宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
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3 b' h6 p  ~" u0 E9 Y5 F! }+ SA 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

. ?" c, ~$ @: ?5 r5 \; Y0 J2 x" }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

of people he/she hates.
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So 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
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8 Y4 n4 b2 _- F  c3 I3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

4 i. `; x/ L# K; {7 U7 qThe 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.

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain

due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,
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) `6 \5 l# ]/ X: gthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

4 Z( i, u- L% Z9 l. v5 [week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

/ l/ d; ^; T: T% uThe 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
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- }5 f! h  K: q4 y$ Xstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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0 f7 Y/ s# W) g8 B$ u, n$ Bhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
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Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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% C1 j5 H/ I* p! i7 q( d  rThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

6 [8 Z; ?0 u4 e% @/ e# pwill 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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& H+ I: o1 C- G* ^5 N, B( Fin your heart for your lifetime???"

2 ?7 A, D+ s2 V% U. S$ r, }"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.

6 L1 S2 J9 E3 M" |$ \* T# dGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.