The first two meanings:
1)Physical food (kabalinkāhāra)
2)Contact (phassāhāra)
Those are not correct.
1. All four types of “food” (āhāra) are “food for the mind to be engaged in the rebirth process. An Arahant does not take in any of the four types. An Anagami does not “consume kabalinkā āhāra” even though they (and Arahants) eat food.
2. Kabalinkāhāra (kabalinkā āhāra) is not physical food. It is the CRAVING for tastes, smells, and body touches in general. As we know, those three senses are available only in kama loka (the lower 11 realms, including the human realm and six Deva realms.)
- When craving for the three types of “close contact sensual pleasures” is stopped, kabalinkā āhāra ceases (nirodha).
- At that point, one is freed of rebirths in kama loka (the lower 11 realms, including the human realm and six Deva realms.)
- The other three types of “āhāra intake” by the mind stop at the Arahant stage.
3. “Phassa” in “phassa āhāra” refers to “samphassa.” That is not merely contact but “contact with san” or “san phassa,” which rhymes with “samphassa.”
4. See “Āhāra (Food) in Udayavaya Ñāna” This is an old post and may need to be revised. I see that I have mainly discussed kabalinkā āhāra.
