Due to humanity’s continuous ravaging of the Earth, all resources on the planet have been
depleted. Human overpopulation that led to overconsumption and propelled the deterioration of
the planet. Deforestation and factory farming caused many animals to suffer, leading to the
extinction of multiple species. Humans ravaged the Earth guilt free, polluting the planet on
which millions of species coexist. This selfishness led to a depletion in resources, and current
natural resources can no longer sustain human consumption. Human activity eventually became
outrageous, with events such as the Dead Pig Incident, where more than 16,000 pig carcasses
potentially carrying a virus were found floating in the Huangpu River in China, dumped by pig
farmers upstream. This grotesque incident reflected the extreme depravity of human activity on
Earth.
Human confidence in advanced technology finally failed them, and scientists found it difficult to
find measures to counteract human wrongdoing. The energy intensive lifestyles humans took for
granted placed them on a fast track to doom, where the time to deplete resources surpassed the
time to research and excavate new sources of energy. However, even though humans were
responsible for the catastrophic conditions, all living beings on Earth suffered. Eventually, Earth
was no longer inhabitable and humans were forced to relocate to a new planet.
On this new planet, humans are forced to start fresh. Transferring advanced Earth technology
proved difficult in the journey from Earth to the new planet. Hence, humanity returned to
primitive ways, falling from the top of the food chain to become equal with other species. Due to
the unique geographical structure and extreme weather climates of the new planet causing an
eternal ice age, humans are forced to live in confined spaces—specifically, on icebergs that float
at sea. In a way, living in confined spaces with the restriction of land access feeds teaches
humans a lesson about not wasting resources as they did on Earth. People revert to a tribal
system where the focus is primarily on survival and gathering food.
In the first few years, people gradually began to ponder their grim destinies, and started
hypothesizing otherworldly reasons for their outcome. Naturally, people shifted towards
assuming this entire planet posed as punishment or karma for what humans did on Earth,
especially to other living species that also suffered the consequences. Desperate, they seek
redemption and hope to better their living situation. With a conscious effort to repent their sins as
well as to not repeat their faults, humans take part in a ritual that gradually teaches them to value
the lives of other living beings.
The ritual begins when the humans receive the bodies of animals through hunting or from
animals dying of natural causes. It takes place in a specific place that is close to the edge of the
iceberg. Everyone walks together carrying the body of the dead animal and places it at the center.
People will first dance clockwise around the dead animal body, an act to emulate Buddhism’s
circumambulation of sacred temples to accrue good karma. Next, people will sing the first hymn
three times, the second hymn seven times, and the third hymn nine times. Following this,
humans will kneel in silence for ten minutes and then chant different prayers in hopes to ease the
animals suffering prior to their deaths. After the ceremony is complete, the humans are granted
the use of the animals’ skin, bones, or any other body part that can be useful. By using the
animal’s different body parts for food and clothing, humans will learn to be appreciative of the
limited resources they have.
