a cup of humility?

 …a beneficial zen parable for this political season. no candidate is immune.

 

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”
“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”

finding myself, I offer myself…

  

Sitting quietly,one minute, one hour, no matter,

finding the quiet within
I find myself again and again.

Finding myself, I offer the quiet light

to those on the street, in the office,

all around me.

To the lost and suffering beings, to the

   bewildered

and questioning,

even to the bare tree with its leafless

branches filled with chirping sparrows.
~ Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara