宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
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A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
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3 H2 b& a( o2 {+ {7 y; r4 RThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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* p/ o7 u$ L: X2 n! Gbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

' B- p" Y+ w3 C) p$ u2 t- h8 lof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

% u9 f* c) C# H' b/ ea child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

/ F, f* F& R) ~- F! u1 y* {of people he/she hates.

9 m5 v; c% G8 e) j0 P/ vSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

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

3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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1 ^0 d8 A' ~5 x* l% J$ \& gin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
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3 d, k7 U0 h4 X& g2 ]! z  o8 IDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain
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# d, B  r0 J2 M7 H* Y! }$ zdue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

0 k9 e- b0 ]- y" _$ {3 othose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1
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1 |9 F: q& B, x; y7 j  M  Zweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

The 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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started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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8 X: Y! T0 T# s# i! e; l, p/ Ihaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
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2 @8 D4 Z9 `* x; k  z8 V9 EThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

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

2 ^+ W. _+ G+ U! o5 @, Mwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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2 U; f1 D" {: f2 n( }# S! Xyou 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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in your heart for your lifetime???"
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7 Y% p, X1 m3 n( ?"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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. E8 M; z9 g! p" g" S" d0 vit is something you do for yourself.

8 n/ }( W. y. i) X0 |0 IGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.