A loud, impatient knocking interrupted the old man\u2019s afternoon mediation.\u00a0 At the door stood a young adult clearly in a hurry to have his needs met.\u00a0 \u201cI have traveled this land to share my Zen wisdom,\u201d said the young man.\u00a0 \u201cEverywhere I go I am thanked but told my teachings seem incomplete and that I should seek out you, the old man on the hill.\u00a0 I believe my understanding of Zen philosophy to be complete, so I have come to see what possibly I have not yet learned.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cI am about to pour my afternoon tea,\u201d said the old man.\u00a0 \u201cPlease come in and join me and we can discuss your teachings.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 With great focus, the old man began to fill his young visitor\u2019s cup.\u00a0 As the tea reached the brim of the cup, the old man continued to pour, allowing the tea to spill onto the table and flow into the young man\u2019s lap.\u00a0 \u201cYou foolish old man,\u201d screamed the visitor.\u00a0 \u201cWhat could I possibly learn from you?\u00a0 You cannot even pour a simple cup of tea correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The old man calmly replied, \u201cYou are correct young man.\u00a0 There is nothing you can learn from me.\u00a0 Much like the cup, your mind is so full with your own ideas, it cannot accept any more.\u00a0 Return to me after emptying your cup and perhaps we can learn something together.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The \u201cSharing the Empty Cup\u201d Blog presents my thoughts on various martial-arts related topics.\u00a0 Unlike the young man, I make no claims of being an expert in anything.\u00a0 My goal here is to share a topic with the hope that others will come and share their wisdom, thoughts, questions, and life experiences.\u00a0 It matters not if you are a Matsumora Seito karateka, practitioner of another martial arts system, parent, family member, friend, or complete stranger.\u00a0 The cup offered at my table is nearly or completely empty.\u00a0 I invite participation from any who wish to help fill it.\u00a0 I have one requirement for participation: be respectful of each other\u2019s viewpoints.\u00a0 Divergent opinions are welcome and encouraged, but weaving the common thread of respect into all postings ensures a healthy opportunity to learn from one another.<\/p>\n
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Yours in karate-do,<\/p>\n
Shawn Roberts<\/p>\n
Karateka of Sensei Steve Apsega<\/p>\n
Maine Traditional Karate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A loud, impatient knocking interrupted the old man\u2019s afternoon mediation.\u00a0 At the door stood a young adult clearly in a hurry to have his needs met.\u00a0 \u201cI have traveled this land to share my Zen wisdom,\u201d said the young man.\u00a0 \u201cEverywhere I go I am thanked but told my teachings seem incomplete and that I … <\/p>\n