I can't take credit for this, but there is much truth in it:
Dave Carr of the CyberDojo wrote:
I collected these over the years - the first is widely available - do not remember where #2 came from - #3 is from one of Dave Lowry's books.
cup of tea #1: A professor visited a Master to inquire of Zen. Anxious to get to important matters, the professor nonetheless politely accepted the master's offer of a cup of tea. The Master filled the professor's cup and continued pouring as the cup overflowed. Surprised, the professor exclaimed, "The cup is full; no more will go in!" To this the Master replied, "Like this cup, you are filled with your notions and preconceptions. How can I teach you of Zen unless you first empty your cup?"
cup of tea #2: Master Ho had journeyed far from his monastery to meet the famous Zen master, Master Chan. Once the two masters were properly introduced, Master Ho and Master Chan sat down to tea. Master Chan appeared to be somewhat young, and the more he spoke, the more apparent it became that he was inexperienced. Still, he seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice very much, as he expounded on his own theories, most of which completely ignored the wisdom of thousands of years. Master Ho listened patiently for quite awhile. Finally, he attempted to explain that perhaps Master Chan's disdain for traditional concepts came from the fact that his knowledge of them was only superficial, and before he condemned them, he should first seek to understand them. Almost immediately, Master Chan took his teacup, reached over, and poured the tea into Master Ho's cup. Naturally, as Master Ho's cup was already full, it overflowed and spilled all over the table. "To taste my tea," said Master Chan smugly, as the tea flowed down and dripped all over the startled Master Ho, "you must first empty your cup." Master Ho leaped to his feet as the hot tea scalded his lap, walked around the table, and proceeded to bounce Master Chan off the wall, many, many times. When he was finished, he looked down at the not-so-smug master, lying on the floor, and said, "Before you try to fill up my cup with your tea, you must first be sure it's worth tasting!"
cup of tea #3: I'd brought to my sensei's attention a man who, according to media reports, was able to throw multiple attackers without even touching them. Sensei expressed some derision, but I persisted, taking the opportunity to use a phrase I'd just read and wanted very much to employ dramatically. "Shouldn't I keep an open mind about the possibility of such things? Shouldn't I empty my cup of tea?" Sensei laughed uproariously. Tears came to his eyes he laughed so hard, and finally he sputtered, "Empty cup, full cup, doesn't make much difference if you can't tell tea from horse piss!"
