“Let every youth take a leaf out of my book and make it a point to account for everything that comes into and goes out of his pocket.” ~ Gandhi, Autobiography, p. 52

Gandhi began while in England as a young man studying law to take very good records of his expenses and income. Offering some sage advice (it’s a pun, yes?), he encourages others to do the same, coupled with a sense of introspection—was this purchase necessary? What do I spend most of my resources on, and why? Money can serve not only as a form of currency, it can provide us insight into our wants, desires and needs. It’s not surprising that Gandhi slowly began simplifying his life at this period, while studying law in England. He will later point out that his careful attention to economic necessities as a young man taught him later how to receive and account for with accuracy the millions of rupees flowing through his hands for the movement. Gandhi never took a class in economics or accounting that we know of, yet his proficiency in both rival any Harvard MBA!

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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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