694 



Pali Buddhistical Annals. [Aug. 



Neither month nor the moiety of the month is computed : neither seasons nor the 

 year is perceptible ; nor female and male distinguishable, all creatures being classed 

 under one head (without distinction of sex). 



«' Descendants of Wa'settho ! thereafter, ultimately, at the termination of a long 

 period of time, a savory substance is developed for living creatures, on land and 

 in water. In the same manner that a curd is formed on the surface of boiled milk, 

 in that manner is it developed. It (that savory substance) is fully endowed with 

 the properties of color, fragrance and flavor, in the way in which butter colors 

 cream, such is its coloring property , in the manner in which the honeycomb 

 formed by the small bee is free from impurity, such is its purity of flavor. 



"Thereafter, descendants of Wa'settho, a certain greedy man, making this 

 observation, ' My friends ! What is this that has been brought about,' licks 

 this savory substance from the surface of the earth, scraping it up with his finger. 

 By his having licked the earth, using his finger, the flavor with which it was imbu- 

 ed, takes entire possession of him ; and the influence of the passions alight on him. 



'* O descendants of Wa'settho 1 the rest of mankind, also each adopting the same 

 proceeding from his example, lick from his finger the flavor of the earth, and the 

 influence of the said flavor, from having been imbibed by licking the finger, takes 

 possession of them likewise ; and the passions alight on them also. 



V Thereafter, descendants of Wa'settho ! these men gathering up the savory 

 substance on the earth with their hands, begin to devour it by the handful ; and 

 in consequence, descendants of Wa'settho ! of these men devouring this flavour of 

 the earth, taking it up by the handful, the aforesaid effulgence of these men 

 vanishes. 



"On the extinction of that personal halo, the sun and the moon, the planetary 

 system, and night and day become distinguishable. On night and day being 

 distinguished, the half month and the month are descernible. On the half month 

 and the month becoming descernible, the seasons and the year become regulated. 



'• Descendants of Wa'settho ! thus much only was this world (then) degenerated. 

 Thereafter, descendants of Wa'settho ! these men having tasted of the flavor of 

 the earth, subsisting thereon, and having no other aliment, lived for ages, to an 

 advanced period of life. According as these men, who had tasted the flavor of the 

 earth, feasting and subsisting thereon, survived for ages, to an advanced stage of 

 life, in that exact proportion, a coarse skin developed itself on their body ; and the 

 possession of a good and bad complexion began to be distinguished. Some of these 

 beings had a good, and other a bad one. In consequence thereof, those gifted with 

 a fine complexion, reproached those who had a bad one ; saying, ' We have a better 

 color than they have.' 'They have a worse complexion than we have.' On 

 account of this pride of complexion, to those in whom the pride of color had been 

 engendered, (the gift of tasting) the flavor of the earth vanished. 



" On the extinction of (the gift of tasting) the flavor of the earth, they 

 assembled; and having assembled, they cried one to another, 'Ah! taste. Ah I 

 taste, (it is lost'). That (ejaculation) even the people of the present day are in 

 the habit of using, on finding any thing of a delicious flavor, ' Ah 1 taste. Ah I 

 taste.' This expression used by the first tribe of mankind they continue to repeat ; 

 but of the origin of this expression they are entirely ignorant. 



"Descendants of Wa'settho! on (the gift of tasting) the flavor of the earth 

 being lost to mankind, a substance manifested itself on the surface of the earth, 

 like unto mushroom. It thus came to pass. It was endowed with color, fragrance 

 and flavor. Its color was like that of cream rich with butter. Its purity was like 

 that of the honey deposited by the small bee. 



"Thereafter, descendants of Wa'settho ! these persons commenced to devour 

 this excrescence on the earth. They who had partaken thereof, feasting and 



