“Nothing should be taught to children by force.” ~ Gandhi, Ashram Observances, p. 102
The use of force in education—physical, emotional or spiritual—only shows the lack of skill and the lack of consciousness of the teacher. Neither child nor adult learns to respect someone by being forced to do so. No outside compulsion awakens the true learner within us. All we can do is provide living examples of curiosity, wonder and dignity. That is an entirely different “force” altogether: love force!
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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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By: Stephanie Van Hook
Stephanie Van Hook is Executive Director of the Metta Center for Nonviolence.
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