宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
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1 W: ~7 ?& Z7 Y. t2 v7 s# VA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

7 s- P1 ~# R+ r4 f8 J7 YThe 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

of 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

) e7 Y$ p- |) x. T4 Eof people he/she hates.
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. i/ F: Y7 `1 i2 A, J, G/ Q& kSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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; ~7 {: C8 h) x( L3 sthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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( K8 b% _: l& z0 X. Z3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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; C6 r/ u8 u8 \& }, VThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes

" H  \2 y: Y- l# o! `- _: _" pin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
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# {, k2 G  J' `/ I/ a3 mDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain
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due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

3 x% n5 w; F3 b6 j9 Ythose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1
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week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

5 P: u- S* r8 v) J, l1 lThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
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4 l1 k8 H1 ]) q: M! H7 J3 F- mwith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

9 U9 [  h5 A# g( ~  rstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

' e9 ]2 G% |3 B  [8 Xhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
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7 `9 _6 d& B; m. D6 mThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

! x! y& D1 {4 t7 M$ wThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

, }9 ]+ K; B/ Z' r  L) y+ }' r6 |your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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2 C5 Q8 T, p  Xyou 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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8 P0 i5 L' j! ]+ Jin your heart for your lifetime???"
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2 P- L( |% P, d5 M, ]0 r"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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* [" S5 {, Y$ d4 eit is something you do for yourself.

* x* W, L  @' F$ \0 \Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.