A Bedtime Stories

During the reign of HAN dynasty there was an elderly woman who had two magical pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a krack 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 kracked pot arrived only half full. For many years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the kracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. So one day, it spoke to the elderly woman, “I am ashamed of myself, because this krack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.”

“For many years I've been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

The poor kracked pot now realized the truth of his existence and attained enlightenment. Each of us has his/her own unique flaw.

But it’s in the realization of our own "kracks" and "flaws" we might be able to understand what is the purpose of the life and time that has been given to us in this world.