A highly acclaimed young monk who was researching and teaching about Buddhist philosophy went to a Zen master in search of knowing more about Zen. Upon arriving, the monk introduced himself and told the Zen master his purpose of visit. He humbly asked the master, “will you please teach me about the Zen philosophy?” The master responded by saying, “there is nothing to teach”. But, the monk cried, “you're a highly acclaimed and a renowned master”. The master interrupted and calmly said to the monk, “Come, let's have some tea”, and he took the monk into his modest home.
Inside, they sat down on the floor in front of a small table. The master got the pot of tea. He poured the tea slowly and gently into his own cup. He then continued to pour the tea into the monk’s cup – slowly and gently. Soon the cup filled up to the brim, but the master continued. The tea spilt on the table. The monk from across the table, seeing this exclaimed, “Master, what are you doing? The tea is spilling all over!”
The master calmly replied, “if you are already filled with your opinions, then how can you learn something new?” And continued, “To learn something new, you’ll have to empty yourself. When you’re empty, you’ll understand Zen.” The scholar-monk had his tea, thanked the master and left.
“To learn something new, you’ll have to empty yourself. When you’re empty, you’ll understand Zen.”
For any new creation, one has to be free of one’s own biases and opinions – for they are created by us. Only then there becomes a space available for a new creation. Simplicity is to let go of this habit of accumulation.
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