Give a very hungry man some poison and he will eat it with relish and gratitude to his own detriment. Give a man who is just hungry and has some discernment some food and he will have all the time in the world to investigate the food and the almsgiver before putting it in his mouth. A man who is content feels no hunger; he is liberated for he cannot be poisoned either from within or without.

'Ahara' -- what you put in our mouth -- not only nourishes but also poisons. It not only gives life but also takes that away. The human situation is very fragile and gets more so if one lets go of wise discrimination.

Mind that judges right liberates. Mind that judges wrong walks straight in to the trap.

/r/zen cannot judge right -- and it has continued to remain so -- because it craves stimulation and is too hungry to look at the food it has been served.

The path of hunger is loss of knowledge and painful death. The path of patriarchs is limitless Wisdom and Compassion nourished by contentment and joy.