“It is a heavy downpour of rain that drenches the soil to fullness, likewise only a profuse shower of love overcomes hatred.” ~ Gandhi, Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi xiv, p. 402 Beneath this truism lies an important and often overlooked fact of nonviolence: that it is a force, and like all forces, physical or… read more
Tag Archives: michael nagler
Resolute: Daily Metta
“The Indians for whom I speak are comparatively poor and inferior in numbers, but they are resolute unto death.” ~ Gandhi, Satyagraha in South Africa, p. 210. We are in London, in 1910. Gandhi is on his second deputation, accompanied by Sheth Haji Habib, who represents a wealthier and more numerous section of the Indians… read more
Non-cooperation: Daily Metta
“Non-cooperation in an angry atmosphere is an impossibility.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma, 2, p. 12 In this apparently puzzling observation we have once again a reminder, which we seem to need so often in our present culture, that intention, state of mind, is what determines the significance, and effectiveness, of our actions. If we withdraw our… read more
Our Minds on Restorative Justice Daily Metta
In this discussion about Search for a Nonviolent Future, Michael Nagler gives some examples about the way that restorative justice begins in our minds. He emphasizes that what we tell ourselves about ourselves matters more than we know. Please add your comments below. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched… read more
Nonviolence of the Strong: Daily Metta
“He who has a living faith in God will not do evil deeds with the name of God on his lips.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma 4, p. 252 There is so much violence being done today in the name of religion that this law Gandhi identifies is if anything more relevant than it was even in… read more
Restorative Justice is the Key: Your Daily Metta Weekend Video
In this video, Michael Nagler makes a case for restorative justice as a key to making nonviolence a part of our culture. Please add your comments below. 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.… read more
Invisible Force: Daily Metta
“A violent man’s activity is most visible, while it lasts. But it is always transitory… Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin are able to show the immediate effectiveness of violence… But the efforts of Buddha’s non-violent action persist and are likely to grow with age. And the more it is practiced, the more effective and inexhaustible it… read more
Independence: Daily Metta
“Your difficulty is not numerical inferiority but the feeling of helplessness that has seized you and the habit of depending on others.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma 7.255 Gandhi was accused of using the term swaraj for India’s “freedom” because of its very deep spiritual significance. His response was, so to speak, “guilty as charged.” He had… read more
A Deeper Purpose: Your Daily Metta Weekend Video
In this video, Michael Nagler explores how and why people attest that nonviolence gave a meaning to their lives that they had not found in anything else. Please add your comments below. 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… read more
Humility: Daily Metta
“The humility of a satyagrahi knows no bounds. He does not let slip a single opportunity for settlement, and he does not mind if any one therefore looks upon him as timid.” ~ Gandhi, Satyagraha in South Africa, p. 265 What Gandhi is actually getting at here is the tendency to take it personally, or… read more
