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.
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2 q& v$ j& n3 v9 PThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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+ i% N$ ]! L& |+ e& F' y  \9 dbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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, {4 z* K; p4 G; W4 Z4 qof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

% I4 V( i/ c$ {) A8 E. Ya child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

of people he/she hates.
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9 }1 N7 X1 ^2 g3 nSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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& A4 N7 @9 W) o& l2 pthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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. F$ D% r- K# M( N! C* I$ S1 ^The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes

6 }7 c1 {! i/ h- kin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
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( F6 ^0 W4 l  q9 Y* v- X8 ~/ V  pDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain

8 I8 f* Y5 L9 k# S* k9 B! [0 I! x6 O: adue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,
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7 E3 U: r4 }  c) s  U4 Nthose 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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, j! @2 C7 o* |9 M' PThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
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with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

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

* x+ R) B9 g$ V4 b) i; d4 s* Z" uThen 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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$ \% ~; l" m  F! f) K  yyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

* I. S" |  n& O- r! Hwill 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

in your heart for your lifetime???"

"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

( l6 y  g, ^; d& Iit is something you do for yourself.

Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.