May 24: “Language is at best a poor vehicle for expressing one’s thoughts in full.” –Gandhi (Young India, September 13, 1928) Arabic is said to have close to sixty words for the concept of love. Talk about precision. Words that express the beginning of love, the kind of love where you really like someone to… read more
Tag Archives: daily metta
“Teaching by example”–Daily Metta
May 23: “On Tolstoy Farm we made it a rule that the youngsters should not be asked to do what the teachers did not do.” –Gandhi (Autobiography) Gandhi felt that the best method of education for children (ok, for everyone) was through personal example. Hence, when children “misbehaved” at the ashram, instead of punishment, he… read more
“Gandhi’s First Congress”–Daily Metta
May 22: “Practice as a lawyer was and remained for me a subordinate occupation. It was necessary that I concentrate on public work.” –Gandhi (Autobiography, Chapter 19) Before Gandhi launched his work in India proper, he had a bit of training under his belt in the Indian community in South Africa (Ok, so he was… read more
“Care of the present”–Daily Metta
May 19: “I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned enough with taking care of the present.” –Gandhi (Harijan, 1-25-1935, p. 399) St. Augustine did not believe that the past, present and future were “times” as much as states of mind. The past is recollection; the future, anticipation; and the present: awareness.… read more
“The Divine Radio”–Daily Metta
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… read more
“Conscientious Objector”–Daily Metta
May 15: “I must not suppress the voice of conscience.” –Gandhi (My Nonviolence, p. 201-2) We all know about Memorial Day, President’s Day, and “Columbus” Day, but did you know that there is an international holiday to celebrate the courage of the Conscientious Objector? That’s right. The date of May 15 marks the recurrence of… read more
“A child’s devotion”–Daily Metta
May 13: “Without devotion, action and knowledge are cold and dry, and may even become shackles.” –Gandhi (The message of the Gita, p. 26) When Gandhi was a little boy, he notes, while in school, he rarely had the time or the inclination to read books that were not assigned for class. One book–a play–… read more
“Into the arms of nonviolence”–Daily Metta
May 11: “Whatever cannot be shared with the masses is taboo to me.” –Gandhi (Harijan, 11-2-1934, p. 303) While popular figures and politicians today fly around in private jets and claim to be servants of the people, Gandhi wanted to show his dedication to the principle we would today call “servant leadership” by living with… read more
“Unknown Peacemaker”–Daily Metta
May 7: “My seventy years’ experience has taught me that the truly great are often those of whom and of whose greatness the world knows nothing during their lifetime.” –Gandhi (Harijan, 12-10-1938, p. 77) We have all heard of the grave of the Unknown Soldier, but have you come across a national monument to… read more
“We want healers of souls”–Daily Metta
May 6: “We want healers of souls rather than of bodies.” –Gandhi (Young India 9-29-1927, p. 327) There is no better time to plant the healing seeds of nonviolence than during early childhood. Children need examples of how to transform their frustration into words and other creative channels, and they are looking to us… read more
