A Zen Story

What is it about Sundays that we often find our selves using a few moments of the day for reflection? It has a pace all of it's own, quite different from a Wednesday, much more serene than the Saturday that precedes it and certainly more sober than a Friday.

For me its not a religious thing, its just, even in this modern world, Sunday's seem to stroll through the minutes and seconds rather than hurtle at break neck speed.

A little bit of Zen Chez T-J

My Sunday morning musing took me back to a little story I heard many years back, when I was a philosophy student myself, 25 years on and it is still with me. I think it is fitting for a Sunday and so I would like to share it with you and see what you think?

"The Japanese Zen Master Nan-in gave audience to a professor of Philosophy.

Serving tea, Nan-in filled his visitor's cup and kept pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he could restrain no longer:

STOP!

The cup is overfull, no more will go in.

Nan-in said "Like this cup, you are full and overflowing with your own opinions, notions and speculations.

How can I teach you Zen, unless you first empty your cup?"

It's so true how can we truly embrace inner peace unless we forego some of our egotistical influences and create some room for it.

The opening lines of the wonderful poem Desiderata, reiterates just that. "Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence"

What do you think about the Zen story?