In Movies, Why Are Master Teachers Always Reluctant?

And in books... and in real life?

Because they’re experienced. And with experience you learn that almost no one is ready to learn. Readiness to learn involves humility and putting aside ego. That is so rare that unwillingness to learn is held up as a badge of honor. The more incorrect their beliefs, the more resistant they are to changing them.Think of how commonly we hear people pridefully proclaim they know the answer before examining evidence. In fact, recently, we've all observed an instance of many people believing something without any evidence and refusing to change their opinions as endless counterevidence mounts, as 100% of their own party's election officials shutdown the conspiracy thinking, as 100% of conservative judges shutdown the baseless fraud claims, as every single expert without a vested interest affirms the security of the election. When I was a kid and I’d watch these movies wherein sensei or Buddhist monks turn away ardent students, I’d always wonder, “why are they being such jerks?” I always wondered why people who hold so much knowledge would be so reluctant to share, even when it appears there are dedicated learners ready to soak up the lesson. Now we know. People have absolutely zero interest in changing their faulty and fictional beliefs.

In Star Wars you see Yoda refuse to take on Luke. Mr. Miyagi is hardly enthused about Daniel. And most everyone has read a story involving seekers of truth being laughed at, scorned, and scoffed right out of the ashram, monastery, school, remote retreat. TRUE seeking is done over a lifetime, not a day, a week, a month, or even a year.

And after being in an area of expertise for nigh 20 years, I finally get it. Most people ask a question not really wanting the genuine answer. They want a shortcut. They want a sound byte. They want a meme. They want a hashtag. They want a slogan, a logo, a superficial empty answer that really won’t get anyone any farther. They don’t want to slave for the answer. They eschew the work it will take to understand. They do not have any interest, in fact, in gaining an understanding of the very system they say they want to understand. Mostly, they just want an affirmation for all of the incorrect things they already believe. Challenge them on any portion of their fiction, and they get angry.

People ask for a tip, a trick, an outline, a plan, a program, a consolidation of millions of hours of research into a trite sentiment one could place on a bumper sticker. No. The people with the answer won’t answer you. They are the reluctant sensei UNTIL you are willing to suffer in the rain, wait in the cold, fail and fail and fail and still not look for a shorter/easier way.

​Systems which govern an entire subject, a total physical path, all of the universe cannot be shortened into a catch phrase. Wellness, health and fitness is not able to be abbreviated into an app, a tracker, a mindless single-word diet. Remember this. Remember this when you go to slap a single pejorative political word on hundreds of millions of different individuals who you know very well don’t all think the same thing.

Remember this when you ask a specialist to take their 60,000 hours of professional experience and turn it into a “4 week plan”. Remember this when you ask a skilled craftsman for “a little help”. Remember this when you ask a genuine artist to “come up with a logo.” Remember this when you ask master teachers anything. The simplicity of your question shows your lack of resolve, your lack of seriousness, your lack of earnestness, your unwillingness to grow. And you will be answered in kind.