Each week, at the new Budding Dharma Zen Buddhist Temple in Arlington, Texas, I think about what should I talk about in addition to our sitting and walking meditation and that might be of interest to the Sangha members who attend.  Not all the members are necessarily Buddhist, but many seem to be connected to Mindfulness Practices and wish to lead lives that are happy, compassionate and peaceful.  This week, I came across a website that had some stories related to Buddhist principles that I thought I might use and one caught my eye.  It was called, “A Cup of Tea”.  The story goes like this: 

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?”  

What a beautiful and simple story that points the way to demonstrate the benefits of our meditation and mindfulness practice.  I know my cup of opinions and speculations is frequently overflowing and I don’t think my personal observation is far off from what we all might see when we look at our thoughts, opinions, judgments and actions.  Through meditation practice, we reduce our attachments to those thoughts, opinions, judgments and actions, along with their influence.  We then can open our hearts to let our own Buddha Nature take over.  Unless we actively support the practices that work to” empty our cup”, the delusions of our mind filled with learned prejudices, judgments and opinions, will be in the forefront of our thoughts.  They will be the loudest voices in our mind, overpowering the quiet, peaceful whispers of our Bodhicitta mind; urging us towards service to others and to achieving full enlightenment to benefit all sentient beings as fully as possible.  That is why Bodhicitta is often called the “Wish Fulfilling Jewel” because like a magic jewel; it brings true happiness.

So, on those days when we are tempted to maybe let our meditation and mindfulness practices slip, think back to the picture of that teacup overflowing and know that to be the best we can be, we need our practice to empty ourselves a bit to let the wisdom of Zen and the Dharma of our ancestral Teacher, the Shakyamuni Buddha, fill us up.