Respecting Heaven and Cherishing Resources: Love Begins with the Soul

Old-fashioned rice farmers in the Yellow River Delta believe that the soul of rice resides in the bodies of flying birds， especially those seabirds that fly over and rest in the rice fields. Scaring away the birds is considered taboo here. In the rice fields of the Yellow River Delta， it is difficult to find scarecrows because such actions are thought to “scare away the soul of the rice， causing the grains to shrink and reducing the harvest.”

The earth is so profound， full of endless compassion. It gives everything it has when needed.

In the Yellow River Delta， the soil’s salt and alkali accumulation caused by the river’s reverse flow results in poor soil fertility， and the yield per unit area of rice is lamentably low. With such low yields， more land is needed for farming. Thus， the Earth Goddess sent her eldest daughter — the mighty waters of the Yellow River — carrying sand eastward， day and night， reclaiming the land at a rate of over 20，000 acres annually. Along with the sand that the Yellow River carries for 5，464 kilometers， come miraculous organic matter and trace elements. These “essences of nine provinces” hide within the river’s resting soils， where sunlight becomes the melody， farming the poetry， and birds soaring the dance， composing the unique soul of the rice grown in the Yellow River Delta.

If there is no burning passion for rice cultivation， it becomes nothing more than a transaction between the farmer and the land: The farmer offers rice seeds and fertilizer， and the land pays back in mature rice. Without reverence for the earth， if one only seeks to exploit it for personal gain， the pathway between humanity and nature， between rice cultivation and the soul， will eventually be destroyed. No matter what shortcuts of “efficiency， speed， and quality” are taken， it will forever be impossible to cultivate exceptional rice.

The earth is honest. If one does not understand this principle， do not enter the gate of farming.

If one cannot appreciate that “every meal and every grain should be thought of as hard-earned， every thread and fabric should remind us of the hardships of resources，” and only views rice as a simple source of calories， easily obtained， one will never experience the true joy she offers. Losing the humble and respectful heart for food will weaken and even 1ify one’s sensitivity to it， and thus there will be nothing to discuss or appreciate. This is what is meant by missing out on “blessings.” The best meals are those made by mother， and every grain of rice is a gift from the Earth herself.

To quiet the mind and respect the heavens and resources is to unify knowledge and action. Happiness begins with every sip and every bite.

Preaching can be dull， so the concept of “respecting heaven and cherishing resources” needs to be conveyed through myth and metaphor.

In places where rice is the staple food， from the Yellow River Delta to the borders of Yunnan， from China to Japan， and from Thailand to India， myths about the origins of rice are everywhere， giving rise to unique sacrificial rituals， regional customs， ethnic cultures， and culinary arts. It can be said that rice gives life to all things. However， no matter the myth， they all carry the beauty of falling snow like Zen， full of supreme reverence for the rice-cultivation civilization， immense appreciation for the local nature， and infinite longing for a happy life.

Just like Marx’s insightful quote: “Any mythology is a form of imagination that seeks to conquer natural forces， dominate them， and embody them... It is a natural and social form that has been processed through the people’s imagination， a form that has been unconsciously crafted into an artistic form.” Beneath the dreamlike veneer of rice cultivation mythology lies the wisdom and sorrow of the ancestors， filled with light and supreme virtue.

The personification of rice and the attribution of a soul to it form the beginning and essence of all rice cultivation myths. This can even be seen as the dividing line between genuine， passionate love for rice and mere superficial affection， between human desire and respect for nature. For the so-called intense love， it must be the intertwining and fusion of souls. If rice and all things in nature had no souls， then where would human affection for them come from? Rice cultivation civilization would no longer be a profound embrace between humans and nature but merely a transaction between farmers and the land.

In the Yellow River Delta rice cultivation myth， the soul of rice comes from the “transformation of dragon scales.” In the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau， rice not only has a soul but also a special name: The Dulong ethnic group calls the soul of rice “Bu Lan，” and the Wa ethnic group calls it “Si Ou Bu.” The belief in rice having a soul is not only widespread in China but also throughout Southeast Asia. For example， the people of Indonesia believe that the soul of rice resides in the granary， while the Thais make dolls from rice stalks to serve as the resting place for the rice spirit. The Iban people believe that rough threshing methods offend the rice spirit， and in northern Laos， the “rice spirit belief” is taken to an extreme. The Laotians who grow dry rice believe that of all plants， only rice has a soul.

In the Yellow River Delta， traditional rice farmers believe that the soul of rice resides in the bodies of flying birds， especially the seabirds that fly over or stop by the rice fields. It is taboo to drive away the birds. In the rice fields of the Yellow River Delta， it is difficult to find scarecrows because such actions are thought to “scare away the soul of the rice， causing the grains to shrink and reducing the harvest.”

Even today， in some villages in Yongan Town and Huanghekou Town in the Kenli District of Dongying City， killing birds in the rice fields or destroying bird nests around the fields is still considered an unfilial and heinous act， bringing bad luck or even disaster to the family. If someone doesn’t understand this and jokingly asks， “The meat of these birds must be delicious， right?” while seeing an egret strolling leisurely in the rice fields， the local people will feel uneasy and keep silent if they are mild-mannered. Those with a quicker temper will become enraged and scold them on the spot.

The old-school rice farmers in the Yellow River Delta say， “There are so many living things in the world， and there’s a reason for it. Every living thing has its fate， and they all need to eat， you can’t just care for yourself.” In the simple words of the rice farmers， there is profound truth.

The flying birds and insects in the sky， the frogs， crabs， and other creatures on the ground， and the earthworms and field mice beneath — these are all children of Mother Earth. They， together with the rice fields， form a harmonious and mutually beneficial ecosystem. Even the “pests” and “harmful birds” have their value in existence. As humans， being “in the middle of Heaven and Earth，” our primary duty is to maintain the balance and stability of this system， which involves “respecting Heaven and cherishing resources.” This means approaching agricultural work with reverence， respecting nature， and following its laws， cultivating rice with a mindful conscience.

Humans can work to improve rice yields by reasonably suppressing factors that reduce productivity， but we have no right to determine the life or death of any species. The breadth and depth of the food chain determine the stability of nature and the rice field ecosystem.

Modern agriculture， if solely focused on increasing yields and recklessly using toxic pesticides to eliminate insects and field mice， will eventually kill off frogs， fish， and crabs， which in turn leads to the extinction of the birds that feed on them. In the short term， it may seem like rice yields are increasing， but the irreversible danger lies in the disruption of the food chain， causing the rapid weakening， deterioration， and collapse of the rice field ecosystem. Ultimately， this will backfire， harming both rice cultivation and humans.

The Earth is already suffering from the excessive use of pesticides， and this harmful consequence will be borne by everyone， even those far removed from farming. Have you ever sighed helplessly， saying， “Rice doesn’t taste like it used to?” Isn’t that “old taste” precisely the “soul” of the rice? The collapse of the ecosystem’s balance leads to the rice losing its soul.

To preserve that “old taste” begins with reverence and love for the soul of rice. Different regions have their own practices for this. In the southwest among the ethnic minorities， there are various elaborate rituals for “calling the rice spirit.” In Southeast Asian villages， it is expressed through the act of gently cutting the rice ear with a small knife hidden in the palm， barefoot threshing the grains， and the solemnity when taking rice from the granary. In the Yellow River Delta， it manifests in the traditional rice farmers comparing whose fields have more birds. These behaviors， which might seem incomprehensible to outsiders， are actually the hidden treasures of rice cultivation mythology. “Respecting Heaven and cherishing things” is the wisdom passed down through generations， and its classic truth is as applicable today as it will be in the future.

Guo Xisen

Guo Xisen， the founder of Dongying Dacheng Wengeng Marketing and Planning Co.， Ltd.， has dedicated himself to the integration and communication of new agricultural culture since establishing the company. He also serves as a market consultant for several well-known local enterprises.