Empty Your Cup - A Story
A university professor went to visit a famous Zen master. While the master quietly served tea, the professor talked about Zen. The master poured the visitor's cup to the brim, and then kept pouring. The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could no longer restrain himself. "It's overfull! No more will go in!" the professor blurted. "You are like this cup," the master replied, "How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"
So, what is a Beginner’s Mind?
The concept of a beginner’s mind is the development of a mindset that is willing to see everything as though it is for the first time. It's also known as unselfconsious curiosity. It is as though we are seeing the world through the eyes of a child; without predisposed judgments, opinions, or biases. If you are a visual person, picture yourself as an empty cup that’s open to being filled with fresh perspectives.
Why Should We Cultivate a Beginner’s Mind?
The more time we spend living on earth, the more experiences, information, and opinions we collect along the way. We tend to move through the world quickly, looking for the most effective path, not fully taking in each unique moment. This pattern of behaviour can sometimes be beneficial because we learn to accomplish tasks efficiently. However, the downside is that we can miss out on a lot of important things like new perspectives, ideas, or different ways of finding solutions. When you cultivate a beginner’s mind, you will be more open to possibilities, be more creative and connect with others in your life as they experience your interest in them and your appreciation for their thoughts and ideas.
Living as if we always “know” is a tremendous handicap that keeps us out of the present, and instead, we are living in the past. It doesn't allow us anything new, no surprises, no insights, no discoveries. It doesn't allow us to unlock and understand any of the present moment.
Developing an “Empty Cup” Attitude
As you go through your life today, try to catch yourself in moments when you show up with a “full cup” or a closed door, unwilling to make space for or allow new perspectives, ideas, or opinions. Come to these experiences with a kind of child-like curiosity – the curiosity we might have if we had never felt any of these things before. Though we may have felt and remembered events like these many times in the past, this is the first time we have lived and felt this particular situation in this particular moment. Allow yourself to be a little amazed by all the sensations, feelings, and ideas coming and going constantly.
Maybe you can take the principle of beginners mind with you as your navigate life and all its situations, as the truth is you may have felt like you have done it before, but you really haven't, not in that way, in that exact moment.
References:
https://choosemuse.com/blog/foundations-of-mindfulness-beginners-mind/
Psychologyteachers.org
Oxford Mindfulness Centre