“If one takes to Satyagraha without having measured his own strength and afterwards sustains a defeat, he not only disgraces himself (or herself) but also brings the matchless weapon of Satyagraha into disrepute.” ~ Gandhi, Satyagraha in South Africa, p. 188

One of the reasons it has taken so long for nonviolence to be understood, even noticed, is our failure to understand that it is a force that can be measured scientifically, that there is a right (more effective) and wrong (less effective) way to engage it. Therefore when we meet with defeat, people blame not our relative weakness as practitioners but the principle, or force, itself.

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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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