A teacher visited a Zen master eager to learn what the master had to teach. They sat together and the master offered the teacher tea which he accepted. The Zen master poured tea into the teacher’s cup and continued to pour as the cup overflowed. This disturbed the teacher and he expressed his dismay to which the master explained: ‘The mind that is already full cannot take anything new. Like the cup, you are full of opinions and preconceptions’. Thus he taught his disciple that in order to find happiness he must first empty his cup (Epstein, 1998).
The same concept is expressed by Suzuki Roshi who encourages people to come to things with a “Beginners’ Mind” (Sukuki, 1970). I start my clinical experience tomorrow and I am excited about the possibilities and opportunities that exist ahead. It can be hard to remain in the present and I hope to harness the excitement and energy I feel now to do my best and take in as much as possible in each present moment. I firmly believe that by becoming a better person I will become a more effective nurse and I will unlock potential allowing me to grow more.
During a visit to a Monastery the Buddha noticed a sick monk in a side room with no one attending to his needs. The Buddha admonished the monks for not aiding their brother and said, "Whoever, O monks, would nurse me, he should nurse the sick" (Keown, 2004). I feel driven to become a nurse. I am also on a journey of self discovery which has included Buddhism for the past two years. Through yoga, therapy, and Zen practice I am beginning to make connections between my personal growth, my desire to grow as a nurse, and an emerging sense of the role spirituality and specifically Buddhism may play in these areas. This journal is my way of documenting this journey.
Epstein M. (1998) Going to Pieces without Falling Apart: a Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness. T. Thorsons Berry, London.
Keown, D. (2004) A Dictionary of Buddhism
Suzuki, S. (1970). Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. Weatherhill.
