There was once a well-educated, highly successful man who went to visit a Zen master to ask for solutions to his problems. As the Zen master and the man conversed, the man would frequently interrupt the Zen master to interject his own beliefs, not allowing the Zen master to finish many sentences.
Finally, the Zen master stopped talking and offered the man a cup of tea. When the Zen master poured the tea, he kept pouring after the cup was full, causing it to overflow.
“Stop pouring,” the man said, “The cup is full.”
The Zen master stopped and said, “Similarly, you are too full of your own opinions. You want my help, but you have no room in your own cup to receive my words.”
Moral of the story:
This Zen story is a reminder that your beliefs are not you. When you unconsciously hold on to your beliefs, you become rigid and closed-mind to learn and expand your consciousness. The path to self-realization is to stay conscious of your beliefs and always be open to learning.