Zen Story - Empty your cup first

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."

Some Reactions to this story:
"You cannot learn anything if you already feel that you know."

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

"This story proves to me that you have to unlearn before you can learn."

"Even though you may be full of knowledge, you should always be open to the fact that there is still more to learn."

"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."