“These difficulties were only passing, for the strict observance of the vow produced an inward relish distinctly more healthy, delicate and permanent.” ~ Gandhi, Autobiography, p. 57

When Gandhi went to England to study law, his mother, who some believe was his spiritual teacher, asked him to take three vows: to abstain from women, alcohol and meat. We might say that this was the beginning for him of the experimentation that nourished his spiritual and personal strivings. In his experiment with abstention from meat, for example, he was convinced by a certain friend that eggs should not be considered as such, and so he began to consume them. But this experiment did not last long. He became overwhelmed by the knowledge that according to his mother, eggs were meat, and it was really to her that he made his vow. So he decided that even if he could convince himself that eggs were not a meat product, he should abstain from them. It was, as he called it, a “strict observance” of the vow. Such an observance, to paraphrase, gave him a deep, permanent satisfaction.

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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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