“Unless the mind and the body and the soul are made to work in unison, they cannot be adequately used for the service of mankind.” ~ Gandhi, The Gita According to Gandhi, p. 208 What is a human being? Gandhi answers: Mind, body and spirit. Work that lasts, that uplifts and ennobles, needs to have… read more
Posts by Stephanie Van Hook
Habit: Daily Metta
“Habit is not nature.” ~ Gandhi, The Gita According to Gandhi, p. 187 If our nature is good, then why do we do things that harm ourselves and others? Because there is a difference between habit and nature. We might acquire a negative habit—of judgment rather than mercy; of condemnation rather than forgiveness; of self-centeredness… read more
Charitable Acts: Daily Metta
“A man of charity does not even know that he is doing charitable acts, it is his nature to do so, he cannot help it.” ~ Gandhi, The Gita According to Gandhi, p. 185 Gandhi firmly believed that our nature is good. We do not need to prove it to ourselves by having others affirm… read more
Six principles of Kingian Nonviolence
Ever try to talk to your child about Martin Luther King, Jr.? Here’s a quick intro to his vision of nonviolence. Learn about six principles of Kingian nonviolence from 5th grade teacher and Kingian nonviolence trainer, Robin Wildman on this episode of Parent Power Podcast! Listen here, or at the player underneath my bio box.… read more
A Seed Sown: Daily Metta
“The seed is never seen. It works underneath the ground, is itself destroyed, and the tree which rises above the ground is alone seen.” ~ Gandhi, Hind Swaraj, Chapter 2 Gandhi wanted us to understand that no single event, great or small, is an end in itself. Each one leads to something down the line:… read more
True Swaraj
“You are impatient. I cannot afford to be likewise.” ~ Gandhi, Hind Swaraj, Chptr 1 Nonviolence requires patience and Gandhi knew this. In Hind Swaraj, he frequently describes the various movements for a free India not under the categories of violent or nonviolent, but by the kind of energy behind the actions of those who… read more
Home Rule: Daily Metta
“The views I venture to place before the reader are, needless to say, held by many Indians…and they are also held by thousands of Europeans.” ~ Gandhi, Hind Swaraj Gandhi wrote Hind Swaraj, or Indian Home Rule, in 1909 while on board the Kildonan Castle taking him from England to South Africa. Written in Gujarati,… read more
A Radical Idea: Daily Metta
“Happiness has no exchange value. There’s no profit from it.” From Gandhi to Vinoba, by Lanzo del Vasto, p. 26 When advertisers offer us happiness in exchange for buying something, for ourselves or others, we would do well to remember Gandhi’s insight: there is no happiness outside of ourselves. Advertisers don’t really want us to… read more
A Serious Call: Daily Metta
“We must not forget that India’s conquest was not an invasion by a people but the operation of a trading company.” From Gandhi to Vinoba, by Lanzo del Vasto, p. 26 Gandhi knew that people thought that he seemed foolish by putting his hopes in the spinning wheel, of all things. But he saw into… read more
Beyond crisis-mode–Daily Metta
“We are lurching from crisis to crisis.” In today’s video, Michael, continuing on from February 6, underscores how our common way of thinking has no way to understand the dynamic of Karen Ridd’s heroic act and its effect. He adds a contemporary example of how the prevailing worldview, or “old story,” prevents us from acknowledging… read more
