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Empty Your Bowl

... from another thread

In zen I believe there is this empty cup analogy. To free your mind of all preconceptions, so-called knowledge, ideas, ideals, so that you may have insight.

Here is the story with a bit of extra-pouring-Hari-Krishna-devotee-disparaging-women as an example:
http://buddhism.about.com/b/2012/08/13/empty-your-cup.htm

I could have shown the story as attributed to Bruce Lee, who was keen to prove he was a philosophical 'master'. Sadly Yama beat the crap out of him ... :p

Tsk, tsk is that me offering over filled opinions? :o It is a wonderful story. To keep emptying our suppositions, assumptions, prejudice, alignments and learn to be tea/fluid.

'Free you mind' ... what does it mean for you?

The older we get, the greater our potential is trumped into the three Donalds/poisons
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_poisons

Who is still chasing their own tail/pouring? [lobster raises claw] Is the solution as the link suggests mindfulness? I would say so ...
http://www.lionsroar.com/buddhas-birds/

JaySon

Comments

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    A Timely thread as ever, @lobster.
    Methinks maybe a few of us need to look at our cups lest we transform them into poisoned chalices.

    Of late, things are getting testy on here.
    Do we all need to empty our cups, making sure we do not throw the baby out with the bathwater tea....?

  • @lobster said:

    In zen I believe there is this empty cup analogy. To free your mind of all preconceptions, so-called knowledge, ideas, ideals, so that you may have insight.

    Here is the story with a bit of extra-pouring-Hari-Krishna-devotee-disparaging-women as an example:
    http://buddhism.about.com/b/2012/08/13/empty-your-cup.htm

    The older we get, the greater our potential is trumped into the three Donalds/poisons
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_poisons

    Who is still chasing their own tail/pouring? [lobster raises claw] Is the solution as the link suggests mindfulness? I would say so ...
    http://www.lionsroar.com/buddhas-birds/

    As @fedreica indicated these are timely, good articles, and grounding. My humbled self sees the wisdom in them quite clearly, and will attempt to be more mindful when I post here. I think you should have to hit the post comment button 3 times and each time a pop up window should converse with the poster:

    Are you sure you want to post this?

    You are really sure (your not going to offend anyone?)

    Ok - So be it!

    ;)

    I'm generally a glass half full person :) Although the thought of 3 Trumps in the world might make me lean on becoming a glass half empty person!

    Tigger
  • JaySonJaySon Florida Veteran

    I was reading a sutra yesterday that said we should strive to cut our desires from many to few.

    It hit me in a profound way.

    I know I know... Thank you, Captain Obvious.

    Tigger
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran
    edited January 2017

    Oops that's a bit large...

    Tiggersatcittananda
  • JaySonJaySon Florida Veteran

    Yet empty of inherent existence.

  • yet full of something when you think about it!

    Tigger
  • JaySonJaySon Florida Veteran

    Yet full of everything in the cosmos.

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Nothing is ever full that can be considered empty.
    Nothing is ever empty that can be considered full.

    All is WuJi.

    JaySon
  • satcittanandasatcittananda UK Veteran
    edited January 2017

    eh :) ahh! aha? ha ha ha...

    @federica appears to have studied wu wei...

    can't talk about it I'm afraid.. It's just Dhyana club... and we know what the rules of it are now!

    cos mos'ly I no nothin!

    canned laughter...

    Sorry!

    Wince, cringe and wonder why there was no questioning 'pop up' window when I hit Post Comment button ...

    too dry for most I admit.... lol

    JaySon
  • JaySonJaySon Florida Veteran

    And to top it off...

    The glass of water is made of non-glass of water elements.

  • lobsterlobster Veteran
    edited January 2017

    Thanks guys. <3

    We are cups AND

    startling revelation warning

    we can fill them with better tea ... and drink them empty ...
    https://www.dailyzen.com/journal/zen-mind-beginners-mind

  • What a beautiful koan!

    When I had no tea to drink...I drank my saliva

    When I had no roof...I laid my head in the grass

    Now I have a pillow and a roof!

    Now I have tea to drink and I shall empty this darn mind

  • Indeed.

    A pillow to cushion our practice and a dharma roof to cover our heads.

    A cup of tea. Dharma in motion ...

    Shoshin
  • I eat from a bowl so I certainly empty mine every day... Omnomnom.

    Kundolobster
  • Bowl or cup filling is a karmic/life/inevitable occurence in my experience. Emptying is a practice. It is why I value chilling meditation so highly. Meditation is the way we become aware of our condition and its emptying, ideally by acknowledgement and the presence of stillness.

    Is our mind full of gibbering monkeys, life worries/distractions or open and free draining ...

  • You can't paint a clear picture on a newspaper.

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