Acharanga Bhasyam: Sūtras 35-38 : The Purpose Of Monk's Nourishment

8.35 āhārovacayā dehā, parisaha-pabhaṃgurā.

The body is nourished by food and it is emaciated by hardships.

Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 35

How would he who has engaged himself in the practice of non-violence and non-possession be able to maintain his body? Moreover, our bodies are sustained by food - they are nourished by the suitable food, in the absence of which they decay. Again they are fragile on account of the hardships of hunger and thirst, that is, they become weak.

8.36 pāsahege savviṃdiehiṃ parigilāyamāṇehiṃ.

Look, for lack of food, some monks are deprived of the power of all the sense-organs.

Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 36

Look, some people are found deprived of their physical strength on account of the rotting of their sense-organs of hearing and the like, for lack of food. 'Eke' in the Sūtra indicates that this rule of emaciation is not applicable to all the monks. Some people, even though desisting from food, are found with their senseorgans intact, on account of the peculiarity of appropriation of food from nature.

8.37 oe dayaṃ dayai.

The monk, observing non-violence and non-possessiveness, cherishes compassion.

Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 37

A detached monk takes food for sustaining body as it is said - the monk should take only that much food which is sufficient for sustaining life.^[1] One should maintain this body for the destruction of karma bound in the past.^[2] Even then he bestows compassion on living beings, that is, he cherishes compassion.^[3]

8.38 je sannihāṇa-satthassa kheyaṇṇe.

The monk who knows the essence of the weapon of accumulation cherishes compassion.

Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 38

Only the ascetic who is cognizant of the weapon of acquisition^[4] avoids food polluted by the blemish of violence for the purpose of cherishing kindness.