June 15: “Nonviolence to be a potent force must begin with the mind.” –Gandhi (Young India, April 2, 1931) One day a young man approached Gandhi and told him that someone hit him, and he felt humiliated but did not fight back. Wouldn’t “Bapu” (a term used to address Gandhi, meaning father) be proud of him… read more
Tag Archives: meditation
“Hugging Meditation”–Daily Metta
May 16: “Perfection in love or non-possession will remain unattainable ideal as long as we are alive, but towards which we must ceaselessly strive.” –Gandhi (My Religion 1935, p. 412) Gandhi always wanted to bring together the best of the East and the West as he developed his nonviolence. Vietnamese monk, spiritual activist Thich… read more
“Still Small Voice”–Daily Metta
February 5 “I shall lose my usefulness the moment I stifle the still small voice within.” –Gandhi (Young India 12-3-1925, p. 422) Mindfulness has recently gained in exposure–from classrooms to boardrooms to even the military. Many people feel positive about this new culture intended to help us “succeed,” while many others take pause at… read more
“Heart’s earnest and pure desire”– Daily Metta
January 5 The heart’s earnest and pure desire is always fulfilled. -Gandhi (Autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, p. 110) If you were alive during Gandhi’s day and you wanted to listen to him speak, you would likely attend one of his interfaith prayer meetings. Prayer for Gandhi was more than an empty… read more
Creating a Culture of Peace
We love this show. . . We are joined in the studio this week by Philip Hellmich, Director of Peace at the Shift Network and author of God and Conflict; and Andrée Young, Early Childhood Peace Educator at Red Barn Montessori. We discuss sowing the seeds of peace building in early childhood and its implications… read more
Meditation: A Brief Reflection
“Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh I’ve been practicing meditation for more than two years, and I come to this realization each and every time I sit: Meditation meets us where we’re at in life, opening and strengthening our hearts and minds where they most need… read more
A National Peace Academy Partnership with Metta Center
meditation for peacemakers Date: March 17, 2012 Time: 9:30-5:30 pm Location: Petaluma, CA (to be announced once registrations are in). Conducted by: Metta Center for Nonviolence Course Instructors: Michael Nagler, Metta Center President and Professor emeritus and founder of Peace and Conflict Studies Program, UC Berkeley; Stephanie Van Hook, Metta Center Executive Director Course fees: $125 general (We… read more
How to sustain a revolution
By Stephanie Van Hook (distributed by Peace Voice 1.1.12) Starting a revolution is like lighting a match; it risks becoming extinguished as quickly as it was lit. Sustaining a revolution, however, is like starting a fire, and ensuring that it has the fuel to burn as long as necessary. As an agent of change,… read more
Passage Meditation Retreat: Petaluma
We can’t control what life sends us, but we can choose how we respond. If we calm the mind, we can access the deep strength, love and wisdom within us all. Learn to meditate on inspirational passages from the world’s great wisdom traditions to: deepen concentration, develop richer relationships, live more fully in the present,… read more
The Next Salt March
Turning Our Backs on Consumerism By Eknath Easwaran As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world—that is the myth of the “atomic age”—as in being able to remake ourselves. —Mahatma Gandhi In one of my favorite Sanskrit stories from ancient India, an… read more
