宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED

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% T; P  `, r5 A- M6 zA 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

bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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5 O( i2 }# A2 X6 da child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

/ d. u0 C1 p  q* |5 iof people he/she hates.
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So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

+ c% A. S" m' Sthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

0 j8 \0 g5 Y/ h: U) m2 P7 ^) X. D3 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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; g4 q% f; b6 d5 O: w1 Min the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
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Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain

& F$ y4 e, D  o$ H3 N6 cdue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

5 _- n( n1 n, ^  O$ V* t$ G) I. Xthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

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

  N4 N! r, |* q2 Y+ G* J. sThe 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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/ |4 H* A7 F0 U# ?; y+ nstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

; P9 `/ J' o2 E1 `Then 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
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will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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& j; Q- W3 T: n6 S) Y: f7 ?you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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2 U9 b- Z# R+ O- L0 V1 g1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred

1 v/ Z) k" L, G1 i5 K5 Vin your heart for your lifetime???"
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"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.
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Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.