Empty Your Cup

There is a Buddhist parable about a Zen master who was visited by a professor that thought he knew everything there was to know. Long story short, when the Zen master poured the professor a cup of tea, the cup began to overfill. The professor shouted at the Zen master, "It's overfull! No more will go in!" The Zen master replied, "Like this cup, you are full of your own opinions. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

Another of my favorite parables is that of Socrates. In ancient Greece, the Oracle at Delphi was the most accurate prophet in the world. One day, the Oracle was asked who the smartest person in Athens was. The Oracle replied that it was Socrates. When Socrates heard the news, he said, "How could I be the smartest person in all of Athens? The only thing I know is that I don't know anything!"

As a teacher, I am first and foremost a student. I believe that the thirst for knowledge is innate in all human beings. Although I am constantly reading, listening to podcasts, watching YouTube tutorials, acquiring degrees, etc., I will never claim expertise in anything. Like Socrates, I have found that those that claim to be experts are anything but. In fact, the "experts" are often blinded by their "expertise." Often times, experts have difficulty finding solutions to problems because they are confined to the limits of their own thinking. They have difficulty seeing beyond their narrow field of vision. They are trapped within their box. 

No matter what facet of life we are talking about, I think we could all benefit from emptying our cups from time to time. We are too often overfull and unable to view things from alternative perspectives. The art of unlearning is just as important as the art of learning.