In this first video, Michael Nagler continues onward in The Search for a Nonviolent Future with insights into the paradox of nonviolence: rising above oneself and becoming more of oneself, truer to oneself. He then shares the origin of the term “person power,” coined by the Metta Center. In this next video, he describes the… read more
Tag Archives: gandhi
Distance & Time: Daily Metta
“I wholeheartedly detest this mad desire to destroy distance and time.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 233 In order to see life as it is, to see people as they are, not to mention ourselves, we have to slow down. Instead of long walks or journeys, we fly from one place to the… read more
Short of the Ideal: Daily Metta
“I see no courage or sacrifice in destroying life or property for offense or defense.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma 6.67 I’m revisiting this statement (see yesterday’s post) because in it Gandhi refers offhandedly to something that is quite controversial in contemporary nonviolence practice: property destruction. There are circumstances—for example breaking into a military base and destroying… read more
Sacrifice: Daily Metta
“I see no courage or sacrifice in destroying life or property for offense or defense.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma 6.67 Naturally, Gandhiji’s point here is to stress two cardinal features of “nonviolence of my understanding” (title of a small book he wrote): the one is that nonviolence is a positive force, which is obvious only to… read more
Soul Force: Daily Metta
“It is easy to see that soul force is infinitely superior to body force.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 165 Is soul force really superior to body force? We would need to look at the big picture, I think, in order to decide. Gandhi says that it’s easy to see, but is it… read more
Our Dignity: Daily Metta
“My goal is friendship with the world and I can combine the greatest love with the greatest opposition to wrong.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 424 Every human being has dignity. When we teach ourselves to keep this simple idea in mind, friendship with everyone is no longer hyperbole, but a real (and… read more
Conscious Agents: Daily Metta
“Man is the maker of his own destiny, and therefore I ask you to become makers of your own destiny.” ~ Gandhi, Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, XXVI p. 294 Gandhi’s vision—of life, of human nature—is in so many ways an opposite and a remedy to today’s popular beliefs. He is very much a prophet… read more
Unconquerable: Daily Metta
“The proper way to view the present outburst of violence in the world is to recognize that the technique of unconquerable non-violence of the strong has not been at all fully discovered as yet.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 147 Gandhi made this statement close to the end of his life, in 1948.… read more
Expansive Notion: Daily Metta
“Man is both matter and spirit, each acting on and affecting the other.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 80 We might consider that one of Gandhi’s greatest insights was that he saw humanity, life in general, as more than meets the eye. A vision like this cannot but express itself in nonviolent action;… read more
Abiding Joy: Daily Metta
“When a child, my nurse taught me to repeat Rama-nama whenever I felt afraid or miserable, and it has been second nature with me with growing knowledge and advancing years. I may even say that the word is in my heart, if not actually on my lips, all the twenty-four hours.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of… read more
