Masterclass in Webtoon. "Enrolling in the Transcendent Academy" 01

Being a junior in high school, most of my time is dedicated towards academic work or extracurriculars. But behind all of the nerdy stuff, I’m actually a secret Webtoon enthusiast, especially when it comes to the action genre.

Having practically read all of the webtoons available on the platform, I have a lot to say about these stories. The common perception is that Webtoons are just a form of procrastination, with no real academic value. I used to think the same, until I read a Webtoon called "Enrolling in the Transcendent Academy." That story completely changed my mindset.

At first, it seemed pretty generic: a weak protagonist stumbles upon the Transcendent Academy, a place that offers lessons from mythical beings in exchange for Karma. (Think Masterclass, but instead of Stephen Curry, you get teachers like Sun Wukong or Merlin.)I expected another typical strong-protagonist-beats-everyone-up plotline—something I would binge-read and quickly forget. But as I kept reading, I realized this story had incredible life lessons hidden within.

In fact, many Webtoons I’ve read have given me new perspectives, fresh experiences, and valuable lessons: things I never encountered in a classroom. These stories have left markings on my soul, helping me grow into a better person. So here's a lesson I learned from “Enrolling in the Transcendent Academy,” and it’s one I hope to carry with me throughout my life.

Enrolling in the Transcendent Academy, Episode 37

Siddhartha Gautama, a.k.a. The Buddha.

“What do you see when you look upon the world? In truth, the world is not as beautiful as we’d like to think. The Law of the Jungle. Survival of the Fittest. The very laws of nature select the strongest and eliminate the weak. This is why we are hard on ourselves. If you don’t want to be eliminated. If you don’t want to fall behind everyone else. Yesterday, today, tomorrow. Every day, you must be more. The young monk asks himself, “Have you ever escaped this way of thinking?” Even once? And looked upon the world with a different point of view? 

Here is a story from when I walked the earth as a young monk: A child is seen racing with other kids, yet he comes in last every single time. The monk asks, “Why do you run, child? You are always beaten.” He replies, “How could they ever beat me? The finish line is simply a checkpoint for me.” And the child continued to come in last. Many years later, a race was held, the biggest later. And the story goes, the child set a magnificent record.

Until then, the young monk had thought of life as a sort of tower… built through hard work… stacking your accomplishments one by one. So the young monk worked at his ascetic practice, building his own tower of hard work. But the young monk, reflecting on the boy’s words, suddenly realised: There was no need to finish the tower, it’s fine to let it fall. Why has he never realised that before? 

So a long time ago, a small child helped a young monk make a deep realisation. Our society is a competitive society. If you don’t improve every day, you’ll be eliminated. If you fall behind, you disappear. 

The law of the jungle. Survival of the fittest. That’s why I worked so hard every day. To develop quickly and thus tell myself that I wasn’t falling behind. But that just leads to more anxiety and more obsession. 

We shouldn’t care. Those who put us down don’t make us less of a person. As long as we are trying our best, every finish line is just a checkpoint, and our end goal will extend beyond the horizons.”

Thoughts

Following Siddhartha, I strive to treat each finish line as a checkpoint. Our jouney to learn never truly ends. What's important is to keep looking forward, at the next checkpoint.

As a student in a competitive school, I constantly hold myself to high standards -- reaching towards overachievement and accomplishing everything I do flawlessly. Yet in this race towards perfection, it is easy to get caught up in things that don't matter in the long run. Winning isn't always everything (though it is nice). In my process of growing up, I've learnt that becoming a better version of myself is what matters. An experience isn't quantified by the result, but rather the impact. If failure leads to me making bigger strides the next time I try, then it would have been more valuable than a victory.

And whilst I probably won’t be fighting monsters with Hercules power like Seojun Kim — protagonist in the Webtoon— I like to think that I still have a bit of the demigod power within myself. A power that can’t crush everything, but one that can help me crush my goals.

I spend my days finding a reason I get up from bed every day, a reason why I do what I do. Thus, I focus on my passion, what makes my blood rush and my heart sing. I work on environmental sustainability, motorsports, economics, writing, basketball… And I feel the power sing in my veins, willing my dreams to reality.

This power is within all of us, we just need to believe in ourselves. People may judge us for our supposed 'greatness', but behind that, we are defined by all our moments, big or small. Gather your strength, dare to dream.