A Motivational Story: THE CUP IS FULL!

I once heard a story about a university professor who was an expert in Buddhism and East Asian religions. He had written several books on the subject and had always wanted to meet a Zen master who lived in India. So, he set out to meet his guru.

The master was very old, calm, and kind. As soon as they met, the scholar began talking about everything he knew about Zen, Buddhism, and related topics.

The teacher interrupted him and asked, “Would you like a cup of tea?”

“Yes, that would be lovely,” the scholar replied.

The guru took a cup and placed it on a tray, then began pouring tea into the cup. The scholar continued speaking, oblivious. Soon, the cup was full, but the teacher kept pouring. Tea overflowed from the cup, spilling onto the tray. As the man kept talking, the teacher continued pouring, and soon the tea was running onto the floor, soaking their feet.

Finally, the scholar interrupted, “Excuse me, but the cup is full.”

The teacher looked at him and replied, “You are like this cup. You are so full of everything you already know that there is no room for anything new.”