Chapter 1: Empty Your Cup
And remember, you are all the same. There may be differences of quantity, but every mind is qualitatively the same, because mind thinks, argues, collects and gathers knowledge and becomes dull. Only children are intelligent. And if you can retain your childhood, if you continuously reclaim your childhood, you will remain innocent and intelligent. If you gather dust, childhood is lost, innocence is no more; the mind has become dull and stupid. Now you can have philosophies. The more philosophies you have, the more you are far away from the divine.
A religious mind is a nonphilosophical mind. A religious mind is an innocent, intelligent mind. The mirror is clear, the dust has not been gathered; and every day a continuous cleaning goes on. That’s what I call meditation.
This professor of philosophy came to Nan-in. He must have come for wrong reasons: he must have come to receive some answers. Those people who are filled with questions are always in search of answers. And Nan-in cannot give an answer. It is foolish to be concerned with questions and answers. Nan-in can give you a new mind, Nan-in can give you a new being, Nan-in can give you a new existence in which no questions arise. But Nan-in is not interested in answering any particular questions. He is not interested in giving answers. Neither am I.
You must have come here with many questions. It is bound to be so, because the mind gives birth to questions. Mind is a question-creating mechanism. Feed anything into it, out comes a question, and many questions follow. Give an answer to it; immediately it converts it into many questions. You are here, filled with many questions, your cup is already full. No need for Nan-in to pour any tea into it, you are already overflowing.
I can give you a new existence - that’s why I have invited you here - I will not give you any answers. All questions, all answers are useless, just a wastage of energy. But I can transform you, and that is the only answer. And that one answer solves all questions.
Philosophy has many questions, many answers - millions. Religion has only one answer; whatsoever the question the answer remains the same. Buddha used to say: You taste seawater from anywhere, the taste remains the same, the saltiness of it.
Whatsoever you ask is really irrelevant. I will answer the same because I have got only one answer. But that one answer is like a master key; it opens all doors. It is not concerned with any particular lock - any lock and the key opens it. Religion has only one answer and that answer is meditation. Meditation means how to empty yourself.
The professor must have been tired, walking long, when he reached Nan-in’s cottage. And Nan-in said, “Wait a little.” He must have been in a hurry. Mind is always in a hurry, and mind is always in search of instantaneous realizations. For the mind, to wait is very difficult, almost impossible. Nan-in said, “I will prepare tea for you. You look tired. Wait a little, rest a little, and have a cup of tea. And then we can discuss.”