(118) Behold, in Flesh, the astringent, sour, and bitter Quality is predominant; and in the Fat, the Sweetness is chief and predominant; therefore fat Creatures are always merrier and frolicker than the lean, because the sweet Spirit flows more abundantly in them than in the lean.

(7) Then he eats with the following Rik verse at every foot: 'We choose that food'--here he swallows--'Of the divine Savitri (prâna)'--here he swallows--'The best and all-supporting food'--here he swallows--'We meditate on the speed of Bhaga (Savitri, prâna)'--here he drinks all.

(4) But what is the solid food and what the liquid? For the Good Wisdom is celebrated as at once bestowing and providing these. I suppose then, that the solid food is suggestive of the intellectual and abiding perfection and sameness, within which, things Divine are participated as a stable, and strong, and unifying, and indivisible knowledge, by those contemplating organs of sense, by which the most Divine Paul, after partaking of wisdom, imparts his really solid nourishment; but that the liquid is suggestive of the stream, at once flowing through and to all; eager to advance, and further conducting those who are properly nourished as to goodness, through things variegated and many and divided, to the simple and invariable knowledge of God. Wherefore the divine and spiritually perceived Oracles are likened to dew, and water, and to milk, and wine, and honey; on account of their life-producing power, as in water; and growth-giving, as in milk; and reviving, as in wine; and both purifying and preserving, as in honey. For these things, the Divine Wisdom gives to those approaching it, and furnishes and fills to overflowing, a stream of ungrudging and unfailing good cheer. This, then, is the veritable good cheer; and, on this account, it is celebrated, as at once life-giving and nourishing and perfecting.

(119) For the Light of Nature, which is the Spirit of Life, shines more in them than in the lean: For in that Light in the sweet Quality stands the Triumphing or the Joy, for the astringent, or harsh, and bitter Quality triumph therein, for they rejoice that they are refreshed, fed, given to drink, and enlightened from the sweet and light Quality.

(34) The Sweet Quality is set opposite to the Bitter, and is a gracious pleasant Quality, a refreshing of Life, an allaying of Fierceness, it makes all pleasant and friendly in every Creature, it makes the Vegetables of the Earth fragrant and of good Taste, affording fair, yellow, white, and ruddy Colours.

(159) That friendly courteous Love-Light-Fire goes along in the sweet Quality, and rises up into the bitter and astringent Quality, and so kindles it, feeding them with its sweet Love-sap, refreshing, quickening, and enlightening them, and making them living, or lively, chearful, and friendly.

(38) The Sour Quality is set opposite to the Bitter and Sweet, and is a good Temper to all, a refreshing and cooling when the bitter and sweet Qualities are elevated too much; it is a longing Delight in the Taste, a Pleasure of Life, a stirring, boiling, flowing Joy in every Thing; a Desire, Longing, and Lust of Joyfulness, a still Joy or Habitation of the Spirit; thus it is a Temperature to all living and moving Creatures.

(2) 'And through their satisfaction he (the sacrificer or eater) himself is satisfied with offspring, cattle, health, brightness, and Vedic splendour.

(48) Those Fruits are not of dead, hard, bitter, sour, and astringent a Relish for Food; nor do they rot and grow stinking, as those in this World do, but all consist in holy Divine Power.

(2) When a man eats, drinks, and enjoys pleasures, he does it with the Upasadas (the sacrificial days on which the sacrificer is allowed to partake of food).

(3) When a man laughs, eats, and delights himself, he does it with the Stuta-sastras (hymns sung and recited at the sacrifices).

(204) Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the best riches; trust is the best of relationships, Nirvâna the highest happiness.

(1) 'Food (anna) is better than power. Therefore if a man abstain from food for ten days, though he live, he would be unable to see, hear, perceive, think, act, and understand. But when he obtains food, he is able to see, hear, perceive, think, act, and understand. Meditate on food.

(18) Then that bowl of food satiated all the assembly, yet remained as before not in the least impaired in quantity. All those Bodhisattvas, Sravakas and deities who ate of this food were gratified in body and felt happy just as did those Bodhisattvas of the world called Sarvasukhamandita; and from all the pores of their skin an excellent fragrance issued forth which was as that from the trees in the world known as Sarvagandhasugandha.

(333) Pleasant is virtue lasting to old age, pleasant is a faith firmly rooted; pleasant is attainment of intelligence, pleasant is avoiding of sins.

(33) By sympathy with the happy, compassion for the sorrowful, delight in the holy, disregard of the unholy, the psychic nature moves to gracious peace.

(2) 'He who meditates on food as Brahman, obtains the worlds rich in food and drink; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as food reaches--he who meditates on food as Brahman.' 'Sir, is there something better than food 'Yes, there is something better than food.' 'Sir, tell it me.'

(24) They are of several Tastes, each according to its Quality and Kind, very Holy, Divine, and full of Joy.

(5) 'Om, let us eat! Om, let us drink! Om, may the divine Varuna, Pragâpati, Savitri bring us food! Lord of food, bring hither food, bring it, Om!'

(2) 'If Prâna is satisfied, the eye is satisfied, if the eye is satisfied, the sun is satisfied, if the sun is satisfied, heaven is satisfied, if heaven is satisfied, whatever is under heaven and under the sun is satisfied.. And through their satisfaction he (the sacrificer or eater) himself is satisfied with offspring, cattle, health, brightness, and Vedic splendour.