宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
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9 `$ q, b2 I$ U; A1 Z$ GA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

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

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

of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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7 m* B7 R# n( ^5 ca child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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# Y$ ]4 Q; A, S4 ?3 zof people he/she hates.

( M! z* @2 l/ y* WSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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+ B# h! [" v" Y/ Ithe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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4 r1 Y+ h  Z' Y% t$ m, N4 v5 gThe 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

( c; _. f" u+ \' V: L4 D1 ~due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

5 F/ W" P, p- m+ X  U* j2 Vthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

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

) |( v2 d, I. ~$ owith 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

$ g* v# j2 F  c5 Y5 uhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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5 l: m2 V" `! V2 W; L. O0 O# qyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
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/ J; }/ X4 `* dwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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/ l7 M8 c& H) j) K9 n- Cyou 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
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  ~2 W$ a9 ^" b/ {2 f' zin your heart for your lifetime???"
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: f3 J8 `6 r; `- @"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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it is something you do for yourself.

! G& j# n6 m' I& P' sGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.