Emptying The Tea Cup

CITIZEN’ EXPERIENCE FROM SBLC, NUNGAMBAKKAM. CHENNAI
DISCUSSION ON ‘EMPTY TEA CUP’ - 07.01.2010
Normally in the ‘Citizen SBI Orientation Programmes’ it would take at least half an hour to one hour or so before participants defreeze and come on their own. Their general tendency is to sit with known friends – ladies initially sitting together, etc - at the beginning until the facilitators breaks this pattern and forms new groups as per the design of the programme. The members of the new groups take a few minutes to settle and familiarize with the members, mostly during the first group work in ‘Module 1’.

But in the ‘Citizen SBI’ Orientation programme which commenced on 7th Jan, 2010 at SBLC, Nungambakkam, no lead time was taken by the participants. At the beginning in the ‘Introduction to the Programme’ portion when the Japanese Zen story on ‘empty tea cup’ ended with the statement “Let us empty our cups…” one participant Shri. Kulkarni from ZIO, Chennai took the mike and remarked “I am now around 57 years old and my mind is full of past experiences accumulated from childhood days. How can I remove them and make it empty?….It is just not possible”. The moment other participants listened to this view point of Shri. Kulkarni, three to four people from different directions started responding to him. A couple of them nodded their head and said “Yes…we are also of the same view as Shri. Kulkarni… We can’t empty our brain….”

Another participant Shri. Arvindalochanan from SMECC, Chennai immediately refuted the claim by saying “….I do agree that our accumulated past experiences can’t be removed just like that. But what we mean by ‘emptying the tea cup…’ is not to have a closed mind while learning something new. The moment we think that we know everything and there is nothing new to learn the ‘door’ to our mind gets closed. It is said that human beings use not more than 10 % of their brain capacity. Even the great scientist, Mr. Albert Einstein, used only around 15% of his brain as that was found out in research subsequent to his death by analyzing his brain. It can be seen that around 90% the portion of the brains of normal human beings goes unutilized. So there is a lot of empty space in our brains to receive and learn new things…..”

These statistical remarks of Arvindlochanan drew wide cheers from the class and Shri. Kulkarni appeared to be convinced after this and the class got off to a flying start with every one smiling and energetic after the hand clapping. This energy flow continued till the end of the programme on 8th Jan, 2010 evening as all the participants began clapping for the first recipient of the ‘gift hamper’ and continued the clappings till the 28th and the last participant received the same. A lively experience indeed for all including the facilitators.


S R Raghunath Facilitator ( Chennai Circle)10.01.2010