“I am satisfied that many Englishmen and Indian officials honestly believe that that they are administering one of the best systems devised in the world . . .” ~ Ronald Duncan, Selected Writings of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 144 A well-known admonition of the Buddha was na hante, na hanyate, the wise one “will not kill,… read more
Tag Archives: michael nagler
A force from within: Your Daily Metta Weekend Videos
In this first video, Michael Nagler discusses a story about marchers during the American Civil Rights Movement who drew on a power from within that stunned police officers, unable to turn on the fire hoses. What was that power and how did it work? Find out. In this next video, he goes on to further… 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
Transforming anger for nonviolent power: Daily Metta
In today’s Daily Metta video, Michael discusses the story about a Kerala bear from the life of his teacher, Eknath Easwaran, who saw an opportunity for transforming anger into constructive action, and draws out nonviolent lessons from it. Please add your comments below. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched… 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
Webinar: Right Action & Social Change
Bridging Spiritual Practice, Right Action, and Social Change Join Richard Miller (founder and chairman, Integrative Restoration Institute) and Michael Nagler (founder and president, the Metta Center for Nonviolence) for a free webinar that will address the intersection of spiritual practice with nonviolence and social action. When: March 23, 2016; 4-5:30pm PST Where: Online—register for free… 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
The Nonviolence Effect: Daily Metta
“I do not believe…that an individual may gain spiritually and those around him suffer… I believe in the essential unity of man and, for that matter, of all that lives.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 223 The concept of a spiritual “field” operating throughout spacetime in somewhat the way gravity does, or electromagnetic… read more
Humiliation Tactics and Shaming: Daily Metta
“Nonviolence is who we are.” In today’s Daily Metta video, Michael reviews the deeper dynamics of nonviolence and touches on ideas such as humiliation tactics and shaming as well as “work” vs. work while analyzing a long quote from Marshall Frady on Martin Luther King, Jr. Please add your comments below. About Daily Metta Stephanie… read more
