You may have heard the ancient story about a brilliant young man who went searching for true knowledge. He was ardent and diligent, and his quest took him to many places. He met many wanderers and sages along the way, yet he was never satisfied and so his journey continued. Finally, one day he heard about a great teacher - an old monk who lived in complete solitude in a hidden monastery atop a very remote mountain.

The young man vowed he wouldn't sleep more than one night in one place until he reached that site where wisdom could be found. And with such determination one day he indeed arrived at the foot of the sacred mountain.

Not wanting to waste precious time, he immediately set out to climb the one thousand steep steps to the top. Breathless, he threw himself at the feet of the venerable monk. He told him about his daring quest and of the many adventures along the way, of the great teachings of various masters he had met, and yet how he unceasingly continued searching for the truth and how he hopes that his quest has reached its end.

He begged the master to teach him and the smiling monk calmly agreed, but first the old man suggested they should enjoy a cup of tea.

The monk brewed a perfectly perfumed jasmine tea and set two cups at a little stone table beneath a tree. From this point you could look at the entire world and see it spread at your feet from sea to sea.

The eager youth sat at the chair that had been made ready for him, and a few minutes later the master raised the teapot and very slowly and carefully poured the tea into his apprentice's cup. Soon the cup was filled the to the brim, but the old man kept on pouring the tea. The young man thought: 'It seems I came too late, the old man must be completely senile, or maybe the solitude stole his sanity from him, or maybe his eyes simply fail him'.

'Master', he exclaimed, 'my cup is already full to the brim. The good tea you've made is spilling on to the floor!'

The master smiled serenely and said: 'You came here and your cup is already full to the brim. How can I fill it with anything more?'