[61] Then, Vāseṭṭha, those beings gathered together, and having gathered they lamented: "Alas, sirs, evil things have appeared among beings! For formerly we were mind-made, feeding on rapture (pīti), self-luminous, moving through the air, abiding in glory; and we remained thus for a long time, for a long stretch of time. For us, at some point, after the passing of a long stretch of time, the earth's nectar (rasapaṭhavī) spread out upon the water; it was endowed with color, endowed with fragrance, endowed with taste. We set about eating the earth's nectar, breaking it off in lumps with our hands; and as we set about eating the earth's nectar, breaking it off in lumps with our hands, our self-luminance vanished. When our self-luminance had vanished, the moon and sun appeared; when the moon and sun had appeared, the constellations and the stars appeared; when the constellations and the stars had appeared, night and day were discerned; when night and day were discerned, months and fortnights were discerned; when months and fortnights were discerned, the seasons and years were discerned. Eating the earth's nectar, having that as our food, having that as our nourishment, we remained for a long time, for a long stretch of time. But through the appearance of evil, unwholesome things among us, the earth's nectar vanished. When the earth's nectar had vanished, ground-fungus (bhūmipappaṭaka) appeared; it was endowed with color, endowed with fragrance, endowed with taste. We set about eating the ground-fungus; and eating it, having that as our food, having that as our nourishment, we remained for a long time, for a long stretch of time. But through the appearance of evil, unwholesome things among us, the ground-fungus vanished. When the ground-fungus had vanished, bursting pods (padālatā) appeared; they were endowed with color, endowed with fragrance, endowed with taste. We set about eating the bursting pods; and eating them, having that as our food, having that as our nourishment, we remained for a long time, for a long stretch of time. But through the appearance of evil, unwholesome things among us, the bursting pods vanished. When the bursting pods had vanished, rice ripening without tillage appeared—without powder, without husk, pure, fragrant, having the clean grain as its fruit. Whatever we brought in the evening for the evening meal, by morning it had ripened and grown back; whatever we brought in the morning for the morning meal, by evening it had ripened and grown back; no gap from reaping was to be seen. Eating the rice ripening without tillage, having that as our food, having that as our nourishment, we remained for a long time, for a long stretch of time. But through the appearance of evil, unwholesome things among us, powder came to envelop the grain, and husk too came to envelop the grain; what was reaped did not grow back; a gap from reaping was to be seen; and the rice stood in clumps. Suppose now we were to divide the rice and set up boundaries!" Then, Vāseṭṭha, those beings divided the rice and set up boundaries.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.