The Cup of Tea - A Buddhist Short Story


Story Text
Once upon a time, there was a Japanese Zen master. One day he was visited by a professor who was very interested in Zen Buddhism. The Zen master welcomed him and served him a cup of tea. The professor started to list his degrees and said,
“I already know much about the world and about Buddhism too, but I want to expand my knowledge. Please, teach me everything you know about Zen.”
The Zen master didn’t answer. He poured tea into his cup. But when the cup was full, he kept on pouring. When the professor saw the cup overflow, he said,
“The cup is already overflowing, it is full, nothing more will go in.”
The Zen master stopped pouring tea into the full cup and replied, “Like this cup, you are too full of opinions and knowledge. I cannot teach you Zen unless you first empty your cup.”



Keywords: Buddhist Short Story, motivational story, zen story, sleep story, inspirational story.

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