宽容的心

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THE STENCH OF HATRED


A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic

5 w' i, q9 j2 ~5 A% s9 N, wbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

: g, t4 H5 f/ m9 L0 {# r) V& }a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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of people he/she hates.

( O& ?. |. d: I: a+ R& Q7 X8 YSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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; ]4 M! G4 c' Q* ^" uthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

6 V% Y3 R7 S0 B( M( @  m4 u# E& uThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain

. s7 {, W5 Z  x8 ^/ I1 h/ ldue 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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! \* ~5 n& d! B$ Y0 vweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
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+ `8 c+ @) S  e, X; tThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
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' c5 @* H- G& K' Xwith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

( B) R4 T5 ^, _6 ^+ I8 b) eThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
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9 u% {9 T9 Q1 {& m# {/ ~9 C  vwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever

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

% E! \' E. [( c& G5 Iin your heart for your lifetime???"

' F$ z' V  b! p  M"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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it is something you do for yourself.

Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.