I recently watched an anime called Vinland Saga (spoiler alert), which follows the story of a child called Thorfinn who grows amidst the wars of vikings, always set on revenge against the man who killed his father.
Here come some spoilers, go away if you want to watch the show!!!
Image belongs to the producers of the show
Eventually, the man he wanted revenge against is killed by another, leaving him unable to fulfill his goal and feeling a massive void with no real reason to keep living. His father had always told him that no one has any enemies, and from here on he begins the spiritual journey which leads him to understand what this means.
During the time Thorfinn was set on revenge, he had no consideration for other people and killed many innocents. This haunts him and makes him reflect on his past actions, until he starts to see that it was his mindset that had turned everyone into his enemy.
When he finally grasps the concept in full strength, he becomes determined to act differently, in consequence with the idea that nobody is his enemy. Even if I've spoiled the show in a sense, i think it's worth watching, as all the events and conversations that lead up to this understanding are very profound, and give a deeper meaning to this affirmation.
Now, as usually happens, when enlightening ideas are presented to us in the media, one wants to immediately enact them and become such a magnificent being. However, it's always a lot easier said than done.
A few days ago i went to town to do some errands and this town is where i grew up, which means it's common for me to bump into people of the past, a past that is far from where i am now that i barely remember it. However, despite the distance of time, the same discomfort returns when i run into some of these people.
I was actually thinking, as i walked through a street, that it would be great to run into someone i knew and go drink a beer somewhere. The idea was shortly manifested and i saw at some distance two guys i was acquainted with, one i had shared some good moments with, and the other one had always been uncomfortable to be around.
I envisioned the stupid conversation that was likely to happen as i did not feel closeness to either, despite having shared some nice moments with one of them, and turned at the corner before we met eyes. I just hate small talk and those moments when you put on a mask because you don't really know what the other person is like on an intimate level.
Then i was doing the line at a fruit store and before me was another of these characters. I say characters because these are all people who liked to stick out and be seen, not your low profile dudes that are chill to hang out with. I minded my own business, hoping not to have to interact with him, but eventually our eyes met and we did the stupid polite greeting that people who are acquainted but don't really know each other do.
I had the bad idea of trying to continue the conversation by asking how he was faring in life, to which he replied: "good", and turned around to pay his groceries, proceeding to leave without saying anything else. I felt dumb and angry, to be honest.
Now, reflecting on these awkard social events, i think about the phrase: "nobody has enemies". I get it, it sounds great, but something in me feels like i treated these people as enemies in a way. I was already predisposed to not be open to them, as soon as i saw them. I put the past before the present and held on to the version i knew of them many years ago. Sure, the last guy was a bit rude, but if i look into it from an energy perspective, i was being rude before we even said hi.
Anyways, the protagonist of the show went through countless experiences before really understanding what this phrase means. One can't expect to just see or hear something in a show and immediately become enlightened. At least i don't hold grudges to any of these people or to myself for the way things turned out that day. I just keep repeating to myself that we are not enemies, and continue to slowly integrate the meaning of this.