Once upon a time, there was a Zen master who–er, stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
This grey-haired-yet-never-grouchy man offered wise words to those who came seeking him, regardless of who they were. One day, a scholar came to him for counsel, however, it became painfully obvious that the visiting scholar wasn’t truly ready to receive advice. He would interrupt the master with his own stories and failed to properly listen when he did give a chance to speak.
Not cool.
Rather than losing his temper, the master suggested they sit down and have tea.
The master gave his guest a teacup and began to pour. And pour. And pour even still. He kept pouring the hot tea until it completely filled the scholar’s cup and, even then, continued to pour into the overflowing cup.
Aghast at the spilling hot tea, the scholar leaped up and cried “Stop! The cup is full!”
“Yes,” The master said calmly with a knowing smile. “You are like this cup–so full of ideas that nothing more will fit in. Come back when your cup is empty.”
Mic drop. There is a powerful lesson to be found in that story and it is about much more than customer service.
In Zen Buddhism, there is the belief–one that is often adopted ...