The Hummingbird & the Elephant
Once upon a time, an elephant was walking down a road in a great jungle in south-eastern China when, suddenly, he saw a tiny hummingbird in the middle of the road. The bright little bird was motionless, belly up, with her tiny legs stretched toward the sky. She was so little that the elephant had almost stepped on her.
‘Is she dead?’ thought the elephant as he came near.
With his trunk, he gave her a gentle tap.
‘Hey! Do not push me!’ the hummingbird opened her eyes.
‘I did not know if you were dead,’ the elephant said. ‘What are you doing here in the middle of the road? Someone could step on you.’
‘I’m here so everybody can see me,’ the hummingbird replied. ‘I have heard that sky is going to fall on our heads today and I am here, ready to do my part and help to hold it up.’
The elephant burst into laughter, a noise that filled the jungle.
‘Do you really think that you will be able to hold up the sky with those skinny legs?’
The hummingbird raised her head and said:
‘I know perfectly well that I will not be able to hold up the sky. That is why I am in the middle of the road, and everyone can see me. When all creatures see me, they will join me in doing everything they can do to hold up the sky… This is what I can do!’\
The Wise Man and the Cat
Once in a land far, far away there was a Great Teacher. He had come to the village. Many people came to see Him from near and far to listen to the Great Teacher. As he began to teach in the sunshine of the morning, a little cat came and curled up next to him on his robes and fell asleep.
The Great One continued as the sun rose high in the sky. By noon, the little cat was still curled up asleep on his robe. The teaching continued as the sun began to sink behind the sandy horizon and mountains. Still the little cat was curled up sleeping.
In the evening, in the shadow of the moon, the Great Teacher finished his lessons. All the students left and went home. Still the little cat was curled up on his robes sleeping. He reached for his knife, and as carefully as he could, the Great Teacher cut the fabric of his robe in order to not disturb the sleeping cat. With that, the Great One slipped into the night without disturbing the sleeping cat.
The Cracked Pot
A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole that was carried across the back of her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it and the other pot was perfect. One pot always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, but the cracked pot always arrived only half.
For years this went on daily. The water bearer delivered only one and a half pots of water each day. The cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection. It was miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After years of bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day:
“I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”
“Why?” asked the bearer. “What for?”
“For the past two years I have only been able to deliver one half my load because of this crack in my side. Water slowly trickles out all the way back to the house. Because of my defect, you do all of this work, and you don’t receive full value for your efforts.” The pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the cracked pot, and said, “I have been aware of your crack for some time. When we return to the house tomorrow, I want you to notice the flowers along the path.”
The next day as they climbed up the hill, the cracked pot observed beautiful wildflowers on one side of the path. They were cheerful flowers basking in the sun, brightening the day of all who passed. But when they arrived at the house, once again the pot felt sad as it had leaked out half its water as usual. Again, the pot apologized for its failure.
The bearer replied: “Did you notice that there were flowers only on one side of the path? That’s because I have taken advantage of your defect. 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 the table and this beauty graces the house and all who enter.”
Each of us has our own unique defects. We are all cracked pots. But if we allow it, the Divine will use our defects to grace His table. Don’t be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them. Embrace them and you can be the cause of great beauty. Know that in weakness, we find our strength.
