“Evolution of democracy is not possible if we are not prepared to hear the other side.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 342

Gandhi did not believe that we have yet achieved true democracy (and certain election campaigns of the present year would bear him out!). Democracy was much more than a vote-counting system that sorted its citizens into “winners” and “losers,” it was a way for people to live and work together in peace despite differences, a way for every human individual to achieve meaning and community (and meaning through service of the community). This is why, as he often said, democracy can never be fulfilled without a thorough commitment to nonviolence—and nonviolence can never be realized in the political sphere by any other method than true democracy of this depth.

Thanks for sharing a comment below.

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.

Enjoy more Daily Metta: See the  archives

Get Daily Metta by email: Subscribe