What is the relationship between Āhāra and the arising of Dukkha?

Abstract

According to the interpretation of “Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition” Food is defined as a basic prerequisite for human survival and also for social and economic welfare and progress. Although, modern intention of Food is taken a comprehensive attention with regard to the sustaining of a life, it is obvious fact that there could be found very different attitude of Āhāra or Nutriment in Buddhism. Indeed, in the Buddhist exposition of Food has not been imparted a mere clarification or classification, which provides a message regard of the important point of our life in combining with arising of the Personation suffering and Societal suffering of beings. Buddhism has distinguished four kinds of Āhāra or Nutriments not only in Āhāra Sutta of the Sanyutta Nikāya but also in other number of suttas of the Buddhist Canon. Those Nutriments are explained namely ‘Nutriment of edible (Kabaḷīkāro), Nutriment of contact (Phasso), Nutriment of mental volition (Manosañcetanā) and Nutriment of consciousness (Viññāṇaṃ). According to the sutta, these Four Nutriments are arisen as a result of arising Tañha (craving). Which means that, Nutriments are apparently conduced to the being for becoming to the existence. Further, the Sutta description indicates that, Āhāra or nutriment as another effective clarification of the origin of Dukkha preached by the Lord Buddha. Further, when it comes to the Abhidhamma definitions and commentary reading of the sutta has effectively been discussed more of considerable details. On the other hand, Ven. Walpola Rahula has suggestively mentioned that, out of these four kinds of Āhāra, the Āhāra of Mental Volition (manosañcetanā) can be compared with the concept of ‘Libido’ in western psychology which exposed by Sigman Freud. When considering these facts, the research will totally be dedicated to find out the interaction between Āhāra and Dukkha Samudaya based on the Āhāra Sutta of Sanyutta Nikāya.