宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED


A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
5 x; b) O% x8 g% d: f0 ?
" q' i$ p  a4 ~3 k9 R3 I, dbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
" L' X* p; u" S4 Y+ P
of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
$ J. j/ @' R3 x, _4 ^; w6 P5 b! K
a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
( G9 f9 V* }$ s
of people he/she hates.
. K) R2 x/ d' n+ y& J4 q
' H$ N. P" Y. N; W; l5 l' [' G- mSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
9 R1 y9 L- D9 i2 y6 \# i; s
3 I& h$ u+ @; c8 @the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

% H& `1 p3 L; a: |+ r9 P# `2 h& qThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes

: e% h" h7 Y, W4 D; ?# ~in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

2 M- C6 I$ N! Q* [% `Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain

1 {8 g, U# P, A0 D; ~" C. ndue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

9 G, ^; Q! F! m) g, Vthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

3 w0 n8 a0 L& A8 N2 W$ e; C0 }" Y( FThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
& V8 E- z8 ~, V
* u8 i. [& i% T& |having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

# _* W6 i8 D6 D+ a5 BThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

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

- ^. O5 ]! l) F& A6 pwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever

you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
: E+ A. T- P7 z1 ~* m$ a8 J
1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
% U, h; [* u- {9 q/ S2 c
% {- a4 H, }" `3 Gin your heart for your lifetime???"
+ t8 N, [  `1 ~; H9 J& c6 s
"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
! y; o+ v% B( L9 ]" M- H9 l
it is something you do for yourself.
+ S' r) Y0 k9 H. A6 i1 U1 A) e
Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.