“The true source of rights is duty.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma, 2. 179
This concept, here stated so clearly, is one of the great insights Gandhi offered which could, if taken to heart and implemented, change the face of most progressive politics. There is a parallel to Constructive Programme: first build what you want and then, if still necessary, reject what you don’t want (weave your own cloth then boycott British ones). In other words, in Gandhi’s vision the lack of self-reliance was an illusion and the demand that others supply our needs, or rights, was almost a form of violence. Whatever we may think of this vision, it almost always proves effective strategy. After all, those who try to dominate must first convince the dominated of their helplessness and dependency. Breaking that lie is an act of power and truth.
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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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By: Prof. Michael Nagler
As the Founder and President of Metta Center, Michael Nagler is also Professor Emeritus of Classics and Comparative Literature at UC, Berkeley, where he co-founded the Peace and Conflict Studies Program. Michael is the author of The Search for a Nonviolent Future and The Nonviolence Handbook: A Guide for Practical Action. His latest book is The Third Harmony: Nonviolence & the New Story of Human Nature. Visit his website: michaelnagler.org.
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This Daily Metta reminds me of this citation from Proverbs in the Bible (16:1) “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.”
This article was posted yesterday at csmonitor.com, in anticipation of Gandhi’s birthday on Oct. 2: “What would Gandhi say about climate change?” http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2016/0925/India-to-ratify-Paris-accord-What-would-Gandhi-say-about-climate-change
OK…I get this; and THANK YOU for this post. This applies to the control of big business in the USA. We need to think out of the box for this to work here. Buying food local, supporting the local farmers, growing our own food; one of the hard ones is learning how to heal the body instead of depending on pharmaceuticals. And that puts me in touch with Ahimsa and Satyagraha for guidance, for if it could be done in India it can be done here. We in the USA need to quit complaining about the government and big business and find our way not dependent upon them.