Big pot, little pot

There were two neighbours who were very kind to each other. Quite often they exchanged things — whenever one was in need of something that the other had. This borrowing and returning things went on for months and years.

Human life is such that jealousy never remains fast asleep for long. One of the neighbours suddenly became very rich. The other one became very sad and mad, because she and her husband were still quite poor.

One day the poor one went to the rich one to borrow a big pot because she was inviting some of her friends over to eat. Of course, she was also inviting her rich neighbour. She took the pot and used it to cook.

A few days later she brought her neighbour back a very small pot. The rich one said. “We gave you a big pot; yet you are giving us back a small one.”

The poor woman said, “God wanted to increase this family. This big pot has given birth to a small pot.” Out of gratitude, she was giving the little pot to the neighbour as a gift. “I am giving you a gift. You please take it,” she said. “I will return your big pot very soon.”

The little pot was very cute, and the rich woman was very happy that she was getting a new pot in addition to her own pot that her neighbour promised to return. “It is very nice of you to give us another pot,” she said.

Some time went by, and still the lady did not return the big pot. The rich neighbour was embarrassed to ask for it because her friend always returned things. She said to herself, “This time perhaps she has forgotten. Let me wait for a few more days.”

Finally the rich lady said, “Sorry to remind you. You must have forgotten that you still have my big pot; otherwise, I'm sure you would have returned it. We are such good friends. We always return things.”

The friend said, “I could not return it to you because something happened. When I borrowed your big pot, it gave birth to a little pot. But then, after a few days, it died.”

The neighbour said, “Pots can’t die.”

The poor friend said, “If you believed me the first time — that your pot had given birth to a little pot — can’t you believe this time that your big pot has died? If you believe in new life, how is it that you can’t believe that old life can die?”

The neighbour had dropped the pot and broken it.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Big pot, little pot, Agni Press, 1981
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/bpl