宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED

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! j+ Z2 ^# v, R3 Z" DA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

The 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
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* X$ ^: P& w+ f( A# K4 j6 ]  kof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

of people he/she hates.
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So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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% M1 y+ _3 a2 o/ m8 jthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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' l& r: f: B6 VThe 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.

2 s( c# p. x; r' l8 `6 }Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain
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8 J0 x5 g1 N7 @% xdue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

  s" P& u7 v# r& [& Qthose 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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! z; n  |* F* W2 ~: OThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
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9 s, \" \6 w# @; |: o& `/ l4 swith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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  P: T7 {: A3 x# d$ l# |. J7 Rstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

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

/ l, N- A# T! o+ S6 JThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

1 x" P; R0 x5 W* {# U1 yyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

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