In an imaginary western Buddhist country, exists John and his twin little brother, George.
The two are completely the opposite.
John is a very materialistic person and is very popular in society. In contrast, George is a very spiritual person and is very unpopular in society. Nevertheless, George is very happy with his way of life and has never thought to change his way.
“Hey, George! When the hell will you finally learn that nobody cares about your bullshit? Change yourself if you want to be popular like me.”
John always looks down on George and tries to convince him to change his way. However, George just listens to all the persuasions but always politely refuses.
“Well, that may really be the case, John. However, I am comfortable with this type of living. I don’t really care much what other people think of me.”
“Suit yourself, loser!” John says irritatedly and goes to bed.
-o-O-o-
“…ke…up…”
John feels like he hears someone saying something to him.
“…”
“Wake up, John!”
Surprised by the sudden voice, John wakes up.
“The hell?!”
John roars as he turns to look at the one who woke him up.
“George?!”
John says the name of the offender.
“Took you long enough to finally wake up, John,” George sighs
“Why are you waking me up? I thought I set an alarm clock. What time is it?”
“6:00 a.m.”
“Why the hell would you wake me up then?!” John roars at his twin brother again.
“Why? Today is a holy day; we have to give alms to monks making their alms round.”
“Giving alms?! When the fuck do you think I care about that?!”
“I know you don’t care, John,” George sighs, “but our entire family should do it together. We don’t want to leave you out.”
“Our family?! Dad and mom never care shit about that stuff in the first place!”
“Are you still half-asleep, john? Everyone except you always do this much on a holy day.”
“Everyone?! Are you bullshiting me?!”
As John is prepared to fist some senses into his brother…
“Why is it taking so long, George? Did the bastard cause problems again? We have to hurry or we will miss the monks.”
…At that moment, their mother shows up.
“Mo…ther…” John stutters when he hears his mother’s words.
The words “What the hell?” are on his mind.
“Hurry up and get dressed, John! Else, we will miss the monks!”
-o-O-o-
As John is waiting for the monks to arrive in front of his house with his family, he thinks back to that time when George tutored him on the Buddhist history of his country for his ethics class’s exam.
…
…
…
“Hey, don’t fall asleep, John! You want to fail the test?!”
An annoying voice resounded in his ears yet again.
Although he knew it was him who asked George to tutor him, the lesson was just too boring for him to pay attention to.
In this modern-day and age, who the hell cares about ethics? Whether you get hired or not is not dependent on your ethics, but your other skills. He could not help but thought that his brother was weird for being so good in ethics class, but sucked in other classes.
“Alright, my bad. Continue your lesson,” John apologized.
“Okay. So the reason why we became the only western Buddhist country was because of our last monarch whose nickname was the genius king.”
“How so? I bet that would more likely to be in the test,” John asked.
“His majesty grew up in Thailand and learned Buddhism there. He came back to our country after the political situation was safe and reigned as our king. Right after that, he suggested many reforms, and in just a few years, it bore fruits. The results of his suggestions were so good that he was called the genius king from then on. 10 years after his reign, he revealed that all of his ideas for reformation so far came from his study of Buddhism and proclaimed Buddhism as his religion that he would be a patron of.”
“There were no oppositions? I don’t know much about this stuff, but I at least know that people of the past were very stubborn with their beliefs.”
“There were oppositions by the churches, indeed. After all, our kings had always been Christian until that point. However, his majesty still responded to their thwarting attempts peacefully and cleverly while using Buddha’s teachings to convince people to try Buddhism as their spiritual path by giving Buddhist sermons himself on several occasions.”
George closed his eyes and stayed silent for a short moment before he continued, “His continuous efforts went on for all of his 51-year reign and finally the Buddhist population of the country became 70% out of all the population with many temples around all regions. He died 20 years ago. His will stated that he should be the last monarch of the country since he had no heir because he was not married. He spent his whole life spreading the teachings of Buddha along with working on many reforms based on his study of Buddhism after all; there was no time for romance. After that, our country had a political change, but the new ruling parties still have followed the Buddhist guidelines from his majesty’s notes to this day.”
George opened his eyes again, “That was how our country became the only western Buddhist country.”
-o-O-o-
After he has finished recalling that tutorial, his mind thinks of what he is doing right now.
Giving alms to the monks on alms round.
Alms round has been the ancient practice of the monks since Buddha’s time. The monks walk around people’s settlements and receive foods from the common people in the early morning. The givers are considered making merits from such actions.
Even if he is not a very spiritual person, he knows from George’s constant reminders that the practice’s true purpose is for the monks to rely on the people to survive, so they don’t go into a spiritual recluse their whole life. He remembers how it surprised him to know that the monks that are considered the recluses are not truly recluse after all.
A moment after he finishes his thought, monks come into their sight.
-o-O-o-
‘This is not my world.’
John concludes.
His mother and father were never that spiritual. He was convinced of this conclusion when his parents had a nice chat with the monks like they were best friends. There was no way John would not know if his parents were this close to a monk.
John is very calm considering the situation. He is used to facing with problems. The life of one of the most popular guys in school does have a dark side. At first sight, people will say what is so difficult about being a popular guy, but continue to remain one while facing all envy and hatred from other people is not easy. That’s why John can remain relatively calm in this ridiculous situation.
That is not to say he is not affected, of course; far from it, actually. He just knows that whining about it won’t help anything and don’t bother. That’s all.
‘Okay. My parents are different in this world. What’s about the others?’
As he is thinking about this, he reaches the school.
Yes, it has been more than an hour since his family gave alms to the monks. He has classes today, so he goes to school like he usually does.
Soon he will see whether his friends are any different.
-o-O-o-
After school
‘It was disastrous.’
He concludes again.
Unlike his previous world, in this world, he is extremely unpopular. No one wants to associate with him. All they do are talking about their experiences going to the temples, what they understood from reading the scriptures, or what they learned from going to the remaining churches in the country.
Surprisingly, they are pretty open-minded about learning other religion’s teachings despite how devoted to Buddhist spiritual they are.
Another surprise is the fact that the minority Christians in the classes are not shunned. Some Buddhist students even ask them what the bible says.
….Their treatment is even better than him!
He bets that if he tried to talk to them about the usual stuff people talked about in the previous world, his treatment would become even worse.
Instead, George is very popular. Not even a step after entering the school that people started greeting George and asking him spiritual questions or life’s advice.
…That spot used to be his.
It is not a lie that he somehow resents his twin brother even though he knows George did not do anything wrong. Even though he knows that what is weird is the world…
As he is in deep thought…
“Hey, John! There you are!”
John looks up to the voice calling him.
“Kathy…” he murmurs.
The girl is his childhood sweetheart girlfriend.
-o-O-o-
“Kathy…” he says again.
“What is it, John?” the girl smiles.
“You are my girlfriend, right?” John asks.
Since this world is one hell of a weird world, he is not confident that Kathy is his girlfriend, especially considering how unpopular he is here.
“W-Wha?! W-Why are you suddenly asking me that, you dummy?!” she turns her face away in embarrassment.
‘Thank goodness that she is still my girlfriend.’
John has never felt more gratitude before in his life.
He is very down that he is suddenly put into this weird world. However, at the very least, Kathy, the most important person to him, is still in love with him. He would not know what to do otherwise.
“So why are you coming to see me, Kathy?” He asks in a good mood. This is the first thing that ever goes right since he woke up this morning!
“Hah?! Do you forget already?! We promised to have a date today!” Kathy says angrily.
“A-Ah, right,” John stuttering replies.
Indeed, even in the previous world, he promised a date with Kathy today.
“So you really forgot!” Kathy cutely frowned.
“Ahaha…Sorry, I will make it up to you.”
“You better be, John,” Kathy smiles mischievously.
‘Really, thank goodness that she is still my girlfriend.’
John can’t help but think so.
-o-O-o-
The date went well at first.
Yes, at first.
Until…
“John, I always put up with it because we have been in love with each other for a long time, but I can’t stand it anymore! You have to be more spiritual and understanding! We are not compatible after all! Let’s break up!” Kathy says angrily and leaves.
‘How did it come to this?!’
John roars angrily in his mind as he thinks back on what happened.
-o-O-o-
“What a good dinner!” Kathy smiled at John as she said so.
“As I said, I will make it up to you. I hope you are not disappointed, eh?” John replied teasingly.
“Hmm… who knows?” Kathy cutely winked at him.
Even an idiot could tell that she was in a good mood.
“Then, let us go to the movies next!” She said excitedly.
‘Honestly, this girl is hopeless.’
John sighed mentally but thought fondly of his girl nonetheless.
…
…
…
‘What the hell is this?!’ John secretly thought as they both entered the movies.
All the movies were stuff John didn’t like: spiritual.
Although, in retrospect, this was obvious considering how weird this world was.
He could never understand how a spiritual movie could be popular.
“Let’s watch this, John!” Kathy picked one of the popular movies on a poster.
Of course, it was a spiritual one.
‘Urgh…’ John mentally groaned as his girlfriend dragged him into the theater room.
…
…
…
“Ah, that was fun!” Kathy said when they both got out of the room.
“What do you think of the movie, John?”
“I can’t believe I had to watch that crap for 2 hours. What a waste of time,” John swore.
John unconsciously replied so. He had been under stress since this morning because of this spiritual stuff. Now that he had to watch the genre for 2 hours straight, he lost his cool.
“W-What do you mean, John?! That was a good movie!” Kathy protested.
“How is that crap even remotely good? All they talked about in the movie is that ‘I don’t need to be rich.’ or ‘God is always watching over me.’ What a bunch of idiots and hypocrites,” John continued his suppressed honest thought.
“I-Isn’t that a good thing, John?! They live their life admirably following their own path!”
“Only sounds good on the paper. With even remotely slightly deeper analysis, it is clear as day to see that they are fools.”
“W-What about the father? Isn’t what he was doing very admirable?”
“If this was a venue of admiring the greatest fool, then yes.”
“…”
Kathy went into an angry silence.
Not noticing that because of his built-up stress, John continued.
“Honestly, willingly suffered because they had helped completely unknown strangers and were also very proud of it? I don’t buy that crap. It would be better if the-”
John stopped his words halfway.
His girlfriend was glaring indignantly at him.
“How dare you insulted their selfless and admirable actions like that?!”
-o-O-o-
Back to the present, John was dumped by Kathy.
He is currently reflecting on how it happened.
‘I let my guard down.’
That is his conclusion.
He was too happy with the fact that Kathy remained his girlfriend to notice that she was also not the same Kathy he knew.
That was why his trash talk happened.
It would be fine with the previous Kathy, but not this one.
He misinterpreted that.
And now, he paid the consequence of that incorrect view.
“I want to go back to my original world…” John murmurs.
He thinks any of these craps wouldn’t happen to him if it was his old world.
“How am I supposed to live on…”
He was already quite fed up with this new world even back when Kathy still didn’t dump him. Now that he loses her – the most important person to him – too, he doesn’t want to live on anymore.
John sits alone on a desolate stair hugging his knees as his thought is going around in circles; a lot of what if occurs in his mind.
Lost in his thought, John doesn’t even know how much time has passed since he has been sitting there.
Until…
“So you are here, John.”
…His twin brother comes for him.
-o-O-o-
“What the hell do you want with me, George?!”
The depressed john changes his feeling into anger and roars at his younger brother.
“You have not gone home. I heard from Kathy that you guys broke up.”
George’s answer irritates John even more.
“So what?! You are here now to ridicule your unpopular brother, eh?!”
“That is not what I-“ George tries to refuse.
“You probably think what a joke of a brother you have, right?! Want to make fun of me for my failures?! I bet Kathy would want to go out with you more than me!”
Taking a deep breath, John continues, “That’s right. Unlike you, I know no shit about spirituality! It is not strange that people would mock me in this goddamn world!”
Glaring at George, John says bitterly, “So what exactly a popular guy like you is here for?!”
“…If you want, I will teach you about spirituality so that people will accept you, John.”
“Eh?”
“…Or if you do not want to, you can just stay the way you are and I will still always support you, John.”
George stretches his hand out to John.
“W-Why…” John can only get one word out in his shocked state.
“I am worried about you, John,” George says with a look of concern in his eyes. His hand is still reaching out to John.
-o-O-o-
“W-why…” John murmurs again.
“Why what, John?” George asks.
“Why are you so concerned for me?! Why you don’t look down on me like everyone else for understanding no shit about the spiritual stuff?!” John is finally able to put his thought into words.
“Why would you think I would do those things, John?” George asks curiously.
“Because I did them to you! In the fucking world I came from, I always talked badly about you to my friends and looked down on you!” John confesses.
“…you what?”
“That’s right! I came from another world, George!”
…
…
…
“…So that is how it is,” George says so after he has finished hearing what John had to say. No one knows if George really believes it or not.
George goes silent again for a while, contemplating something before he finally says his piece.
“…The reason I am so concerned is that you are my brother, of course.”
“Just that?” John asks, unconvinced.
Shaking his head in refusal, George continues.
“Also, I see nothing wrong with you choosing to be materialistic, John. People should be able to choose their way of life. People should have freedom of thought. Those who said that you should change are lacking in their study of spirituality. I, however, will offer to help you if you want to change your way to suit this new society.”
“George…” John calls his brother’s name sentimentally. Tears drop from his eyes.
“Thank you, George! I am so sorry for always looking down on you in that other world, even though you are actually such a great guy!” John cries as he takes George’s outstretched hand.
“Really thank you…” John murmurs one last time as he closes his eyes contently with tears still streaming down his face.
-o-O-o-
“It is so tiring today.”
John complains to himself as he lies down on his bed.
After that, George taught John the basics of spirituality, and then they both went to bed when it was getting late.
John thinks back on what happened so far on this day.
Waking up in a different world
Ostracized by his friends at school
Dumped by his beloved girlfriend
Got comforted by his brother as he cried his heart out like a mongrel
“…So lame.”
John can’t stop the words stating his honest feelings as he covers his face with both of his hands in embarrassment.
“I wonder what I should do now. How am I supposed to live on in this weird world?”
John falls asleep as he is thinking about that.
-o-O-o-
*Beep*
*Beep*
*Beep*
“Oh, come on, man! I am still sleepy!” John complains so as he uses his hand to cease the annoying sound.
Still sleepy, he looks at the time shown on the clock.
7:15 a.m.
“Crap! I’m so fucking late!” John swears.
Actually, normally, this would not be considered late for him, but John promised George yesterday that he will wake up early to give alms together with George so that he can learn basic spiritual stuff from him.
John hurriedly gets dressed and goes down the stairs to the living room looking flustered.
In there, he only finds his mother.
“Why do you seem to be in such a hurry today, John? It is still quite a while before the school starts,” his mom asks curiously.
“Where is George?” ignoring the question, John instead asks his mom.
“George? He is in his room right now, meditating as usual,” the mother says with a concealed disgust in her voice.
Unfortunately, John is still not calm enough to pick up on that subtlety. He just gives his thanks to his mother, and then goes up the stairs again to meet George.
“George, can I go in?” John knocks on the door and waits for George to reply.
After a moment, George gives his permission, “Yes, come in.”
-o-O-o-
“It is rare for you to come to see me specifically. What’s wrong, John?” George asks curiously.
“What are you talking about, George? Are you still angry that I did not go giving alms with you this morning?” John misunderstands that George is angry because his words seemed so distant.
“…Giving alms with me?” George gasps at the unusual words by John.
“…When did you also like giving alms, John?” George asks after regaining his calm.
“What are you talking about, George? Although today is not a holy day like yesterday but didn’t we promise to do it together today?”
“Are you still half-asleep, John? Today is a holy day,” George corrects.
“Eh? Wait, what is the date?”
“7th July.”
‘What the hell?! Wasn’t 7th July yesterday?!’
“Furthermore, I am the only one in the house who gives alms regularly. When did you ever promise me to give them together? So you really are still half-asleep, John. You should not stay up too late, you know?” George scolds.
‘Half-sleep? Don’t tell me it was all a dream!’
“Hahahahahahahaha…” John laughs out loud.
“W-What’s wrong, John?” George asks confusedly.
“Nothing. I just had a long dream. That’s all,” John waves it off while still laughing.
Even though all that was a dream, he is not the same John as before. He is not the John that is popular and knows no humiliations. He is the John who understands the world better. Understand how fragile he really is. That experience made him grow.
“George, I have two things to ask of you,” John stops laughing and says with a serious expression.
“W-What is it, John?” George stuttering says, still doesn’t regain his calm.
“Please forgive me for always trash-talking about your chosen path, and please teach me how to be more spiritual!”
-o-O-o-
Under George’s tutelage, John very slowly, but gradually changes. He is less materialistic now.
In school, while some of his old friends avoid him because of his change, John makes new friends who appreciate his new self. As he is not as spiritual as George, most people still find him quite acceptable, unlike his poor twin younger brother.
His childhood sweetheart girlfriend is also uneasy because of his change. Her boyfriend focuses less on having fun during their dates now and that makes her quite unhappy. There are some new qualities of her boyfriend that manifest, however. He is less of an angry man now. He always laughs bad things off with a smile in the things that back in the day he would be very angry and upset with.
Eventually, his girlfriend can’t contain her curiosity anymore and asks John about his change.
John patiently explains his entire story to his loved one. After he has finished, he asks whether the girl would accept the new him.
His childhood sweetheart laughs and says, “Of course, I would accept you, silly. I love you after all.”
John has a bright smile on his face as he replies, “Yes, thank you. Let’s be happy together, Kathy!”
This incident of John ends here. Everyone continues to live their life until death comes for them.
