“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 not recommending that we let go of the desire for good ends to be achieved. All he is saying is that we have to take our personal interest at the expense of others out of the equation. When we see the full picture of life, we see our own good achieved when the well-being of others is secure.

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About Daily Metta

Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as a way to share Gandhi’s spiritual wisdom and experiments with nonviolence.

Our 2016 Daily Metta continues with Gandhi on weekdays. On weekends, we share videos that complement Michael Nagler’s award-winning book, The Search for a Nonviolent Future: A Promise of Peace for Ourselves, Our Families, and Our World. To help readers engage with the book more deeply, the Metta Center offers a free PDF study guide.

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