法苑珠林 1.36

1.36

又長阿含經云。此三及地為四災四劫。除地說三為大劫。唯未至第四禪。為淨居天故。無上地可生。即於彼處涅槃。亦不下生。非數滅故。變成天地。天地更始。了無所有亦無日月。地湧甘泉味如蘇蜜。時光音諸天。或有福盡來生。或樂觀新地。性多輕躁以指嘗之。如是三轉得其甜味。食之不已漸生麁肌。失天妙色神足光明。冥然大暗。後大黑風吹彼海水漂出日月。置須彌邊安日道中。遶須彌山照四天下。時諸人輩見出則歡見入則懼。自茲以後晝夜晦朔春秋歲數終而復始。劫初成時諸天來下為人皆悉化生。身光自在神足飛行。無有男女尊卑。眾共生世。故名眾生。有自然地味猶如醍醐亦如生蘇味甜如蜜。其後眾生以手試甞。遂生味著漸成摶食。光明轉減無復神通。食地味多者顏色麁悴。其食少者顏色光澤。遂生勝負。因緣勝負故便生是非。地味稍歇咸皆懊惱。咄哉為禍。無復地味。又生地皮狀如薄餅。地皮又滅又生地膚。地膚滅故。依增一經。又生自然地肥。味甘如蒲萄酒。

Further, the *Dīrgha-āgama* says: These three together with earth make four calamities and four kalpas. Excluding earth, the three are called the mahākalpas. They only do not reach the Fourth Dhyāna because it contains the Śuddhāvāsa Heavens; since there is no higher stage to be born into, they attain nirvāṇa right there, nor do they take rebirth below, because it is not an analytical cessation. It transforms into heaven and earth, and heaven and earth begin anew, totally devoid of anything, with neither sun nor moon. Sweet springs welled up from the earth, tasting like clarified butter and honey. At that time, the devas of the Ābhāsvara Heaven, either because their merit was exhausted and came to be born [here], or because they delighted in observing the new earth, were by nature frivolous and tasted it with their fingers. Turning it three times in this way, they obtained its sweet flavor. Eating of it without ceasing, they gradually generated coarse flesh, lost their divine wondrous complexion, their magical bases, and their radiance, and all became pitch dark. Afterward, a great dark wind blew that ocean water, floating out the sun and moon, placing them beside Sumeru and setting them in the solar path, circling Mount Sumeru to illuminate the four continents. At that time, the people rejoiced when they saw them rise and were afraid when they saw them set. From this time onward, day and night, the dark and new moons, spring and autumn, and the count of years ended and began again. When the kalpa first formed, the devas came down to become humans, all born by apparitional birth, their bodies possessing radiance at will, flying through magical power, with neither male nor female, noble nor base. Because they were born into the world together as a crowd, they were named 'sentient beings' (zhongsheng). There was a natural earth-flavor, like clarified butter or fresh butter, sweet like honey. Later, sentient beings tested and tasted it with their hands; thereupon, they gave rise to attachment to flavor and gradually came to eat solid food. Their radiance diminished in turn, and they no longer had supernatural powers. Those who ate much of the earth-flavor had coarse and haggard complexions; those who ate little had lustrous complexions. Thereupon superiority and inferiority arose; because of superiority and inferiority, right and wrong then arose. When the earth-flavor gradually ceased, all were distressed: 'Alas, what misfortune! There is no more earth-flavor!' Then there arose earth-skin, shaped like a thin cake. When the earth-skin vanished, there arose earth-flesh. When the earth-flesh vanished, relying on the *Ekottarika-āgama*, there arose natural earth-fat, sweet in flavor like grape wine.