THE CRACKED POT

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfectly made and never leaked. The other pot had a crack in it. By the time the water bearer reached his master’s house, it had leaked much of its water and was 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. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection. It felt miserable because it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.