釋迦譜 1.14

1.14

At the beginning of the kalpa, heaven and earth were about to form. Vast waters overflowed everywhere, and wind blew and congealed them to form the world. When this world was about to form, beings in the Ābhāsvara Heaven, whose merits and life spans were exhausted, descended and were born as human beings. They were all spontaneously born, taking joy as food, their bodily radiance autonomous, flying through the air with supernormal powers. There were neither male nor female, neither noble nor base. Because the multitude was born together into the world, they were called "living beings" (sattva). Naturally, there was earth-essence, like ghee; its color was like clarified butter, and its taste was sweet as honey. Afterward, beings tested it with their hands and tasted it, whereon they became attached to the flavor and gradually began to consume substantial food. Their bodily radiance gradually extinguished, and they no longer possessed supernormal powers. Those who ate much earth-essence became coarse and withered in complexion, while those who ate little had glossy and radiant complexions. Then superiority and inferiority arose, and because of superiority and inferiority, right and wrong emerged among them. The earth-essence disappeared, and all were distressed, crying: "Alas, what a calamity! There is no more earth-essence!" Then earth-skin was born, shaped like thin cakes, beautiful in color, smell, and taste. Later they ate of it again, grew to slight and look down upon one another, and the earth-skin vanished as well. Next, earth-surface was born; depending on the amount eaten, various evil states arose, and the earth-surface also vanished. The *Ekottarikāgama* says: "Naturally, there was earth-fat, its taste like sweet grape wine." The *Loutan jing* says: "Earth-fat did not grow, but instead two-branched grapevines grew, and their taste was also sweet. For a long time, having eaten much, they laughed at one another's appearance. The two-branched grapevines ceased to grow, and instead non-glutinous rice grew."