Empty Your Cup 倒空你的杯子

Empty Your Cup

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.'　

倒空你的杯子

有位大学教授去拜访一位颇有声望的禅师。在禅师静静地给他沏茶之时，教授谈起了禅宗。禅师往客人的杯子里倒茶，茶满而溢，但他仍然不停。教授一直盯着那溢出的水杯，到最后他实在忍无可忍，脱口道：“已经溢出来了！不能再往里面倒了！”禅宗回应道：“你就跟这个杯子一样。你若不将腹中腾空，我又如何向你展示禅宗。”

People's reactions to this story:　

人们看这个故事的反应:

'You cannot learn anything if you already feel that you know.'　

如果你觉得你什么都懂了,那么你什么都学不到.

'Preconceived ideas and prejudices always prevent us from seeing the truth.'　

成见和偏见总是让人们看不到真相

'You should open your mind before you open your mouth.'　

当你张嘴说话前你应该先开放你的心灵

'The master is trying to tell him to ease back and relax. The　

professor is too anxious about the whole thing.'　

这个禅师想让学者放轻松一些.他太急于学到所有的东西.

'Some people want to be taught everything in one sitting. It's　

not possible.'　

有些人想一次就学到所有东西.这是不可能的.

'This story proves to me that you have to unlearn before you can

learn.'　

这个故事向我说明了如果你想学习点什么的话你必须先忘掉些什么?

'We shouldn't get too wrapped up in one aspect of life. If we do,　

we close ourselves off to new experiences.'　

'我们不应该执著于生活的一个方面,如果那样,我们就失去了获得新的体验的机会'

'Even though you may be full of knowledge, you should always be

open to the fact that there is still more to learn.'　

即使你满脑子知识,你也应该接受这个事实--仍然还有很多需要学习的东西.

'I bet the master did that just to shut the professor up!'　

我敢打赌,这个禅师只是想让那个学者闭嘴.

'If you want to learn, you have to shut up and LISTEN for a change.'　

如果你想学习,你必须闭上嘴巴静静地听

'We should be open to the views of others, and accept them as their

own. Treat each opinion individually, and don't just add it to

your own.'　

我们必须对别人的意见保持开放的心态, 原样理解他们. 单独面对这些观点,而不是把它和自己的观点捏在一起.

'Sometimes another person has to catch you with your guard down

in order to teach you something.'　

有时候,有些人会趁你心不在焉的时候,抓着你向你灌输一些东西.

'The professor's understanding of Zen is too intellectualized.　

The master is trying to point him towards a more intuitive

understanding . If you're too intellectualized about　

ANY subject, often you miss the boat.'　

这个学者对禅的理解太理性了.这个禅师试图指点他多依靠直觉. 如果你对每件事都那么理智,你常常会坐失良机

'I would tell this story to anyone who believed something about me　

that was untrue.'　

我会给所有那些不相信我的经历的人讲这个故事

'I think the master was trying to show him that when you can no longer

take it is time to give - and you must sometimes give in order to

receive.'　

我想这个禅师是想要告诉他当你不能再获取的时候,你应该付出-- 有时候你必须用付出换来收获.

'This professor probably doesn't really believe in Zen. His prejudices are

preventing him from seeing clearly. This is what the master is trying to show him.'　

这个学者也许并不相信禅.他的偏见让他不能看清问题.这就是禅师想告诉他的.

'Too much of anything is just too much!'　

任何东西太多了就不好了。

'I don't think the professor's reaction indicated that he had a closed mind. It　

was perfectly normal. Wouldn't you do the same if someone was spilling tea all　

over the place?'　

我并不认为这个学者的反应说明他的心态是封闭，这是很正常的。难道当有人把茶水倒的满地都是时 你不会有同样的反应吗?