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EMPTY YOUR
CUP
A university professor
went to visit a famous Zen master. While the master quietly served tea, the
professor talked about Zen. The master poured the visitor's cup to the brim,
and then kept pouring. The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could
no longer restrain himself. "It's overfull! No more will go in!" the
professor blurted. "You are like this cup," the master replied,
"How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup."
People's
reactions to this story:
"You
cannot learn anything if you already feel that you know."
"Preconceived
ideas and prejudices always prevent us from seeing the truth."
"You
should open your mind before you open your mouth."
"The
master is trying to tell him to ease back and relax. The professor is too
anxious about the whole thing."
"Some
people want to be taught everything in one sitting. It's not
possible."
"This
story proves to me that you have to unlearn before you can learn."
"We
shouldn't get too wrapped up in one aspect of life. If we do, we close
ourselves off to new experiences."
"Even
though you may be full of knowledge, you should always be open to the fact that
there is still more to learn."
"I bet
the master did that just to shut the professor up!"
"If you
want to learn, you have to shut up and LISTEN for a change."
"We
should be open to the views of others, and accept them as their own. Treat each
opinion individually, and don't just add it to your own."
"Sometimes
another person has to catch you with your guard down in order to teach you
something."
"The
professor's understanding of Zen is too intellectualized. The master is trying
to point him towards a more intuitive understanding. If you're too
intellectualized about ANY subject, often you miss the boat."
"I would
tell this story to anyone who believed something about me that was
untrue."
"I think
the master was trying to show him that when you can no longer take it is time
to give - and you must sometimes give in order to receive."
"This
professor probably doesn't really believe in Zen. His prejudices are preventing
him from seeing clearly. This is what the master is trying to show
him."
"Too
much of anything is just too much!"
"I don't
think the professor's reaction indicated that he had a closed mind. It was
perfectly normal. Wouldn't you do the same if someone was spilling tea all over
the place?"