People We Meet : Aung Bwa (Monk Jack)
November 4, 2017
The Green Lion
Some people are just born to be a moviestar. Others light up a room simply with their charisma. The 27-year old monk Aung Bwa is both in tenfold.
Better known as Jack (an English name chosen to make our life easier), Aung Bwa is born in a village of about hundred people in Myanmar’s Sagaing division. Since recently, he’s roaming the halls of a monastic school in Mandalay to study English, pestering the foreign teachers with an infectious laugh and a whole range of funny mannerisms. He became my dear friend and a massive reason why Myanmar is a gem filled with beautiful people.
I met Jack on my first day doing the Teaching Program. He just finished a class and his βHiβ was followed with a bold βWhen can I practice English with you?β. Easy tiger, Iβm not your teacher. On weekends, Jack uses the same enthusiasm to take us volunteers sightseeing around the numerous temples in the area. He explains about Buddhism, teaches us Burmese, or even meditation. But mostly he talks about random nonsense and laughs a ton. Every viewpoint that we cross, Jack confidently commands us which angle is best for the perfect picture. Come-come, yup yup. Do this, stop here. He stands still, calmly adjusts his robes, lifts his head and starts posing for my camera without being asked for. I teach him a new word called “arrogance”.
At the age of twelve, Jack’s parents send him off to become a novice monk. In short, novices are Buddhist ‘monks in training’ under the age of twenty, who have to abide to a specific list of rules called precepts. This means waking up around 5AM to collect food that is donated to them by locals. It means eating two meals a day and no food after noon. Strictly speaking, it even means these (teenage) boys are not allowed to play sports or sing songs.
Jack didn’t like it one bit. The βnot liking itβ lasted for about six years, off and on, until he saw the light at the age of eighteen. It’s when he decided to grasp the opportunity that has been provided to him and decided to study for many years. He’s still doing that to this day, and later his dream is to become a famous poet. “That’s not a bad dream, Jack. When do you think you’ll become famous?” “Before I’m dead“. OK, reasonable enough.
In order to do so, he arrived at our monastic school a mere two months ago. The place is famous around the country for their free education system and unusual approach on education. This is where The Green Lion’s volunteers want to help out. Here, Jack plans to spend about three years until he reaches next-level English skills. By then heβll be 30 and probably fed up with studying, right? No. His dream is to go to Sri Lanka and study Buddhist Literature for another three to four years. Iβm feeling increasingly guilty for not being interesting in my own education.
In those aspects, Jack is a typical Burmese monk. In all other aspects, he is not. When meeting a rare tourist on the streets of Mandalay, he’s remarkably often asked for a picture. He claims it’s because he’s handsome, but that’s when I have to remind him that Buddhists are not allowed to tell a lie.
Jack has one older brother, married with three kids, working together with his parents at their farm. He gets to see them twice each year, making the ten hour journey back to the North-West of Myanmar. His brother was only a novice for seven days, because he wanted different things in life. Considering Jack initially disliked monkhood as well, I ask why he didn’t choose to go back himself. There was a lack of funds, and it wasn’t an option. Monks are provided free education, in a country where only roughly ten percent of the population will reach as far as high school. It’s an amazing system in which the Buddhist society happily provides for them, with gratitude. After receiving education, some choose to stay, many choose to leave. When asked if he ever wants to stop being a monk, Jack says no. He can’t see tomorrow, but he’s happy today.
Jack looks at his imaginary watch on an empty wrist. Yup yup, it’s time. Interview is over. His fake watch is right, as it always is: class is about to start. We originally had scheduled a specific time for the interview, but sat around for an hour-and-a-half not really doing what we came here to, getting lost in random chatter. Which is just the way we like it.
Later, we decide to climb the 1729 steps up to Mandalay hill. On a big rock overlooking the city, he and monk Richard spread their arms, waving around in the wind. I point out there’s a famous scene with a movie character called Jack, so we spend the rest of the afternoon singing the tune of Titanic completely off-key. Me and my group of monks, we made Celine Dion proud. It hits me that this is not where I was expecting to be just a few months ago. And Iβm definitely not with people I was expecting to be with. It’s so much better.
Jack and our new gang of monks are an example that you don’t need to be from the same religion, surroundings or even continent to have a connection. You don’t even have to share the same language: just smile, have a kind heart and friendly eyes. If you ever find yourself in Myanmar, visit the school and see if you ever want to leave. I dare you. Jack will be there for another three years, always looking for new people to charm.
