February 7

“History, then, is a record of an interruption of the course of nature. Soul-force, being natural, is not noted in history.”

–Gandhi (Hind Swaraj, Chap. XVII)

Imagine walking into a history class in a mainstream, public institution and hearing not the stories of generals and apologies for genocides and massacres, but stories of nonviolence. When studying World War II, we learn that the European Holocaust happened, to be sure, but at the same time, we hear the stories of people like Father Kolbe, and entire nations like Denmark, who resisted cooperating with the Nazi regime. Instead of sweeping past, or outright ignoring the likes of Alice Paul or Ella Baker, we come to know intimately the struggles in which they participated, including the values that guided them. What about an entire core curricular unit on Truth and Reconciliation Commissions? More than this, what if we understand our history in the present including these crucial developments and people–what did their movements lead to, and what can we learn from them? Would this not facilitate the transition to a nonviolent future?

Experiment in Nonviolence:

Make it a point to familiarize yourself with “the forgotten history” of what’s real and positive, aka, nonviolence. More resources on this to come with later commentaries, but you could always begin with any of the names or topics listed in this Daily Metta.

Daily Metta 2015, a service of the Metta Center for Nonviolence, is a daily reflection on the strategic and spiritual insights of Mahatma Gandhi in thought, word and deed. As Gandhi called his life an “experiment in truth,” we have included an experiment in nonviolence to accompany each Daily Metta. Check in every day for new inspiration. Each year will be dedicated to another wisdom teacher.