Where There Is No Way, A Way Must Be Made

I’ve had the privilege of being a teacher for nearly all of my adult life. In recent years, though, I’ve become increasingly frustrated with the way teachers in the West are often viewed simply as gatekeepers of information. I’ve literally had multiple people say, “Why would I need a teacher? I have the Internet!”

But as it turns out, you can have millennia of knowledge at your fingertips and still not be able to have a coherent idea, look after yourself, or get out of bed in the morning. Finding your way in life isn’t just a matter of having information. It’s a matter of learning to MAKE a way from the simple building blocks of your daily thoughts, words, and deeds.

To do that, we need other people — real humans, not apps, not AI — to model this skill for us. Centuries ago, the Buddha said that all our problems come from avijja, which is sometimes translated as “ignorance,” but really means “lack of skill.” We’re not born knowing how to use our minds in ways that bring happiness. We need teachers, parents, mentors, and wise friends to learn that.

Have you noticed how angry everyone is these days? It’s easy to say, “Well yeah, there’s lots to be angry about!” Until you step back and realize that a lot of this anger is a constant across all strata of society: the rich and poor, left and right, etc. I believe that a lot of our perpetual resentment comes from an over-reliance on technology, which has led us to believe we should have some pre-paved road to happiness. But the true path is only ever the one you make by walking it.

The Buddha said that the way is fabricated out of simple actions: the way you breathe, the way you speak, the way you perceive. How can you make these fabrications more skillful? How can you imbue them more with love? Resentment, or the frustration that there is no way, can be healthy, provided you see it as a call to embrace your own power. Things piss you off because you know you could do them better. So do them better.

Painting by Alexander Trifonov