There is a story of a woman with two pots. Each morning she fetched water from a well and carried it to her small hut. One of the pots was new and whole, but the other was old, worn, and cracked. A day came when the old pot began to weep, feeling like a failure in even the simple task of carrying water. The new pot, on the other hand, was proud and scornful. The woman knelt and whispered to them, “Come with me. I wish to show you something.”
She brought them along their daily path and bade them each to look carefully. The side on which she had carried the cracked pot was lined with happy little flowers, but the other side was barren. She said to the pot that was feeling inadequate, “Each morning you share a little of your water, and, because of your gift, these flowers flourish and have become beautiful.” To the prideful pot she said, “You hoard all that I give to you for yourself, and therefore nothing grows where you have been.”
The ego is ever limited and cracked, and all truth seekers feel at times inadequate. How could we not? Neither he who feels pride nor he who feels inadequate can ever be truly happy—these emotions arise when we think of ourselves. The richest person on earth, or the most powerful, or most intelligent, remains unfulfilled unless he has learned to give. Those who shove others aside in the race for success find, in time, that they have been running backward in the quest for God. Only when we give of ourselves do we open the space for the Divine to express through us. Jesus said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Krishna, in these immortal lines from the Bhagavad Gita, shows the way:
Cling thou to Me!
Clasp Me with heart and mind! so shalt thou dwell
Surely with Me on high. But if thy thought
Droops from such height; if thou be’st weak to set
Body and soul upon Me constantly,
Despair not! give Me lower service! seekTo reach Me, worshipping with steadfast will;
And, if thou canst not worship steadfastly,
Work for Me, toil in works pleasing to Me!For he that laboureth right for love of Me
Shall finally attain! But, if in this
Thy faint heart fails, bring Me thy failure!
All of us are pilgrims on a journey to the Divine. Let us share what we have been given with those especially who are lame or heavily burdened. As you give, look not for rewards. The less we notice our own good deeds, the more will they be blessed by God.
Love, kindness, and self-forgetfulness: These are the qualities that will create beauty wherever you have passed.
In joy,
Nayaswami Jyotish
14 Comments
Thank you for this beautiful parable, Jyotish and for the lines from the GITA.
As I just beigin to deepen my commitment to and celebration of our beautiful Path of Light and our practice of Kriya meditation, I am finding that grounding in “quotidian mysticism” as I call it (or sometimes when I feel silly “changiing the kitty litter mysticism,” is brining me ever closer to the Divine who never leaves us. ALL anxiety is a kind of separation anxiety, a beleif in the Illusion that God has left us or that we have ever been separate from God!
Peace and many thanks,
Karen
Nice
Blessings on your bonny head, dear Jyotish. Thank you for your inspiration to start off our day of service at the Laurelwood Seva Day. May yours and Devi’s journeys be filled with joy!
Oh my! Did I ever need this reminder today. Thank you so much!
WOW!
Jyotish, I am almost speechless. . .
Overcome with this message of beauty.
Thank You!
~~~Peace, Josette
Dear Nayaswami Jyotish,
Thank you sharing the article. Lovely and thoughtful . “Love, kindness, and self-forgetfulness”. Wishing to be with this qualities forever by God & Guru’s grace. Aum
Joy,
Prem
Thank you for this deeply inspiring article, and reminding Krishna’s reassurance to all .
Ss
Thank you again, Jyotish :)
This is just what I needed to read at the time I needed.
Blessings & Jai Guru
Dear Jyotish,
Lots of love and love for this wonderful message.
Regards,
Ajay
Thank you for this inspiring mesaage when I needed it.
Very nice story! Thanks a lot! :-)
Jaima.thank you and in gratitude for being a guidk
Jaima.thank you and in gratitude for your guidence from my lower conciousness to higher conciosness.jaima.