The Wise Teacher And The Jar

There was once a very wise teacher,
whose words of wisdom students would
come from far and wide to hear.

One day
as usual, many students began to gather
in the teaching room.

They came in and
sat down very quietly, looking to the
front with keen anticipation, ready to
hear what the teacher had to say.

Eventually the teacher came in and sat
down in front of the students.

The room
was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

On one side of the teacher was a large
glass jar. On the other side was a pile of
dark grey rocks.

Without saying a word,
the teacher began to pick up the rocks
one by one and place them very carefully
in the glass jar (Plonk. Plonk.)

 When all
the rocks were in the jar, the teacher
turned to the students and asked, 'Is the
jar full?'

'Yes,' said the students. 'Yes,
teacher, the jar is full'.

Without saying a word, the teacher began
to drop small round pink pebbles
carefully into the large glass jar so that
they fell down between the rocks.
(Clickety click. Clickety click.)

When all
the pebbles were in the jar, the teacher
turned to the students and asked, 'Is the
jar now full?'

 The students looked at one
another and then some of them started
nodding and saying, 'Yes. Yes, teacher,
the jar is now full. Yes'.

Without saying a word, the teacher took
some fine silver sand and let it trickle
with a gentle sighing sound into the large
glass jar (whoosh) where it settled
around the pink pebbles and the dark
grey rocks.

When all the sand was in the
jar, the teacher turned to the students
and asked, 'Is the jar now full?'

The students were not so confident this
time, but the sand had clearly filled all
the space in the jar so a few still nodded
and said, 'Yes, teacher, the jar is now full.
Now it's full'.

Without saving a word, the teacher took
a jug of water and poured it carefully,
without splashing a drop, into the large
glass jar. (Gloog. Gloog.)

When the water reached the brim, the
teacher turned to the students and
asked, 'Is the jar now full?'

 Most of the
students were silent, but two or three
ventured to answer, 'Yes, teacher, the jar
is now full. Now it is'.

Without saying a word, the teacher took
a handful of salt and sprinkled it slowly
over the top of the water with a very
quiet whishing sound. (Whish.)

When all
the salt had dissolved into the water, the
teacher turned to the students and asked
once more, 'Is the jar now full?'

The
students were totally silent..

 Eventually
one brave student said, 'Yes, teacher. The
jar is now full'.

'Yes,' said the teacher
'The jar is now full'.

The teacher then said: 'A story always
has many meanings and you will each
have understood many things from this
demonstration.

Discuss quietly amongst
yourselves what meanings the story has
for you.

How many different messages
can you find in it and take from it?'

The students looked at the wise teacher
and at the beautiful glass jar filled with
grey rocks, pink pebbles, silver sand,
water and salt.

Then they quietly
discussed with one another the meanings
the story had for them.

 After a few
minutes, the wise teacher raised one
hand and the room fell silent. The
teacher said:

'Remember that there is
never just one interpretation of
anything.

You have all taken away many
meanings and messages from the story,
and each meaning is as important and as
valid as any other'.

And without saying another word, the
teacher got up and left the room.
What lesson have you picked from this
story yourself?