A water bearer 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 some. But at the end of tile 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."
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.