“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 way a harmful one; which it is. For Gandhi, the reason was obvious. In his words, “All living beings are members of one another.” That’s dramatic language, and he meant it. He did not suggest that we are merely related or closely connected; instead he emphasized that we are not actually separate creatures at all. He saw all of life, in other words, as a whole. Consequently, our actions produce either good or bad effects which extend to everyone. When we begin to understand this, see it in action, we stand, at the very least, to increase in that valuable self-knowledge that makes nonviolence possible.

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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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