宽容的心

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THE STENCH OF HATRED

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A 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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& d/ W4 J' x/ a6 abag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

' G$ n) H) ^; u" rof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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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

the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

6 E. M5 w, i, r7 y/ O8 Y. ^3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

% n+ l6 U$ u/ R+ X& t7 [' k( Q  ^The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes

+ A2 a, J5 O! x, j! {in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
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# Z0 l1 {  h2 t" b- i/ w  _Days 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,

5 m$ Z5 X( w9 a( r2 M! Nthose 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.
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. L3 s+ g/ P2 o  o1 a; x- G2 U% `The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

2 p9 u! {4 ?; j  T% J1 Rhaving 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.

The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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) m. m1 ^1 \$ J8 ^; }  hyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

3 j  [" x1 w6 J4 i0 C8 \8 Y6 gwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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! f( a6 v) U3 i# W8 myou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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, Y5 j' Z( k1 p' U, `1 ]) _1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred

/ f# S, ~8 N' m. ~) k  {7 N- Kin your heart for your lifetime???"

. N9 k( R& b2 z5 Q7 n: e"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

0 D! M% W& D8 \: |7 q0 ^& n+ `9 t4 f; wit is something you do for yourself.

Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.