“A Satyagrahi  goes to prison, not to embarrass the authorities but to convert them by demonstrating to them his innocence.” ~ Gandhi, Harijan, November 5, 1938

“Jail, not bail,” was the cry of the student protesters during the Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins. It represents a turning point in any movement: a willingness of one or more to take on a system directly by challenging the laws it decides to enforce. But note that Gandhi makes one stipulation in regard to this tactic: not out of a desire to embarrass people, not out of the intention to harm anyone at all. When we let go of the intention to harm others, we can be of benefit to them, and perhaps even get them to change some of their harmful ideas.

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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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