宽容的心

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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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8 K+ U, p  D- m6 r8 F  vA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
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# z+ _4 k/ _/ y& a+ yThe 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

( R8 Z9 d% l. E# O% d7 ?6 Qa 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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, p- t$ [( L# B: U* ^# HSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

: X( i3 r, p2 F2 y, T3 `* H3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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) i( A% J: @/ Z  gThe 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
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* g! s- U; Y" x: pdue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

those 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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% {. J6 _8 f; U( U' t/ pThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
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2 ], T5 u& V2 s9 M0 Z( N4 }, _with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

! U  {# x& L/ V! r/ ^! l1 c# Rstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

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

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

) Z) _; a- `* X- R% dThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

) b' m6 R  b5 _5 f$ iyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

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

/ b& D" L  w: {4 c1 q, oyou 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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9 `' Z  X& i+ _) ]3 bin your heart for your lifetime???"
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& y- C$ X! Q) P"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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( Y* D, x& v0 dit is something you do for yourself.

, v: `  w3 \9 p- h6 A3 d( s) J$ \Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.