The Cracked Pot

“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 in it, and 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 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 in 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?” “I have been able, for these past two years, 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 somewhat. 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 your 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.”

Enjoy the way you are.
You will never be perfect, but you can always be at your best.

Destination Of Life

During the time of the Buddha, a young man approached and asked the Buddha: “O, Lord, my father has died. Please come and say some prayers for him. Raise up his soul so that he can go to heaven. The Brahmins perform such rites but you Buddha are so much more powerful than them. If you were to do it, my father’s soul is sure to fly straight to heaven.”

The Buddha replied: “Very well, please go to the market and fetch me two earthen pots and some butter.” The young man was very happy that the Buddha had condescended to perform some powerful magic to save his father’s soul. He hurried to town and got what was required. Then the Buddha instructed him: “Put the butter in one pot and stones in the other pot. Then throw both pots into the pond.” The man did so, and both pots sank to the bottom of pond.

Then the Buddha continued: “Now, take a staff and strike the pots at the bottom of the pond.” The man did so. The pots broke and the butter, being light, floated up while the stones, being heavy, remained where they were at the bottom.

Then the Buddha said, “Now, quick, go and summon all the priests. Tell them to come and chant so that the butter can go down and the stones can come up.” The young man looked at the Buddha, flabbergasted. “Lord” he said, “You can’t be serious. Surely you can’t expect the butter being light to sink and the stones being heavy to rise up. That would be against the law of nature.”

The Buddha smiled and said, “Even so, my son, don’t you see that if your father had led a good life, then his deeds would be as light as the butter, so that no matter what he will rise up to heaven.
Nobody can prevent that, not even me. For nobody can go against the natural law of kamma. But if your father had led a bad life, then, just like the stones that are heavy, he would sink to hell. No amount of prayers by all the powerful priests in the world can cause it to happen otherwise."