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9.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question: "But,
friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is one of right
view... and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
10.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands nutriment, the origin of
nutriment, the cessation of nutriment, and the way leading to the cessation of
nutriment, in that way he is one of right view... and has arrived at this true
Dhamma.
11.
"And what is nutriment, what is the origin of nutriment, what is the
cessation of nutriment, what is the way leading to the cessation of nutriment?
There are these four kinds of nutriment for the maintenance of beings that
already have come to be and for the support of those seeking a new existence.
What four? They are physical food as nutriment, gross or subtle; contact as the
second; mental volition as the third; and consciousness as the fourth. With the
arising of craving there is the arising of nutriment. With the cessation of
craving there is the cessation of nutriment. The way leading to the cessation
of nutriment is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right
intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness and right concentration.
12.
"When a noble disciple has thus understood nutriment, the origin of
nutriment, the cessation of nutriment, and the way leading to the cessation of
nutriment, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to greed, he abolishes
the underlying tendency to aversion, he extirpates the underlying tendency to
the view and conceit 'I am,' and by abandoning ignorance and arousing true
knowledge he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view, whose view is straight, who has perfect
confidence in the Dhamma and has arrived at this true Dhamma."
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