Then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down, and said, “At present, sir, Verañjā is short of food and afflicted with hunger, with crops affected by whiteheads and turned to straw. It’s not easy to get by on almsfood. But the undersurface of this great earth abounds with food, tasting just like pure honey. Would it be good, sir, if I inverted the earth so that the monks may enjoy the nutrition in that ground fungus?” “But what will you do, Moggallāna, with the creatures that live there?” “I’ll transform one hand to be like the great earth and make those creatures go there. I’ll then invert the earth with the other hand.” “Let it be, Moggallāna, don’t invert the earth. Those creatures might lose their minds.” “In that case, sir, would it be good if the whole Sangha of monks could go to Uttarakuru for alms?” “Let it be, Moggallāna, don’t pursue this.”

Soon afterwards, while reflecting in private, Venerable Sāriputta thought, “Which Buddhas had a long-lasting spiritual life, and which not?” In the evening, after coming out of seclusion, Sāriputta went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down, and said, “Just now, sir, while I was reflecting in private, I was wondering which Buddhas had a long-lasting spiritual life, and which not.” “Sāriputta, the spiritual life established by the Buddhas Vipassī, Sikhī, and Vessabhū didn’t last long. But the spiritual life established by the Buddhas Kakusandha, Konāgamana, and Kassapa did.”