YES, THE CUP NEEDS SPACE

Once, a scholar from the West visited a well-known Zen Master.

“I have heard a lot about you in my country,” the scholar said, "I wish to learn under you.”

The Master began to converse with the man from the West, and, during the course of their conversation, he began to pour tea in a cup to serve to the prospective student. 

As the Master kept pouring tea in the cup, the Western scholar, suddenly, began to shout, “Stop pouring, stop… the cup is already full!”

“Oh! Is it?” the Zen Master exclaimed.

“Yes, it is,” justified the scholar.

A couple of tea-sips later, the Master gently said, “My friend, when I was discussing with you, I found you like that cup with no place in it… Your mind was full of opinions and beliefs. You gave me the impression that you knew almost everything… that, there was no place in your mind.”

Some years ago, there was this young boy in my class. He was a ‘topper’, all along, and, his parents, friends and even teachers had kept reminding him about that: “You are a topper!” 

It had gone into his head!

So, this young ‘scholar’ had come to learn from me with the pre-conceived notion that he was a ‘topper’, a ‘scholar’. I had sensed it right on the very first day. He wasn’t receptive to the subtle things I would talk about, not only the subject but also the Life in general… He would not show interest in what others had to say… He would ask questions, more often, just to show off his knowledge… He would not agree with the answers given… and, quite often, get into arguments. And, the class would go for a toss, and I would be left annoyed.

Yes, it is said, “There are no stupid questions; there are only stupid answers!” This young man seemed to have taken this counsel too seriously… That, he was a wise-man and his teacher was a stupid!

I knew, the young man had a sharp mind… but, lacked that fine side of human intelligence called ‘Sensitivity’. In the process, it had filled himself with pride and blocked him from real ‘learning’. 

I tried my level best for many months… I used my best patience, the tenderest words to convey the need for him to be more sensitive, less argumentative and more and more open to learning. No, I was not able to cut ice with this young intellectual… He seemed to have lost his heart… and, it was becoming too much for me to handle him.

Yes, after so many years of teaching – all types, sizes, shapes and colors – here was this one: a difficult customer. A know-all!

And, one afternoon, this young man was at it again! He kept arguing with me… The view he held was right, according to him… and, the view that I was presenting was wrong. Before it would become one more showdown - an ego-trip between the teacher and the taught – I asked him, with my stern voice, to come to the stage. 

He did. 

“My friend, now you stand here for an hour and explain to your friends why you are right and why I am wrong.”

The young scholar was dumb-struck!

“Come on, start,” I said, and I settled on the last bench.

The class became restless… Girls started giggling, boys started booing… and, some taunted, “Bindaas yaar; go on!”

The steam had run out of this intellectual’s system. He could not even stand there looking at the class – eye-ball-to-eye-ball - even for five minutes. Leave alone one hour. And, leave alone a life-time, which, his ‘stupid teachers’ had to!

My class lost a ‘scholar’ the next day.

 

For learning, Mind alone is not enough. We need heart… the sensitive mind, the subtle mind.

“Life,” I keep saying to all and sundry, 

“is a fluid movement… It is a ‘Love affair’!” 

Our ‘scholarly mind’ 

only makes this Love affair a complicated one… 

The early we realize it, the better!

Yes, the cup needs space!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.: Yogita Tipnis