Land and the Earth by James Tian (Tian Yu)

 Land and the Earth
James Tian (Tian Yu)

  Ants and earthworms took the lead in opening up a piece of land. Their purpose was: to use this land to enrich and accommodate all living beings that depended on the land for their livelihood. Later, after the number of living beings that came to the land increased, their purpose was simplified by everyone into: convenience, practicality, and fertility.
  At the beginning, this land was brand-new and highly fertile, attracting many plants. It was extremely prosperous, and in turn attracted many animals and microorganisms. Together with the organisms that had originally existed there, this land seemed, according to their definition of the earth, to have acquired the titles of “special” and “creative”. For this, the ants and earthworms felt extremely proud.
  However, as the number of species increased, fertility and space became less and less apparent. Later, these even became luxuries. Yet, after all, the condition of “convenience” remained extremely stable. This was also the thing they found very strange—why had all the other conditions changed, while only “convenience” remained unchanged?
  The living beings began openly and covertly fighting and competing for fertility and space. Later, someone proposed that “the maintenance of the earth itself is carried out through the reduction of fertility and space”, and thus this open and covert struggle also became a matter of course.
  But discomfort, after all, was impossible to question, especially for “them”, who couldn’t compete for anything—they were called the “bottom”. The “bottom” roared; for the sake of their own survival, this too was a matter of course and impossible to refute. Thus everyone, especially the ants and earthworms, began to study—the use of this land.
  They arrived at the conclusion—we have always been using it horizontally; in fact, we should be using it vertically. So, carrying this conclusion with them, everyone looked at themselves more and more like they were “horizontal”, and therefore everyone actively moved toward all kinds of explanations of being “vertical”, for fear that the responsibility for “using it wrongly” would fall on themselves alone.
  After being active for a period of time, the force of their activity declined, and everyone once again felt discomfort. This time, there were actually no “survivors”. So everyone began to study again—the use of this land.
  They arrived at the conclusion—we have always been using it standing up; in fact, we should be using it lying down. So, just as when the conclusion had been reached the previous time, everyone’s “force of activity” was rekindled, and everyone began busying themselves again…
  Thus everyone continually cycled between “the force of activity being rekindled → the force of activity declining again”, tossing around postures, then organs; after tossing around organs, tossing around colors… until someone proposed that “the prosperity of living beings is the root cause of barrenness”. Everyone began, on the basis of an already existing open and covert struggle, to increase their hatred toward one another. They began emphasizing, “Whoever has seniority on this land, those with less seniority should leave”, “Whoever possesses special abilities, whoever stays will be beneficial to the development of the land”, and so on… Great chaos began. Based on this land, the entire land was filled with blood and wailing.
  When the chaos had reached the point where “rest” ran ahead of “survival”, someone proposed, “Why have we never thought of this—could we give up this land? Why must there be this land?” And very soon, the living being who had raised the proposal overturned his own proposal. The reason was very clear: didn’t dare, couldn’t bear to.
  Outside the land was the earth. The land was a skin disease of the earth. But the familiarity of the land can make familiarity become the earth, while the unfamiliarity of the earth can also make unfamiliarity become land…