Bruce Lee’s favorite story was about the zen master that likes to serve his favorite cup of tea…
One day, a well educated yet arrogant man visited the zen master to “satisfy his own inquiries.”
As the zen master spoke, he was often interrupted by the man who felt compelled to offer his own opinions on the subject…
The zen master then offered the man a cup of tea and proceeded to pour the tea into the empty cup until it began to overflow…
The man then begged the zen master to stop, which prompted the zen master to ask why:
“Because the cup is already full.”
The zen master responded…
“Well, so are you… In order to taste my tea you must start by emptying your cup.”
How often in life do we think we are seeking advice, yet all we really want is verification of our own preconceived individual thoughts and beliefs.
Taking it a step further… When we put enough energy and effort into seeking something, we will find that if we want confirmation, we will undoubtedly and unfortunately find a way to get it.
The only way to seek, and eventually uncover the TRUTH, is by emptying our cup and making sure it never again gets full.
-EB