A Monk Who Lost His Way

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing"

This weekend, I was taking the R7 train from the airport into center city. For me, it was a normal train ride, got on at E with the intention of getting off at University City. We left the airport per usual on our way to center city when I heard some commotion from one of the ticket takers. It was behind me so at first I paid little attention. I heard the man say, "this guy was supposed to get off at 'A', let him get off at the next stop". I immediately felt bad, sensing it a foreigner who had been given bad directions but still had no sense of guilt for him. As we approached the stop, Essex (one of the worst neighborhoods in south philly), I head the attendant yell again, "get off here" in a forceful tone. The man walked passed me. He was a Buddhist monk, no less than 60 years old. I doubt he spoke English as he was very slow to react to the ticket takers "instructions". The monk was slow to get off and the attendant yelled at him again, "Get off!". The monk got off the train - where there is no easy way to get the northbound train back to the station - and the train pulled away. I watched as the monk stood by the tracks. He was all alone, no one else in sight. It was one of the greatest injustices to humanity I have ever personally witnessed. The cruelness of philadelphians, the lack of action by any person on a packed train to help, and the poor monk left on the side of the train tracks in south philly.

I cried as the train pulled away. Immediately, I texted moto of my wrongdoing. There was little I could do at that point but wonder what happened to that poor man who has probably never hurt a soul in his life as darkness approached in south philly. I vowed to myself that moment, that no matter what, whether my actions would be taken as right or as wrong that never again would I fail to act. Never again will evil triumph as good men do nothing.