Are Our Cups Too Full?
Emptying the mind helps you make room for more knowledge
Many years ago, a scholar visited a wise Zen master. The master cheerily poured tea for him. However, he let the hot liquid cascade over the sides of the cup. The worried scholar pointed out that the cup was already full. The master then explained that the scholar was like the full cup and needed to be empty before he could learn about Zen.
On a warm afternoon, I sat in the garden, drinking coffee with my husband Lee, who asked, “What’s Zen?”
I took a sip and considered what to say before replying, “Well, I’m not sure. But I know it’s not very Zen-like to try to define it.”
Lee narrowed his eyes. “Huh?” He said.
I did my best to satiate his curiosity.
“When you aim to narrow down what something is, you limit it. You impose your knowledge on it, which could be incomplete. We can say, for instance, that Zen is about living in the moment. It involves calmness, connecting with nature, and uncovering the ultimate reality.”
“Good,” said Lee. “Now you’ve given me a glimpse of Zen’s qualities.”
However, it was my turn to squint. “Hmm. But I was also going to say that we can’t truly do Zen justice by defining…
