On Cracked pots

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  • Shokai
    Treeleaf Priest
    • Mar 2009
    • 6394

    On Cracked pots

    This came up on my radar recently and I wanted to share it with you

    [QUOTE][/The Cracked Pot Story

    A water bearer in India had two large pots,
    one 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.

    Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java.

    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."

    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. There is a lot of good out*there.


    There is a lot of good in us!
    Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.


    Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life!

    Thank you to the cracked pots in my life.
    You have made life more interesting and beautiful.

    gassho

    #Sattoday ]
    合掌,生開
    gassho, Shokai

    仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai

    "Open to life in a benevolent way"

    https://sarushinzendo.wordpress.com/
  • Shokai
    Treeleaf Priest
    • Mar 2009
    • 6394

    #2
    Confession
    for all the times I've felt like an old cracked pot
    gassho #Sattoday
    合掌,生開
    gassho, Shokai

    仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai

    "Open to life in a benevolent way"

    https://sarushinzendo.wordpress.com/

    Comment

    • Myosha
      Member
      • Mar 2013
      • 2974

      #3
      Hello,

      Thank you for the flowers.


      Gassho
      Myosha sat today
      "Recognize suffering, remove suffering." - Shakyamuni Buddha when asked, "Uhm . . .what?"

      Comment

      • Mp

        #4
        Wonderful Shokai, thank you for sharing this. =)

        Gassho
        Shingen

        #sattoday

        Comment

        • Kyonin
          Treeleaf Priest / Engineer
          • Oct 2010
          • 6749

          #5
          Thank you Shokai!

          Whenever we feel bad about something in life, we have to remember to look at the bigger picture in order to understand life is bigger than our egos

          Gassho,

          Kyonin
          #SatToday
          Hondō Kyōnin
          奔道 協忍

          Comment

          • Jika
            Member
            • Jun 2014
            • 1337

            #6
            ... and we need to meet those people who see an advantage in our cracks?

            Right now, I have been struggling with my crackpottyness a while, and though I can't say my ego does not hurt, I realize how lucky I am that there indeed are people who know to plant the seeds and trust me to do something good. Even if I myself often only see what I'm lacking.

            Thank you, Shokai.
            I'll print this out or look for a picture that can remind me of it.

            Gassho,
            Danny
            #sattoday
            治 Ji
            花 Ka

            Comment

            • RichardH
              Member
              • Nov 2011
              • 2800

              #7
              Thank you, Shokai.
              My beautiful son has Tourette syndrome and is a pot that pops and squeaks. This old pot is mostly cracks.

              Gassho
              Daizan

              Sat today

              Comment

              • Byokan
                Treeleaf Unsui
                • Apr 2014
                • 4289

                #8
                Beautiful. Thank you Shokai.

                Gassho
                Lisa
                sat today
                展道 渺寛 Tendō Byōkan
                Please take my words with a big grain of salt. I know nothing. Wisdom is only found in our whole-hearted practice together.

                Comment

                • Getchi
                  Member
                  • May 2015
                  • 612

                  #9
                  Shokai, thank you deeply for such a lovely teaching. My wife especially was moved very much.

                  I mean no disrespect, but this just summed up my life;

                  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.

                  Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java.
                  This old cracked pot dont see so well these days


                  Gassho
                  Geoff.
                  SatToday.
                  Nothing to do? Why not Sit?

                  Comment

                  • Kaishin
                    Member
                    • Dec 2010
                    • 2322

                    #10
                    Thank you for sharing.

                    -satToday
                    Thanks,
                    Kaishin (開心, Open Heart)
                    Please take this layman's words with a grain of salt.

                    Comment

                    • Joyo

                      #11
                      From one cracked pot, to all the others out there, thank you and many bows. =)

                      Gassho,
                      Joyo
                      sat today

                      Comment

                      • Victor Chu
                        Member
                        • Jan 2014
                        • 45

                        #12
                        Beautiful! Thank you for sharing. The perfect imperfections.

                        Gassho
                        Victor

                        Comment

                        • broahes
                          Member
                          • Jul 2015
                          • 97

                          #13
                          Thank you.

                          Gassho,
                          Brooks sat today.
                          "The victorious ones have said that emptiness is the relinquishing of all views. For whomever emptiness is a view, that one has achieved nothing." - Nagarjuna

                          Comment

                          • Daiyo
                            Member
                            • Jul 2014
                            • 819

                            #14
                            Beautiful, Shokai.

                            It's strange how sometimes the words we need are just around the corner.

                            It made my day better. Thanks.

                            Gassho,
                            Daiyo

                            #SatToday
                            Gassho,Walter

                            Comment

                            • Kokuu
                              Treeleaf Priest
                              • Nov 2012
                              • 6844

                              #15
                              Oh, lovely!

                              Gassho
                              Cracked pot Kokuu
                              #sattoday

                              Comment

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