"There was once a highly educated and somewhat arrogant student of the Tao. Upon hearing that an old sage lived nearby he decided to visit so that he could show off his great depth of knowledge in hopes of gaming some new tidbit to add to his resume.

When he arrived at the sage's home he was surprised to find it but a humble hut. Inside, and old man with a long wispy beard and bright shining eyes sat over a tea kettle humming to himself.

Presently he looked up and, upon seeing the student outside the door, bade him enter his hut. He then sat the student down in the place of honor and asked him to join him in some tea.

They sat, and while the student boasted about his education and recounted his many accomplishments, the old master began to fill his guest's tea cup. As the student rambled on and on so too did the old master keep pouring tea into his cup until the hot tea overflowed across the table and poured onto the students lap.

"What are you doing, you old dolt?" he shrieked, leaping from his chair. "You are spilling tea everywhere. Can't you see that my cup is already full?"

The sage calmly stopped pouring tea and looked at him. "Your mind, sir, is much like this teacup. I am afraid it is already too full for me to be able to fit anything else into. Else it will surely run over and spill everywhere." - Traditional Chinese Tale

There is always room for refinement. Arrogance can be ones greatest enemy. It can prevent us from making necessary changes. Arrogance can bring about justification for horrific crimes. Arrogance is the current reason for the meltdown of the automakers, Ford, Chrysler, and GM.

Sometimes arrogance can come from a long education. Some of the most arrogant people I have met had earned their PHD. Another source can be an indoctrinated person, or someone who holds their belief as the one and only truth.

Arrogance gets in the way of our own potential. If that educated person tried to learn something new everyday wisdom would soon follow. Wisdom does necessarily come from age or from level of education. It sounds counter intuitive, but wisdom does not even come from knowledge. As Democritus once put, "Life unexamined, is not worth living." We must examine ourselves and the world around us in a critical and honest way.

If you want to find wisdom, you must remove arrogance, remove rigidity, and open your mind and heart. The universe is vast and infinite how can we possibly ever think that we have learned enough? How can we say we know the truth with absolute certainty? There is so much to learn about and to experience. Wisdom comes from simple willingness.

Don't let your tea cup run over.

Michael Kilman