Hello everyone, it’s time for another Zen Koan.
A master of Zen received a university professor who came to inquire about the Way.
The master began to serve his guest tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the tea as it spilled onto the floor. Then when he could no longer restrain himself, he shouted “It is overfull. No more will go in!”
“Like this cup,” the master said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
The lesson of this koan might be easy to understand, but it is difficult to do. Have you ever heard someone proclaim, “I’m the humblest person I know!” You might laugh at the thought, but that is how we often behave. Most people are terrible listeners. Even if we're listening to a close friend, we are often just waiting for our turn to speak. This koan reminds me of the older community college student who sits in the front row of class, as if eager to learn, but always ends up in a debate with the teacher. The student is not able to let go of their own assumptions, developed over many years, to learn something that might challenge their viewpoint. You must let go of your ego before you can embrace new knowledge.
The first step to overcoming the ego is to learn to be silent. When you learn to silence your own internal dialogue, you awaken to the reality of the present moment.
Who am I?
I write about martial arts, self-defense, and mental health. You can find my blogs about martial arts in the FightingArts Community.