宽容的心

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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

" S6 D6 y  V; h! Y# A# J/ oThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

. K% k' N( t$ Gof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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. O9 q# i5 U' @! Ya child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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of people he/she hates.
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So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

8 @- m( @) E9 u3 Hthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

) S+ [2 n) ?' ?  w3 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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$ u1 N# a: D/ i8 r. UDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain
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* M) X2 r# ^- j# \  ]9 M5 Ydue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,
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those 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.

The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

; X$ E2 i& G2 h8 v  a/ ?with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

# w( N; |- Y! C! e+ o4 u2 Zstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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' d( k: g/ I" UThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever

you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred

$ m; ^7 K. m) d* L, I) m& H0 oin your heart for your lifetime???"
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"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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it is something you do for yourself.
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Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.