatame cattāro?\nKabaḷīkāro āhāro oḷāriko vā sukhumo vā, phasso dutiyo, manosañcetanā tatiyā, viññāṇaṁ catutthaṁ.\nIme kho, bhikkhave, cattāro āhārā bhūtānaṁ vā sattānaṁ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṁ vā anuggahāya.","en":"At Sāvatthī.\n“Mendicants, these four fuels maintain sentient beings that have been born and help those about to be born.\nWhat four?\nEdible food, whether solid or subtle; contact is the second, mental intention the third, and consciousness the fourth.\nThese are the four fuels that maintain sentient beings that have been born and help those about to be born."}},{"id":"sn12.63:2","sourceIds":["sn12.63:2.1","sn12.63:2.2","sn12.63:2.3","sn12.63:2.4","sn12.63:2.5","sn12.63:2.6","sn12.63:2.7","sn12.63:2.8","sn12.63:2.9","sn12.63:2.10","sn12.63:2.11","sn12.63:2.12"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, kabaḷīkāro āhāro daṭṭhabbo?\nSeyyathāpi, bhikkhave, dve jāyampatikā parittaṁ sambalaṁ ādāya kantāramaggaṁ paṭipajjeyyuṁ.\nTesamassa ekaputtako piyo manāpo.\nAtha kho tesaṁ, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ jāyampatikānaṁ kantāragatānaṁ yā parittā sambalamattā, sā parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya.\nSiyā ca nesaṁ kantārāvaseso anatiṇṇo.\nAtha kho tesaṁ, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ jāyampatikānaṁ evamassa:\n‘amhākaṁ kho yā parittā sambalamattā sā parikkhīṇā pariyādiṇṇā.\nAtthi cāyaṁ kantārāvaseso anittiṇṇo.\nYannūna mayaṁ imaṁ ekaputtakaṁ piyaṁ manāpaṁ vadhitvā vallūrañca soṇḍikañca karitvā puttamaṁsāni khādantā evaṁ taṁ kantārāvasesaṁ nitthareyyāma, mā sabbeva tayo vinassimhā’ti.\nAtha kho te, bhikkhave, dve jāyampatikā taṁ ekaputtakaṁ piyaṁ manāpaṁ vadhitvā vallūrañca soṇḍikañca karitvā puttamaṁsāni khādantā evaṁ taṁ kantārāvasesaṁ nitthareyyuṁ.\nTe puttamaṁsāni ceva khādeyyuṁ, ure ca paṭipiseyyuṁ:\n‘kahaṁ, ekaputtaka, kahaṁ, ekaputtakā’ti.","en":"And how should you regard edible food?\nSuppose a couple who were husband and wife set out to cross a desert, taking limited supplies.\nThey had an only child, dear and beloved.\nAs the couple were crossing the desert their limited quantity of supplies would run out,\nand they’d still have the rest of the desert to cross.\nThen it would occur to that couple:\n‘Our limited quantity of supplies has run out,\nand we still have the rest of the desert to cross.\nWhy 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.’\nThen 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.\nAnd as they’d eat their child’s flesh, they’d beat their breasts and cry:\n‘Where are you, our only child? Where are you, our only child?’"}},{"id":"sn12.63:3","sourceIds":["sn12.63:3.1","sn12.63:3.2","sn12.63:3.3","sn12.63:3.4","sn12.63:3.5","sn12.63:3.6","sn12.63:3.7","sn12.63:3.8"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,\napi nu te davāya vā āhāraṁ āhāreyyuṁ, madāya vā āhāraṁ āhāreyyuṁ, maṇḍanāya vā āhāraṁ āhāreyyuṁ, vibhūsanāya vā āhāraṁ āhāreyyun”ti?\n“No hetaṁ, bhante”.\n“Nanu te, bhikkhave, yāvadeva kantārassa nittharaṇatthāya āhāraṁ āhāreyyun”ti?\n“Evaṁ, bhante”.\n“‘Evameva khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, kabaḷīkāro āhāro daṭṭhabbo’ti vadāmi.\nKabaḷīkāre, bhikkhave, āhāre pariññāte pañca kāmaguṇiko rāgo pariññāto hoti.\nPañca kāmaguṇike rāge pariññāte natthi taṁ saṁyojanaṁ yena saṁyojanena saṁyutto ariyasāvako puna imaṁ lokaṁ āgaccheyya.","en":"What do you think, mendicants?\nWould they eat that food for fun, indulgence, adornment, or decoration?”\n“No, sir.”\n“Wouldn’t they eat that food just so they could make it across the desert?”\n“Yes, sir.”\n“I say that this is how you should regard edible food.\nWhen edible food is completely understood, desire for the five kinds of sensual stimulation is completely understood.\nWhen 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."}},{"id":"sn12.63:4","sourceIds":["sn12.63:4.1","sn12.63:4.2","sn12.63:4.3","sn12.63:4.4","sn12.63:4.5","sn12.63:4.6","sn12.63:4.7","sn12.63:4.8","sn12.63:4.9"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, phassāhāro daṭṭhabbo?\nSeyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gāvī niccammā kuṭṭañce nissāya tiṭṭheyya. Ye kuṭṭanissitā pāṇā te naṁ khādeyyuṁ.\nRukkhañce nissāya tiṭṭheyya, ye rukkhanissitā pāṇā te naṁ khādeyyuṁ.\nUdakañce nissāya tiṭṭheyya, ye udakanissitā pāṇā te naṁ khādeyyuṁ.\nĀkāsañce nissāya tiṭṭheyya, ye ākāsanissitā pāṇā te naṁ khādeyyuṁ.\nYaṁ yadeva hi sā, bhikkhave, gāvī niccammā nissāya tiṭṭheyya, ye tannissitā pāṇā te naṁ khādeyyuṁ.\nEvameva khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘phassāhāro daṭṭhabbo’ti vadāmi.\nPhasse, bhikkhave, āhāre pariññāte tisso vedanā pariññātā honti.\nTīsu vedanāsu pariññātāsu ariyasāvakassa natthi kiñci uttarikaraṇīyanti vadāmi.","en":"And how should you regard contact as fuel?\nSuppose there was a flayed cow. If she stands by a wall, the creatures on the wall bite her.\nIf she stands under a tree, the creatures in the tree bite her.\nIf she stands in some water, the creatures in the water bite her.\nIf she stands in the open, the creatures in the open bite her.\nWherever that flayed cow stands, the creatures there would bite her.\nI say that this is how you should regard contact as fuel.\nWhen contact as fuel is completely understood, the three feelings are completely understood.\nWhen the three feelings are completely understood, a noble disciple has nothing further to do, I say."}},{"id":"sn12.63:5","sourceIds":["sn12.63:5.1","sn12.63:5.2","sn12.63:5.3","sn12.63:5.4","sn12.63:5.5","sn12.63:5.6","sn12.63:5.7","sn12.63:5.8","sn12.63:5.9","sn12.63:5.10","sn12.63:5.11"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, manosañcetanāhāro daṭṭhabbo?\nSeyyathāpi, bhikkhave, aṅgārakāsu sādhikaporisā puṇṇā aṅgārānaṁ vītaccikānaṁ vītadhūmānaṁ.\nAtha puriso āgaccheyya jīvitukāmo amaritukāmo sukhakāmo dukkhappaṭikūlo.\nTamenaṁ dve balavanto purisā nānābāhāsu gahetvā taṁ aṅgārakāsuṁ upakaḍḍheyyuṁ.\nAtha kho, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa ārakāvassa cetanā ārakā patthanā ārakā paṇidhi.\nTaṁ kissa hetu?\nEvañhi, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa hoti:\n‘imañcāhaṁ aṅgārakāsuṁ papatissāmi, tatonidānaṁ maraṇaṁ vā nigacchāmi maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhan’ti.\nEvameva khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘manosañcetanāhāro daṭṭhabbo’ti vadāmi.\nManosañcetanāya, bhikkhave, āhāre pariññāte tisso taṇhā pariññātā honti.\nTīsu taṇhāsu pariññātāsu ariyasāvakassa natthi kiñci uttarikaraṇīyanti vadāmi.","en":"And how should you regard mental intention as fuel?\nSuppose there was a pit of glowing coals deeper than a man’s height, filled with glowing coals that neither flamed nor smoked.\nThen a person would come along who wants to live and doesn’t want to die, who wants to be happy and recoils from pain.\nTwo strong men would grab them by the arms and drag them toward the pit of glowing coals.\nThen that person’s intention, aim, and wish would be to get far away.\nWhy is that?\nBecause that person would think:\n‘If I fall in that pit of glowing coals, that will result in my death or deadly pain.’\nI say that this is how you should regard mental intention as fuel.\nWhen mental intention as fuel is completely understood, the three cravings are completely understood.\nWhen the three cravings are completely understood, a noble disciple has nothing further to do, I say."}},{"id":"sn12.63:6","sourceIds":["sn12.63:6.1","sn12.63:6.2","sn12.63:6.3","sn12.63:6.4","sn12.63:6.5","sn12.63:6.6","sn12.63:6.7","sn12.63:6.8","sn12.63:6.9","sn12.63:6.10","sn12.63:6.11","sn12.63:6.12","sn12.63:6.13","sn12.63:6.14","sn12.63:6.15","sn12.63:6.16","sn12.63:6.17","sn12.63:6.18","sn12.63:6.19","sn12.63:6.20","sn12.63:6.21","sn12.63:6.22","sn12.63:6.23","sn12.63:6.24","sn12.63:6.25"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, viññāṇāhāro daṭṭhabbo?\nSeyyathāpi, bhikkhave, coraṁ āgucāriṁ gahetvā rañño dasseyyuṁ:\n‘ayaṁ te, deva, coro āgucārī, imassa yaṁ icchasi taṁ daṇḍaṁ paṇehī’ti.\nTamenaṁ rājā evaṁ vadeyya:\n‘gacchatha, bho, imaṁ purisaṁ pubbaṇhasamayaṁ sattisatena hanathā’ti.\nTamenaṁ pubbaṇhasamayaṁ sattisatena haneyyuṁ.\nAtha rājā majjhanhikasamayaṁ evaṁ vadeyya:\n‘ambho, kathaṁ so puriso’ti?\n‘Tatheva, deva, jīvatī’ti.\nTamenaṁ rājā evaṁ vadeyya:\n‘gacchatha, bho, taṁ purisaṁ majjhanhikasamayaṁ sattisatena hanathā’ti.\nTamenaṁ majjhanhikasamayaṁ sattisatena haneyyuṁ.\nAtha rājā sāyanhasamayaṁ evaṁ vadeyya:\n‘ambho, kathaṁ so puriso’ti?\n‘Tatheva, deva, jīvatī’ti.\nTamenaṁ rājā evaṁ vadeyya:\n‘gacchatha, bho, taṁ purisaṁ sāyanhasamayaṁ sattisatena hanathā’ti.\nTamenaṁ sāyanhasamayaṁ sattisatena haneyyuṁ.\nTaṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,\napi nu so puriso divasaṁ tīhi sattisatehi haññamāno tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvediyethā”ti?\n“Ekissāpi, bhante, sattiyā haññamāno tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvediyetha;\nko pana vādo tīhi sattisatehi haññamāno”ti.\n“Evameva khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, viññāṇāhāro daṭṭhabboti vadāmi.\nViññāṇe, bhikkhave, āhāre pariññāte nāmarūpaṁ pariññātaṁ hoti, nāmarūpe pariññāte ariyasāvakassa natthi kiñci uttarikaraṇīyanti vadāmī”ti.\nTatiyaṁ.","en":"And how should you regard consciousness as fuel?\nSuppose they were to arrest a bandit, a criminal and present him to the king, saying:\n‘Your Majesty, this is a bandit, a criminal. Punish him as you will.’\nThe king would say:\n‘Go, my men, and strike this man in the morning with a hundred spears!’\nThe king’s men did as they were told.\nThen at midday the king would say:\n‘Look here, how is that man?’\n‘He’s still alive, Your Majesty.’\nThe king would say:\n‘Go, my men, and strike this man in the middle of the day with a hundred spears!’\nThe king’s men did as they were told.\nThen late in the afternoon the king would say:\n‘Look here, how is that man?’\n‘He’s still alive, Your Majesty.’\nThe king would say:\n‘Go, my men, and strike this man in the late afternoon with a hundred spears!’\nThe king’s men did as they were told.\nWhat do you think, mendicants?\nWould that man experience pain and distress from being struck with three hundred spears a day?”\n“Sir, that man would experience pain and distress from being struck with one spear,\nlet alone three hundred spears!”\n“I say that this is how you should regard consciousness as fuel.\nWhen consciousness as fuel is completely understood, name and form are completely understood. When name and form are completely understood, a noble disciple has nothing further to do, I say.”"}}]}],"sourceRevision":"afdafa92450cfe7573b280da50382888323666d2","sourceUrl":"https://suttacentral.net/sn12.63/en/sujato","licence":"CC0 1.0","licenceUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/","editionNote":"Full supplied source file; inherited abbreviations are preserved. Not a reconstructed expansion of every repetition. No Malay or Mandarin translation is implied."}