Excess, Dangerous to Life

Xuefeng

We come into this world with nothing and leave with nothing; we arrive with clenched fists and depart with open hands. The truth is clear, so why the obsession?

There is an article by Xing Zhu titled The Anxiety of the Sand Rat, which describes a species of sand rat in the Sahara Desert that is unusually diligent. Before the dry season arrives, these rats work tirelessly to gather an abundance of grass roots. The problem is that even when they have stored enough to survive the dry season, they continue to work obsessively, constantly searching for more roots, gnawing them off, and hauling them back to their burrows.

Research shows that a single sand rat only needs two kilograms of grass roots to survive the entire dry season. However, they gather ten kilograms. The excess eventually rots, and the rats then have to painstakingly clean the decomposed roots out of their burrows.

An experiment was conducted where sand rats were kept in cages and provided with ample food every day. Yet, these rats quickly became anxious and died because they could not gather grass roots and accumulate enough to feel secure.

From a human perspective, we see that these sand rats are foolish. Four-fifths of their efforts are not only unnecessary but harmful. By gnawing off the grass roots in the desert, they make the desert even more barren, reducing their chances of survival. In trying to ensure their safety, they destroy their future—this is digging their own graves.

If the sand rats are foolish, what about us humans?

Over the years, I’ve interacted mostly with businessmen. Several of them are already millionaires, with enough wealth to support their families for the rest of their lives. Yet they never seem satisfied. They continue to work tirelessly, day after day, year after year. Watching their endless toil, I often think to myself, "Why bother?"

One example is a 36-year-old vice director of a provincial finance department. Dissatisfied with what he had, he took bribe after bribe. Eventually, his crimes were exposed, and he ended up in prison. At the peak of his career and life, he sacrificed everything for something unnecessary. "Why bother?"

On some websites and forums, I’ve seen people tirelessly comment on every topic under the sun—from science to religion, from politics to news. They are so busy writing, consumed by their pursuits, that they seem lost in their obsession. "Why bother?"

Sand rats feel secure only when they have stored more grass roots than they actually need. Without this, they become anxious to the point of death. Even when well-fed and with no real survival threats, they still worry if they haven’t accumulated enough.

Excessive accumulation depletes resources and drains life. As the global population continues to grow while resources dwindle, the desire to accumulate "extra grass roots" intensifies, creating a vicious cycle. Even if humanity achieves sustained peace and development, if we don’t eliminate the "sand rat anxiety," resources will eventually run out. When that happens, what will become of us?

I recall a mass purchasing frenzy in the early 1980s. People feared that if they didn’t buy something immediately, they wouldn’t be able to get it later or that prices would skyrocket. This too was a form of "sand rat mentality." Will it happen again?

It’s easy to know the "way," hard to walk the "way," and even harder to uphold the "way." Excess is dangerous to life. Life is finite. If we focus too much on accumulation, we risk losing precious time. Worse, we may miss the opportunity to sublimate our lives.

I remember a younger family member who began worrying about her one-year-old child’s future college tuition when she was just 23. She wrote to me, complaining that if she didn’t find a way to earn more money soon, she wouldn’t be able to pay for her child’s education. I responded with a serious tone, saying, "Why are you worrying about something so far off? Live for today. Do you know what will happen tomorrow? What changes might come? Why burden yourself with tomorrow’s troubles today? Tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet, so why let it ruin you?"

The Greatest Creator knows our needs, both individual and collective. Through Jesus, we have been told: "Do not worry about tomorrow." "Seek first the Kingdom of the Greatest Creator and His righteousness, and all other necessities will be given to you as well.” "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?"

Buddha also teaches us to live in the present, to go with the flow, and to follow the natural course of things.

Excess is dangerous to life. Don’t be like the sand rat!