宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
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7 z- F0 w& f  KA 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
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% u' m5 e1 R# A0 |/ Ybag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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5 P; N. _  `( Y( hof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

of people he/she hates.
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' Q$ X3 L, e9 ]% V; GSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

  ^0 \$ _6 M( g/ `! t0 Uthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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" n, Z+ Q8 }* P8 H5 m1 D$ _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.
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: x6 N9 |: D9 B! G7 WDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain

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

/ J+ f# R7 [+ o: f( Wthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1
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0 q# K; j% W% b" [week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
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The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
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. s8 ~5 {: J4 b% O0 a. dwith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

! p, j% @6 q  t3 mstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
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Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

7 S) X! L* Z4 y0 o& }* QThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

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

! P5 @0 M2 o+ I: X" @will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever

you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just

$ B( W3 |& Q' n7 l3 B( H( T1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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  _  p; a: C6 f3 D5 R. }1 v. \in your heart for your lifetime???"
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1 q( K5 Z- |% h2 ~) s"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

3 i0 M; B8 C& d* ^% o8 g& lit is something you do for yourself.

2 G# j$ I3 d1 SGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.