Learning from life versus learning from a teacher

Following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Questioner: If I’m the first man and the only one, can I disregard all your teachings and learn firsthand from life? Can I forget all the theories I have heard from you? Those theories might be holding me back against inquiring on my own, where I am, as I am.

Acharya Prashant: What is this mysterious thing called ‘life’ you are referring to? What is life? We talk of life as if life is some vague, nebulous thing happening in some other mysterious or mystical dimension. What is life? — This breathing, this eating, these day-to-day interactions, these relationships, right? The food that you eat, the work that you do, the people you come across, isn’t all this life? So, how am I outside the purview of your life?

You’re talking of life as if life is something totally separated from anybody who can help you out. And this in itself is quite interesting — all the trauma that you experience on a daily basis, that you happily call as life, all the nonsense you remain mired in, that you happily call as life, your interactions and your relationships with all the foolish and unworthy and mediocre people, that you will gladly accept as life.