“When there is no desire for fruit, there is also no temptation for untruth or himsa.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma, vol. 2. p. 311

To revisit the excellent Daily Metta of March 1st: The Gita’s “theory of action” (as we like to call it). It is quite nuanced, but it’s main tenets can be summarized as three steps: choose a right goal (keeping your own svadharma in mind), use the right means (nonviolence, of course), and be detached from the fruits of your action, meaning the personal benefit. Gandhiji’s impressive claim here is that if we can reach that level of detachment—where we are looking only to the well-being of others—we will have no need to use untruth or violence, we will automatically be above the temptation to do so. A case of right ends—and right mental state—guaranteeing right means.

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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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