Zen stories are simple, brief, and often quietly profound.
They don’t give answers – they invite insight.
Each one is a doorway to reflection, gently nudging us to look within and see the world with fresh eyes.
One day, a curious scholar visited a Zen master to learn about Zen.
As the master began to speak, the scholar kept interrupting with his own opinions:
“Yes, but…”
“I’ve read that…”
“In my understanding…”
The master quietly began to pour tea into the scholar’s cup.
He kept pouring even after the cup was full—until it overflowed onto the table.
The startled scholar said,
“Stop! The cup is full! No more will go in!”
The master looked up and calmly said,
“Exactly. You are like this cup—full of your own ideas and opinions. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
Reflection:
Self-care is sometimes as simple as emptying our cup — releasing the mental clutter, the expectations, the noise.
It’s not always doing more, but doing less. Pausing. Letting go.
Creating space — so that peace, clarity, and healing can pour in.