The Continuation of Life
In front of us,
There are countless deaths,
Behind us,
There are also countless births.
Time repeats itself in this way,
Life cycles in this manner.
Though it seems to be the same cycle,
In essence, it has already changed greatly.
The earliest humans ate
Wild fruits they gathered,
Later people ate
Crops they planted and ground themselves,
Even later,
Like what we eat now,
Not only are they planted and ground by others, but also cooked by others.
The earliest humans wore
Animal skins, directly peeled off,
Later people wore
Hemp clothes, woven and sewn by themselves,
Even later,
Like what we wear now,
The thread is spun by others, the cloth is woven by others, and the clothes are sewn by others.
The earliest humans daily worked on
Agriculture,
Producing grains and hemp, ensuring full stomachs and warm clothing,
Later, most people
Worked in handicrafts or industry,
Making various daily necessities to enrich life,
Even later people,
Like what we do now,
Engage in service industries, commerce, information industries,
With countless varieties, hard to count, satisfying people's needs for food, clothing, and desires after being well-fed.
The earliest humans lived in
Caves,
Later humans lived in
Grass huts,
Even later humans lived in
Tile-roofed houses,
Now people live in
Buildings stacked countless layers high.
The earliest humans traveled by
Running, ravines and mountains could block their steps,
Later humans rode horses, rivers could halt their progress,
Even later humans used
Cars and trains, without roads you couldn't go anywhere,
Now,
We can fly freely in the air like birds.
If it weren't for those who fell one after another,
Could we have flown?
Could we live in buildings that reach the clouds?
Could we listen to music, watch TV?
And all these things
Were unattainable even by ancient emperors,
Yet now commoners can enjoy them at will.
Thank those who have fallen,
Without them,
There would be no us today.
Those who fell are our ancestors,
Our grandfathers, great-grandfathers,
Not only does our blood flow with theirs,
But deep within our bones lie their genes.
Moreover, all our actions
Are continuations of their actions.
This,
Is culture.