宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED

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- Y2 T6 |8 I$ o! ?/ J4 p% CA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
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% I# c' Q) Z5 H. P7 C" s. x2 k7 K0 FThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic

bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

1 j/ V! |9 ~: ~: _( [/ ]of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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8 c6 O' q4 h. v/ Q( n, Wa child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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, ~' M& O9 X3 `* n. T! kof people he/she hates.

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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  B& k5 {: G/ v+ Q/ `2 @3 Othe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes

in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
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; v4 W- m% i9 R+ GDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain

  ~3 i8 E6 {8 O& }+ z  |( z+ Q, U2 Idue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,
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0 W5 P- h# |0 f0 vthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1
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week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
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The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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6 T: j9 S' m. e# Q5 A  \started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

6 I2 ^' t3 @" ]% m# c# V; yhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

* l$ i. u, M# p1 n- T+ K3 o2 [4 Z  ~) gThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

3 R; i& R+ j7 v6 N1 u5 iThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
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/ K, L- y: u' n- @will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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! C: C; ?) w2 D5 L; y5 _you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just

1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred

in your heart for your lifetime???"
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"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.
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1 N7 r7 e8 ~  DGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.