“Religion of our conception, being thus imperfect, is always subject to a process of evolution and reinterpretation.” ~ Gandhi, Gandhiji’s Dialogue with Christianity, Swaraj Peeth, Chapter 2 Gandhi had a radical notion about religion and humanity. It goes like this: If humanity is not yet perfect, and humanity created religion, then religion is not perfect… read more
Posts by Stephanie Van Hook
Intent to Heal: Daily Metta
“A Gujarati didactic stanza likewise gripped my mind and heart. Its precept, return good for evil, became my guiding principle.” ~ Gandhi, Autobiography, Chapter X When Gandhi uses terms like “good and evil,” we have to be clear about what he means. “Evil” does not apply to people, it means the energy behind an action:… read more
As a Whole: Daily Metta
“Whoever tries to serve his private ends without serving others harms himself as well as the world at large. The reason is obvious.” ~ Gandhi, Ashram Observances in Action, p. 68 Most of us do not grow up with the understanding that pursuit of private satisfaction and well-being, without regard for others, is in any… read more
Level of Principle: Daily Metta
“I have sacrificed no principle to gain a political advantage.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 38 You can always count on Gandhi for words that will soothe and refresh. Imagine it: in the midst of political turmoil, he is able to profess that he refuses to sacrifice his principles to gain an advantage.… read more
Distance & Time: Daily Metta
“I wholeheartedly detest this mad desire to destroy distance and time.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 233 In order to see life as it is, to see people as they are, not to mention ourselves, we have to slow down. Instead of long walks or journeys, we fly from one place to the… read more
Soul Force: Daily Metta
“It is easy to see that soul force is infinitely superior to body force.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 165 Is soul force really superior to body force? We would need to look at the big picture, I think, in order to decide. Gandhi says that it’s easy to see, but is it… read more
Expansive Notion: Daily Metta
“Man is both matter and spirit, each acting on and affecting the other.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 80 We might consider that one of Gandhi’s greatest insights was that he saw humanity, life in general, as more than meets the eye. A vision like this cannot but express itself in nonviolent action;… read more
Abiding Joy: Daily Metta
“When a child, my nurse taught me to repeat Rama-nama whenever I felt afraid or miserable, and it has been second nature with me with growing knowledge and advancing years. I may even say that the word is in my heart, if not actually on my lips, all the twenty-four hours.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of… read more
Personal Interest: Daily Metta
“When there is no desire for fruit, there is also no temptation for untruth or himsa.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma, Vol. 2, p. 311 When Gandhi tells us, based on his adherence to the mystical teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, to let go of the results of our actions, fruit, or phalam in Sanskrit, he is… read more
Awakening Compassion: Daily Metta
Here Michael cites the discovery by Rachel MacNair of what she calls ‘Perpetration-Induced Traumatic Stress’–the fact that as the Buddha and the others often said, when we injure another, we feel that injury ourselves, a fact for which there is now scientific proof. Michael emphasizes how the nonviolent actor can awaken awareness of this reflection… read more
