“The moral framework today is not very useful in terms of analyzing and solving problems.” In our Saturday video edition of Daily Metta Michael Nagler analyzes a quote from Wendell Berry, warning that the moral framework when dealing issues of violence can be playing with fire. It’s a short leap from calling something evil to… read more
Tag Archives: daily metta
Beyond Techniques: Daily Metta
“Only those who realize that there is something in man which is superior to the brute nature in him, and that the latter always yields to it, can effectively be Passive Resisters.” ~ Gandhi in December 1914, from Gandhi: Essential Writings, by K.K. Ramana Murti This would seem to be a tall order! But without… read more
Love as “Punishment”: Daily Metta
“The only way love punishes is by suffering.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma, II: 87 Just as William James spoke of the “moral equivalent of war,” in the universe of nonviolence there is a precise “equal but opposite” equivalent to every feature of violence. Gandhi hit on this one early, when some teenagers misbehaved in his first… read more
Realizing Power: Daily Metta
“No awakening is possible without the people at large realizing their power.” ~ Gandhi on June, 1917: Speeches and Writings of Mahatma Gandhi, Volume 4, p. 192 Until we become aware of our power, Gandhi tells us, we are not awake. We are moving about the world in an unconscious state, which creates the conditions… read more
The Light of Nonviolence: Daily Metta
“This force is to violence and therefore to all tyranny, all injustice, what light is to darkness.” ~ Gandhi, Indian Opinion, 1914 While certainly inspirational at first glance, we shouldn’t miss the sobering reality behind Gandhi’s assessment of the force of nonviolence: it exposes violence. Nonviolence is not a promise of a world free of… read more
Laws of Nature: Daily Metta
“A thing acquired by violence can be retained by violence alone, while one acquired by truth can be retained only by truth.” Gandhi had a keen eye for what he called “laws of nature,” and the quote above was one of them. Any achievement attained through violence—power over others, money, possessions—can only be kept through… read more
Energy Conversion: Daily Metta
Using Emotional Energy Wisely “We have to slow down on our initial reactions.” Michael Nagler explores reserving and converting the energy of negative emotions into fuel for positive changes. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as a way to share the Gandhi’s spiritual wisdom and… read more
Violence is Violence: Daily Metta
And Nonviolence is Nonviolence “Violence remains violence, irrespective of motivation.” Today, Michael Nagler puts some perspective on violence. He also emphasizes that nonviolence is a problem-solving tool all of us can use, regardless of our roles and positions. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as… read more
Innate Non-Aggression: Daily Metta
Innately Nonviolent Frans de Waal’s findings on rhesus monkeys give us some surprising take-aways about the ways that nonviolence shows up in the animal kingdom. Watch the short video for Michael Nagler’s re-framing of the “innate aggression” theory. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as… read more
Delegitimizing Violence: Daily Metta
Working to End Violence Michael Nagler discusses picking up with the work that Martin Luther King, Jr. couldn’t get around to: delegitimizing violence. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as a way to share the Gandhi’s spiritual wisdom and experiments with nonviolence. This… read more
