The Cracked Pot

[atma]

The Cracked Pot

 

Here's a short story, just in case any of you were feeling a little

imperfect.

 

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a

pole which he carried across his neck.

 

One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and

always delivered a full portion of water.

 

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the 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 house.

 

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect 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 2 yrs 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. 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 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 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 planted flower seeds

on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've

watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful

flowers to decorate our Altar and our Deities.

Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to

grace the Lord.

 

Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But

it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so

very interesting and rewarding. You've just got

to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.

 

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life!

 

Blessings to all my crackpot friends.

[Tarun]

"Blessed r the Flexible."

Either Spencer or another expressed similarly:

"Flexibility is the Highest Philosophy."

Does that make Circus Contortionists most likely to succeed?

Not quite. Rather, that's y we worship "Tribhangalalitam"