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Every day, I see ghosts walk among us in this clan hall.
Oh, they do not look like ghosts to the eye. They seem solid enough, just like anyone else. But they pass through unseen, unheard, and untouched. These ghosts are some of our kindred. They are the kindred who are shy and retiring, or who are socially awkward, or who do not make friends as easily as many of us. But quiet or annoying or prickly as they may be, they are still our kindred. They are still Dharma. You might think that the person who never speaks to anyone is snobbish, or arrogant, or cold. But perhaps she is shy, uncomfortable making the first move in a social situation, and always being overlooked. A gentle approach, a friendly gesture, might be just what she is patiently waiting for. You might think that the one who seems to have no social sense at all, the one who seems to want attention all the time, is just annoying for the sake of annoyance. But perhaps he feels that nobody cares that he is even alive, and is desperately seeking a reaction, any reaction at all. Talk to him, listen to him, ask him to hunt with you, and you might be surprised at how much less annoying he is. You might think the one with a permanent chip on his shoulder, the one who seems to take everything wrong, is just a hostile and hateful person. But perhaps he has been hurt and betrayed, within the Nexus or without, and hides his pain and fear under that armored shell. A gesture of kindness, a giving of trust without asking anything in return, might reach the true person inside. As I say again: Nothing in Nexus is real. Not our wealth, not our power, not the very Dharma Hall itself. Nothing here is real -- except the people. *THEY* are real, *WE* are real, each and every one of us, and it is those people that truly matter. I ask you, my kindred, to do this thing: Seek out the ghosts that walk among you. Speak to a quiet person and offer your friendship. Accept an annoying person and offer your tolerance. Reach out to a hostile person and offer your kindness. You might be surprised at what happens. You might find that you call them not just sister or brother, but friend. |
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