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

$ y# ^# m% @  A+ b& Nbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

, j. D# G8 h6 `3 K1 vof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

8 s' ^1 j* m* L$ @8 La child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
7 ~6 Y; l' M0 Q7 Q& K" F0 u* M
of people he/she hates.

5 `6 K5 ?9 @0 z3 l; _So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
+ D4 ~7 b( M" ]6 C
the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

. j$ @# U% l: T3 c/ [3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
/ T' m# x% x! w6 x
The 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.
5 F- L, G8 q' I* A( W6 S( `
Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain

due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

( ?: ]: `6 u% ^& Bthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1
# S( ?0 y" B. H4 h' Z
week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
1 U" H% _8 e" ~! r  J* a0 d, Y3 v
The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
$ x/ |$ p* Y. |( O' M- }9 w. i
with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
1 ]- g9 V0 M8 I: F0 Z
" q( P: \' Z- Q! lstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

' F) h/ o6 ~5 r* z: g" Hhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
# q4 D6 G+ q1 ]/ {$ S
' O2 H2 ]" r! q% J& b) eThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
* q9 \; y0 g7 ?: ]/ Q2 [
The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
& r5 P, ]2 J' ]! X8 k8 w/ z9 j
will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
0 V0 q# o" y& r+ C9 {% U( C8 h
/ I) B( c) P9 I: b- Wyou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just

( w2 k+ H9 o8 ]$ z1 W3 R1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred

in your heart for your lifetime???"

+ H- e2 \6 `& E0 T" k+ ~2 }+ ]) M"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.
" m4 R5 X. Y2 ]' w' j
9 \, O( K0 k8 J, ~* w* u+ s0 E9 {Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.