[58] Then, Vāseṭṭha, when the earth's nectar had vanished for those beings, ground-fungus (bhūmipappaṭika) appeared. It appeared just like a mushroom. It was endowed with color, endowed with fragrance, endowed with taste: its color was like fine ghee or fine butter, and its sweetness was like pure dwarf-bee honey (khuddamadhu aneḷaka). Then, Vāseṭṭha, those beings set about eating the ground-fungus. As they ate it, having that as their food and that as their nourishment, they endured for a long, long time. And, Vāseṭṭha, to whatever extent those beings, eating the ground-fungus, having that as their food and that as their nourishment, endured for a long, long time, to that same extent coarseness ever more greatly entered into their bodies, and diversity of appearance became evident. Some beings were beautiful, and some beings were ugly. And there the beings who were beautiful despised the beings who were ugly: 'We are more beautiful than they; they are uglier than we.' Because of their conceit of appearance, as they became given over to pride and arrogance, the ground-fungus vanished.
When the ground-fungus had vanished, a creeper (padālatā) appeared. It appeared just like the kalambakā plant. It was endowed with color, endowed with fragrance, endowed with taste: its color was like fine ghee or fine butter, and its sweetness was like pure dwarf-bee honey. Then, Vāseṭṭha, those beings set about eating the creeper. As they ate it, having that as their food and that as their nourishment, they endured for a long, long time. And, Vāseṭṭha, to whatever extent those beings, eating the creeper, having that as their food and that as their nourishment, endured for a long, long time, to that same extent coarseness ever more greatly entered into their bodies, and diversity of appearance became evident. Some beings were beautiful, and some beings were ugly. And there the beings who were beautiful despised the beings who were ugly: 'We are more beautiful than they; they are uglier than we.' Because of their conceit of appearance, as they became given over to pride and arrogance, the creeper vanished.
When the creeper had vanished, they gathered together; and having gathered, they lamented: 'Alas, it was ours! Alas, it is lost to us—the creeper!' So too at the present time, when people are touched by any painful thing, they say: 'Alas, it was ours! Alas, it is lost to us!' They merely recall that ancient, primordial expression, but they do not understand its meaning.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.