“Religion is never opposed to economics, but is always ranged against profits.” ~ Gandhi, Ashram Observances, p. 97

This is a foundational concept in Gandhi’s system of economics: to serve need, not greed. Such a focus allows for a system to take care of everyone. Gandhi goes so far as to maintain that whatever excess we possess we have stolen from someone else. Poverty is not only degrading to the human image as it limits our capacities on both sides of the spectrum (having too much and having too little); it is manufactured and it can be dismantled nonviolently.

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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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