Nice Cup of Tea

Here's an adaptation of a little Zen story.

A young man comes to see the master at his house, and says 'Master, please take me on as your disciple so that I too may obtain enlightenment'. The Master said 'Forget all that nonsense - while you're here pour some tea in my cup - cheers mate' (In this version of the story the Master is a Londoner!)

The disheartened young man went to the table and was about to pour the tea from the kettle into the Master's cup when he said, 'O master your cup is already full, are you sure you want more tea?'. The Master said, 'Carry on pouring'. The man did as he was told and watched the tea overflow and wet the table and the floor. The man said frantically, 'Master! the tea is spilling everywhere, shall I stop?'

The Master said to the man, 'Why do you keep questioning what I tell you to do? The cup was already full and any extra tea could not remain in it. You too are full of your own wisdom so what I teach you will not stay inside. If you want to learn the true ways then first empty yourself and come here ready to be filled.'

This is the same with the Guru Ji, he's told us to do something. We may question it, think it's pointless like the man spilling the tea, but the real point of it is that everytime we do it we show Guru Ji we are his slave and obey his orders and not our man-mat mind.

Guru Ji says 'Rehat pyaree muj ko Sikh nahee'
Following the Guru's Code is more important to the Guru than the Sikh.

So if the Guru's tell us to do something, then JUST DO IT! and prove to Guru Ji you are ready to be filled with divine knowledge.

You have to be willing to throw out what you already know and have a curiosity to explore new paths. If your cup is already full, you can't learn new things.

The Other Side

One day a young Buddhist on his journey home came to the banks of a wide river. Staring hopelessly at the great obstacle in front of him, he pondered for hours on just how to cross such a wide barrier. Just as he was about to give up his pursuit to continue his journey he saw a great teacher on the other side of the river. The young Buddhist yells over to the teacher, "Oh wise one, can you tell me how to get to the other side of this river"?

The teacher ponders for a moment looks up and down the river and yells back, "My son, you are on the other side".

Maybe?

Once upon the time there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.

"Maybe," the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. "How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed.

"Maybe," replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

"Maybe," answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

"Maybe," said the farmer.

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