Zen Story

Have you heard this story?

A young man went to learn Zen from an old monk. The old monk invited him to come into the temple and served a pot of tea. The young man started telling the monk all that he understood about Zen. As he went on and on, the monk resumed pouring tea into the young man's cup, which was already full, causing it to overflow.

"Stop stop! It's already full, master!" the young man exclaimed.

"You are also full like this teacup. If you do not empty yourself, how am I going to teach you?" the monk said.

Ah.

The story stops here.

Yet, there is a deeper level of meaning to this.

How does the monk know that the young man is not going to say something profound? Before the young man has finished explaining his understanding, the chance that he might say something enlightening to the monk, however small, is still there.

So the monk has judged his own knowledge as superior to that of the young man before giving a full hearing. Is this not, in it's own way, a sign of a "full teacup"?

That's why before I comment on the lack of open-mindedness in others, I reflect on myself first (or at least I would if I were less proud of myself).

NOTE:

Guin's explanation to this story is even more amazing and Zen-like:

"monk like to waste tea"