The Dead Planet and a Warning from the Universe

The spotlight shone directly on the sun-tanned face of Mr. Shlew, a South African businessman who had just returned from a twenty-million-dollar space journey. He smiled, but a look of astonishment still lingered in his eyes. Reporters surrounded him, and camera flashes blinked incessantly.

"Sir, looking down at Earth from space, what were your thoughts?" a voice asked.

Mr. Shlew slowly raised his hand to his forehead, as if still trying to remember every detail. "I saw… that life on Earth is so fragile. Once you break through the atmosphere, orbiting outside, you see Earth wrapped in a very thin layer of atmosphere. It flutters, so delicate, like a sheer membrane. Earth spins in space, and this atmosphere follows, yet I saw it was so fragile that I don't know when it might just peel away from the planet."

He paused and continued in a deeper tone: "If that atmosphere were to vanish, all life on Earth would die. Everything."

The air in the press conference room seemed to thicken. But few realized that Mr. Shlew's story recalled another tale, much older, told by an ancient Egyptian king named Seti.

The story goes that three thousand years ago, an English scholar drawn to spirituality married an Egyptian man, later divorced, became an Egyptian citizen, and lived in an ancient temple. There, she recalled her past life: she had been a nun in that very temple, and her lover was an official. They were in love, but discovered; she was captured and tortured to reveal her lover's name. To protect him, she took her own life, uttering not a word. King Seti, feeling his authority was challenged, was yet deeply moved by her noble sacrifice. After his death, his soul searched for her for three thousand years, moving from planet to planet, but could not find where she had been reborn.

One day, Seti's soul flew to a strange planet. He was stunned. This planet had once held life: the trees still had their trunks, houses remained intact, machines and vehicles were strewn about, and bodies sat slumped in place. But the air had completely vanished. Everything was dead, yet the remains were preserved because there was no atmosphere to cause decay. Seti murmured: "It is as if a deity had drawn all the air out of this planet."

Returning to Mr. Shlew's story, he added: "But what keeps our air in existence? It is the trees. Trees are truly wondrous. Their canopy overhead has the power to hold the air in place. And their roots underground possess a miraculous ability to draw water up from the deep earth."

He explained: "Normally, water seeps deep into the ground, requiring drilling three to four hundred meters to find it. But in places with dense forest where people cannot enter, the tree roots have an amazing pull. Even on high mountaintops, roots can draw water from hundreds of meters underground up close to the surface. That land is always saturated with water. During droughts, water can still be found on high ground, while none can be found in the lowlands below."

Those present at the dharma talk that day fell silent. They looked into the distance, toward the barren, deforested mountains. The lecturer spoke slowly: "The water we use today is piped in from afar. But without trees, the air will vanish, water will run dry, and Earth will become a dead planet like the one King Seti witnessed."

He paused, looking directly at everyone: "Cherish this planet. Cherish the trees, cherish the air, cherish the people and animals living alongside us. Even if we sometimes grow angry or argue, let us not abandon one another because of it. Life is that precious."

**Meaning of the Story**

The lesson concerns the fragility of life on Earth and the vital role trees play in maintaining our air and water. We must become conscious of protecting our environment, loving and treasuring this planet, for otherwise, it will become a dead world, as in the story.

*Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang*