There was a monastery at the top of a mountain and there lived a great master who was sought out by many people to receive his advice.

One day, a man who dedicated his entire life in search of wisdom, learned about the great master and went to the mountain to meet him.

He crossed the country to reach the monastery and was received by the master himself who invited him to have tea. The two sat down and the master filled both cups.

The man was so excited about the meeting that he didn’t stop talking for a single minute, he told the great master about his pilgrimages, about the books he had read, about everything he had learned, he talked about how intelligent he was and even recited phrases from great thinkers.

The master calmly continued drinking his tea and when he finished drinking, he filled the cup again. Then he began to fill the visitor’s cup, but as he hadn’t taken a single drink because he didn’t stop talking, the cup overflowed, the table got wet and the tea ran onto the floor.

The man was surprised by what was happening and shouted:

– Stop! Can’t you see that you’re getting everything wet?

Then, the master calmly said:

– Just like this cup, your mind is full of certainties and nothing I can transmit to you will be able to make a difference to your life. Now go away, empty your cup. When your mind is empty, come back here and we’ll talk.