“The greatest tragedy is a hopeless unwillingness of the villagers to better their lot.” ~ Gandhi, Harijan, January 9, 1937
It is indeed a tragedy: that people who have been belittled and oppressed so often take on the message of their own unworthiness put forward by their oppressors. But at the same time, this does show us a way out, over which oppressors have no direct control. Was it Harriet Tubman who woke up one morning with the words “I am not a slave,” sparking her own freedom and the growth of the underground railway? “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” ~ the Buddha
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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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