“I am an uncompromising opponent of violent methods even to serve the noblest of causes. Experience convinces me that permanent good can never be the outcome of untruth and violence. Even if my belief is a fond delusion, it will be admitted that it is a fascinating delusion.” ~ Gandhi, Young India, December 11, 1924

There are many experiences in life (or at least in my life) where we think we don’t have enough to go on to decide whether the right course is to trust the good, the optimistic interpretation of life. In such cases, isn’t it better to give truth the benefit of the doubt? Not only is it more uplifting (and in this age of demoralization, we need all the upliftment we can get), whichever choice we make will turn out to be self-fulfilling, to an extent. In the end, I believe, with enough accumulated experience and enough calmness of mind to evaluate it, we are bound to discover that it is no “fond delusion” to put our trust in truth and nonviolence.

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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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