I Read Zen Stories

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”

“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”

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Eidolon · M

I've always liked this, and I know that the message of the parable is something completely different...
but is it just my thoughts that full awareness ought to include the discipline of not being extravagant with the tea?

(No disrespect intended towards Nan-in, the concept of Zen or any Buddhists that might be looking for satori or kenshō on SW - boy you guys are at the wrong doorstep!)

I mean, how was it reasonable for Tenno to have full awareness in the few seconds it took to consider whether he placed his umbrella to the left or right of his shoes... but Nan-in not to have full awareness of the at least 3 years (of effort and divine provisions) that it took for the tea to mature enough for harvest?

And it's not just tea leaf/leaves... it's the water too. Water!
Feels a little extravagant if not heedlessly wasteful.

I lean more towards the instruction :"Do not waste water even if you were at a running/flowing stream"

For surely if the streams, rivers and oceans were dry, it makes no difference whose cup is emptier.
And similarly - if The One, who keeps keeps the bodies of water from being empty, decided to overfill them... it would also be catastrophic - for both Nan-in or the professor.

ethereal · F

@Eidolon Well, I don’t know about Tenno, but will search and read about him.

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