“Obedience to the law of bread labour will bring about a silent revolution in the structure of society.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma, 4.36

A “silent revolution” of this kind exemplifies the power of Constructive Programme. Why did Gandhi place so much hope in this one of its 18 projects? Because it would reground the economy in its natural function, allowing each to play her or his role in supplying everyone’s basic needs, giving each a sense of purpose (which has been scientifically shown to be a necessity for all of us) and providing a natural escape from what he called the “multiplication of wants” that’s the disastrous choice of modern economies. It would also remove the stigma attached to labor and help to unite the sometimes bitterly divided social classes; we would all be participating concretely in our common humanity. No one has disproved him yet!

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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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