宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
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" @4 [, g$ S' TA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
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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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of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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0 C# [* q) n/ n7 L, w& Ta 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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) D9 O% v8 G) R6 tSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

# J- X4 q5 t9 Y, t( j% e; Pthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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2 c( q& e3 ~8 c+ u% p5 `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

9 B4 x& S) C% }due 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

! H: ~( _% C' d- X6 L. d( Uweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
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* ~; X& p  U8 W" a5 SThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

7 V' `2 E3 R" s' X/ _3 Pstarted 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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* i& i; c) Y" M3 cThe 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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6 I4 P: u) \& i2 J2 P/ ]% Vwill 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

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???"

: D  H. Y! _( m4 l2 ~  H"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.
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* b0 l4 K& s' e) w6 TGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.