[6] Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, at present Verañjā is short of alms-food, afflicted with famine, where subsistence is hard to come by, white with the bones of the dead, where food is obtained by ticket; it is not easy to keep oneself going by gleaning with bowl in hand. Venerable sir, the under-surface of this great earth is rich, like the honey of small bees, free of larvae — such is its sweetness. It would be good, venerable sir, if I were to turn the earth over; the bhikkhus will then partake of the nutritive essence of its crust."
"But, Moggallāna, those creatures that dwell dependent on the earth — what will you do with them?"
"Venerable sir, I shall miraculously fashion one hand to be like the great earth, and those creatures that dwell dependent on the earth I shall cause to pass over onto it; with the other hand I shall turn the earth over."
"Enough, Moggallāna. Do not be intent on turning the earth over; beings might meet with derangement (vipallāsa)."
"It would be good, venerable sir, if the entire Saṅgha of bhikkhus were to go to Uttarakuru for alms."
"But, Moggallāna, those bhikkhus who are without psychic power (iddhi) — what will you do with them?"
"Venerable sir, I shall so contrive it that all the bhikkhus may go."
"Enough, Moggallāna. Do not be intent on the entire Saṅgha of bhikkhus going to Uttarakuru for alms."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.