Forwarded by Junaid Tahir
2 April 2014 8:39 PM
A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a
pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack, and while the other was perfect and always delivers a full
portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the
master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two
years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half
pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot
was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was
made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and
miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been
made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke
to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and
I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"For these past two years, I have been able to deliver only half my
load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way
back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of
this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot
said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his
compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to
notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of
the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and
this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad
because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to
the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers
only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's
because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it.
I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we
walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have
been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table.
Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty
to grace his house."
