Emptying the Pot

From the Hoi Polloi Tarot, the Page of Swords:

I love the way the RWS Page of Swords turns his head, as if he has heard something and is listening intently.  This Page is a reminder that being able to listen is a skill that can be developed.  But being open-minded, without automatically wanting to process the information I hear as right or wrong, takes some real effort.  His sword represents truth, but not the kind that prejudges first without holding it up to the light of experience.  Like all pages, he implores me to test what I hear and learn rather than simply accepting or dismissing it.  But here's the kicker - just because the test doesn't prove positive for me doesn't mean it won't for someone else.  I need to remember to let others have their truth too, without trying to tell them otherwise.

From the I Ching Pack comes "Fire over Wind - Cauldron of Emotion:"

In the image above, the pot is being emptied.  It reminds me of the story of the Zen master who overfills his visitor's tea cup to point out the importance of "beginner's mind."  I've been alive over half a century, and in that time I've studied and experienced many different things.  Each of these bits of my past rest in my memory, along with an emotion I've attached to them.  If I am truly going to have an open-mind, as the card above suggests, I have to let go of that emotional attachment.  I must empty the pot so that new experiences aren't polluted with old associations.