“Ahimsa is the highest ideal. It is meant for the brave; never for the cowardly.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma, vol. 7, p. 128

The courage we’re talking about here is not only the courage to face (the risk of) punishment but the lack of understanding, the scorn and disapproval of others, which can be more difficult. It is also a kind of courage simply to hold the faith that there is order in the universe and no good act, carried out by those without attachment to personal gain, will go without its due effect. A conspicuous example of the second kind was when, in 1913, Gandhi went against the advice of the Viceroy, with whom he had cultivated an important and rewarding relationship, and even his revered political mentor, G.K. Gokhale, and held out for a real investigative commission when General Smuts had “offered” him one that was stacked, having no Indian representatives. Events proved Gandhi right, and his esteem with Gokhale and the viceroy only increased.

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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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