宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED

6 `+ R$ z7 d- ~- ~/ F+ B; K( ^% r. |
A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
2 P2 ]/ t% w6 X1 u+ J4 P* W8 U
The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic

/ J' K# k: }8 O8 d1 w, w0 Rbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

1 K9 i3 c/ P# iof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
9 s1 B  Y, A. |0 c* P' W
a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

of people he/she hates.

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
, _: d9 d7 f! Y. |, P' f
8 y9 ?4 w7 e; f8 t+ l: D  l$ dthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

4 {& {; ?0 n( c* T3 k% i( ^3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
: Y' g- O( X  ^# y9 {0 q; ]  ^
# O  T) S$ M5 L0 GThe 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.
0 ]4 Z# F3 e5 h- t& R. J) o
Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain

due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,
5 p  i1 }3 n2 D
( F1 \) H( L, X4 T: y9 m. mthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

& N+ ^3 A. `/ M8 Eweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
" }# W, d7 y/ U% o
with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
! c/ Y; B" d  U+ b' i
+ N( c/ f: D% v  K9 Q' Astarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
1 r2 B7 ?; B% K
having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
  |" b2 P0 u0 s7 p- Y7 c5 o" ]
The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
, i9 o/ H) Y/ I9 N8 e% ]- @+ h
your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

8 g. _+ E+ @: p5 y# `will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
, D4 f1 X7 b. ]
you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
6 V! v: ~/ V9 B. i! _
1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
6 K  V+ l% M: y0 E' ~  x
6 B; Y) c9 W) D4 D6 R: ?2 I* {6 ]in your heart for your lifetime???"

+ \5 M; L1 ~* |! g2 w! Q7 f5 s"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.
+ _2 h6 o4 n, p1 ]
( ]& f+ L0 b7 ^+ V5 q, hGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.