Empty Cup
The Zen parable teaching that openness requires releasing preconceptions.
Also known as: Empty your cup, Zen tea cup, Beginner's mind parable
Category: Concepts
Tags: philosophies, zen, wisdom, learning, humility
Explanation
The empty cup is a Zen parable about a scholar visiting a master. As the master pours tea, he continues pouring after the cup overflows. When the scholar protests, the master explains: like this cup, you are full of your own opinions. To receive new knowledge, you must first empty your cup. The teaching involves: releasing preconceptions to learn, approaching with beginner's mind, and recognizing when existing knowledge blocks new understanding. The empty cup teaches: expertise can become barrier, certainty closes doors, and humility enables learning. Applications include: entering new domains with openness, receiving feedback without defensiveness, and approaching problems without predetermined solutions. The empty cup isn't about having no knowledge but about: not letting knowledge block new understanding, remaining open despite expertise, and knowing when to suspend judgment. For knowledge workers, the empty cup suggests: approaching new information with openness, recognizing when expertise creates blind spots, and maintaining learning orientation despite accumulated knowledge.
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