Zen Story - A Cup Of Zen || Robert Aceves

Today I bring you the Zen story that I tell people when they first come see me about learning ZEN. When I understood what it really is to empty our mind, I was able to let go of my past and live more in the present. I hope you like it, meditate on it, and let me know what your thoughts are. Thank you and enjoy!

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Robert Aceves and today I bring you one of my favorite Zen stories.

It is a classic and I generally like to tell it to people who are interested in learning about Zen for the first time.

Hopefully you like it.

A Cup of Zen One day a scholar went to see a monk named Nanin to inquire about Zen.

Nanin offered him a cup of tea.

He served the tea in the cup and although it was full,

He continued to serve.

Master,

That's enough.

It's full.

You're just like this cup,

Filled with your own thoughts and ideas.

If you don't first empty yourself,

How can I teach you Zen?

I understand.

The moral of the story.

If your mind is filled with prejudices,

The truth that others speak can't be heard.

When engaging in conversation,

Most people are in a hurry to express their own opinion.

As a result,

They don't hear anything but the sound of their own voices.

The story teaches us the art of listening and learning.

When I was 12 years old,

My family and I came from Mexico to the United States.

For me,

It was a shock of cultures and a completely different way of life.

Starting with the language.

I didn't speak English.

At first,

It was difficult because I had my ideas from Mexico.

My cup was full,

But the moment I was able to empty my cup,

It was much easier to adapt to the new reality and assimilate this culture of the United States.

This is how I could learn English easier and adapt to school,

To make friends,

Etc.

Every day,

People come to see me,

Looking for help to solve their relationship problems,

Work,

Health,

Etc.

Part of the help I offer is to learn how to empty their cup.

Since many times,

The content of our cups are what makes us sick.

As Buddha said more than 2500 years ago,

When he achieved enlightenment,

We are the result of everything we have ever thought.

By emptying the mind of thoughts,

Mental images,

And old ideas,

We achieve,

I would say,

A type of enlightenment.

And our problems can be solved.

We cannot change our old patterns unless we empty our minds to make space for new patterns.

How many times have we gotten upset with our partner because we have an image in our mind of what we want them to be.

And it turns out that they are not that.

How many times have we gotten upset at work because things were not how we expected them to be.

When we want something to be a certain way,

It is like having a cup full of what we expect in life.

When it is not like that,

We suffer and experience pain.

By removing these ideas and emptying our minds,

We can really focus on what is in front of us.

For example,

A couple who has been living together for 10 years,

Most likely already have an idea or an image of the other person.

Maybe they already know each other very well and know what to expect from each other.

But let's say one day it turns out that one of them decides to lose weight and start taking dance classes.

Maybe this is something new.

The person loses the weight and it turns out that this person becomes more attractive and their partner wants to continue with the old image.

If nothing changes in their minds,

This relationship most likely will end.

It is true that changes in life can cause a lot of pain and suffering.

However,

If we learn to empty our minds of thoughts and ideas,

We will be able to live more in this moment,

In the present,

And adapt to these changes.

A phrase that I really like comes from Charles Darwin and I think it applies to this.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives,

Nor is it the most intelligent that survives.

It is the one that is most adaptable to change.

I love it.

It is not the strongest.

It is not the smartest.

Do you realize this?

It is not about strength or intelligence.

It's about adaptation.

Adaptation is accepting changes.

It is emptying the cup to let the new hot tea come in.

Because the old tea gets cold.

That is why I suggest you empty your cup.

Drop your ideas.

Drop your thoughts.

Drop your failures.

Drop your successes.

The past is in the past.

Let yourself be carried away by the river of life.

And remember that life is today.

Live in this moment.

This is the present and let go of that past.

Experience the sensation of being.

You exist.

For as long as you're breathing,

Everything is possible.

It doesn't matter if you failed or succeeded in the past.

That is in the past.

Your time is now.

Make room in your cup for new experiences,

New adventures,

And thank you for listening.

Tell me about your experiences.

What do you think of this story?

Have you ever emptied your cup?

How did it feel?

Tell me about your experiences.

I would love to hear about it to see what you think.

Again,

Thank you for your time and I hope you find this helpful.

See you next time.

Reviews

Love it 🥰
Thanks for the reminder that we need to empty our cup 🙌🏻✌🏻
🦋🌺🥰🙏🏻

Loved this story and how relative and insightful you made it!!!

Interesting! Trying to follow the analogy, would you enjoy the cup by drinking up your experience, in presence, or you’re trying to dump them out? Maybe I’m being too literal, but i enjoyed!

Very refreshing 😌 thank you

Enlightening.
Thanks 🙏🏻

I wish there was more content on insight timer covering koans like this, really liked this talk! one day, very suddenly, I understood that I had a lense that I saw the world through and I could trace back where those ideas came from. since then I think I have been able to empty my cup to some extent. objectively knowing the ideas that made up my view of the world allowed me to catch my bias and thus remove it allowing me to be receptive. That’s my emptying my cup story. Hopefully I can keep it empty.

Great words! Thank you for remind me this wonderful story. Empty my cup means much more than it sounds. Means no expectations, no excuses and no conflicts. It means pure freedom! Thank you very much!

Very good!

A wonderful Zen story with a poignant message!

Although I had heard this story a few times, it is a great reminder to always come to a situation with an open mind so you can really be present to the other. Gracias, Robert, for this reminder. Namaste
By the way, my husband and I moved from Canada almost 16 years ago to live in Mexico in our retirement. We love it here, especially the Mexican people. ❤️

Me encanto! Me identifiqué mucho con tu pequeña historia de venir de México, creo que es lo que me hace falta para terminar de adaptarme aquí. Saludos!

Yes, definitely! My family moved to the US when I was 14, not a word of English, no friends, it was terrifying! The kids in my school were not kind and it was a difficult experience. When I was 20 I joined the Military and enjoyed every insane moment of it! I was able to empty my cup in a structured environment and had an amazing experience.

I like the story! This was my first introduction to Zen.