May 18:

“The Divine Radio is always singing, if we could only make ourselves ready to listen to it, but it is impossible to listen without silence.”

–Gandhi (Truth is God, p. 60)

While the Metta Center does host an awesome community radio program, Peace Paradigm Radio, which tackles the tough questions around nonviolence in our world, it is, sadly, not the Divine Radio to which Gandhi refers. For that, he maintains, we need silence. But I wonder–does he mean outward silence alone? Is it enough if we find ourselves in a secluded, quiet spot away from the world? Will that help us hear the Divine Radio? Ok, ok, so what about earplugs?  Likely, the spiritual teaching to which he refers is that of inward silence, stillness and peace in the midst of chaos, confusion and life in general. And it relates to the practice of nonviolence in general: the more steady our minds, the greater our security, the deeper our capacity to be peaceful with others who are agitated and even violent. Silence is not an end to seek in itself. It is a means to hearing something we otherwise miss — “hearing” with our heart, which in turn helps us to be more aware of the dignity of everything around us.

One of our favorite bumper stickers around this area, not unrelated, is “Don’t believe everything you think.” That’s a starting place!

Experiment in Nonviolence:

Take a few minutes everyday to slow down your thoughts.

Daily Metta 2015, a service of the Metta Center for Nonviolence, is a daily reflection on the strategic and spiritual insights of Mahatma Gandhi in thought, word and deed. As Gandhi called his life an “experiment in truth,” we have included an experiment in nonviolence to accompany each Daily Metta. Check in every day for new inspiration. Each year will be dedicated to another wisdom teacher.