Comments on: A Cup of Tea http://www.eddieoneverything.com Tips & tricks on things that interest me Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:13:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Emmett http://www.eddieoneverything.com/zen-koans/a-cup-of-tea/comment-page-1#comment-156956 Emmett Sun, 08 Mar 2009 08:28:06 +0000 http://www.eddieoneverything.com/zen-koans/a-cup-of-tea/#comment-156956 As a part time martial arts practitioner and avid reader of philosophy I have just realized that it not necessary to EMPTY your cup but rather blend it with old and new. Great comment Rencsi, thanks for the new view of a cup. As a part time martial arts practitioner and avid reader of philosophy I have just realized that it not necessary to EMPTY your cup but rather blend it with old and new. Great comment Rencsi, thanks for the new view of a cup.

]]> By: Rencsi http://www.eddieoneverything.com/zen-koans/a-cup-of-tea/comment-page-1#comment-139022 Rencsi Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:07:40 +0000 http://www.eddieoneverything.com/zen-koans/a-cup-of-tea/#comment-139022 If a cup can only hold a certain amount of fluid, any fluid added in addition to that amount is going to overflow. Allowing overflow renews the tea in the cup at any moment and keeps it hot and fresh. The overflow spreads and covers everything around it. If you are constantly learning and changing, your mind will stayed renewed and you will always have a fresh outlook and ideas. If your mind is full of Zen-like life, that is also what you will share with others. If a cup can only hold a certain amount of fluid, any fluid added in addition to that amount is going to overflow. Allowing overflow renews the tea in the cup at any moment and keeps it hot and fresh. The overflow spreads and covers everything around it. If you are constantly learning and changing, your mind will stayed renewed and you will always have a fresh outlook and ideas. If your mind is full of Zen-like life, that is also what you will share with others.

]]> By: eddie http://www.eddieoneverything.com/zen-koans/a-cup-of-tea/comment-page-1#comment-138734 eddie Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:11:34 +0000 http://www.eddieoneverything.com/zen-koans/a-cup-of-tea/#comment-138734 This is a nice "starter-koan" as it makes a nice point about learning Zen koans - namely that you need to clear your mind and learn to think in a different way that you are likely accustomed. While the koan itself seems pretty straightforward, it is interesting that the professor waits as long as he does before telling the master that the cup is overflowing. The professor is, after all, a teaching professional. He saw the master making what he thought was an error - continuing to pour water into the cup after it was already full. But the professor waited until he could no longer restrain _himself_ before speaking up. When the professor finally did speak up, he made a very self-assured and definitive statement, admonishing the master for what he thought was an error on the master's part. But it wasn't an error - and I doubt that the professor understands that. How is the professor to learn Zen if he already has preconceived notions about what is "right" and what is "wrong," or what is a mistake and what was intended? This is a nice “starter-koan” as it makes a nice point about learning Zen koans – namely that you need to clear your mind and learn to think in a different way that you are likely accustomed.

While the koan itself seems pretty straightforward, it is interesting that the professor waits as long as he does before telling the master that the cup is overflowing. The professor is, after all, a teaching professional. He saw the master making what he thought was an error – continuing to pour water into the cup after it was already full. But the professor waited until he could no longer restrain _himself_ before speaking up.

When the professor finally did speak up, he made a very self-assured and definitive statement, admonishing the master for what he thought was an error on the master’s part. But it wasn’t an error – and I doubt that the professor understands that. How is the professor to learn Zen if he already has preconceived notions about what is “right” and what is “wrong,” or what is a mistake and what was intended?

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