宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
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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

+ {( Y7 R8 T8 J& p, Obag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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' R8 z4 i: f* Z( gof 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

" l' w/ n$ t: }1 R# P/ zof people he/she hates.
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1 i+ j9 W4 j3 U. K% F  zSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

0 w+ _! B" v5 F- T5 o8 x9 F3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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8 C0 Q, Y4 `% CThe 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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Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain

' q  X2 p2 k. rdue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1
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1 `0 q7 c1 J' E2 a$ y1 fweek, 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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started 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.
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- B$ v+ Q+ r9 i, h! q' H* U; @Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

4 X+ y6 X5 _' [) q7 a% t: QThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

; ~5 g+ o$ _" I6 [" E( Vyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

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

- x# @9 d- L! h! X/ R, G+ c0 Ayou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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1 q# R8 h" P' i7 O0 `1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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1 i: M- N0 p: b' j* t/ j$ f( L6 r& K; z# Win your heart for your lifetime???"

" ~- B  D0 k; X"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.

, j! j" X% E4 {) t: K& `* `Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.