“Both reason and heart refuse to reconcile themselves to torture for any crime, no matter how vile the crime may be.” ~ Gandhi, Young India, February 26, 19256 There are certain human universals to which we can never afford to lose our sensitivity (as has recently happened in the post-9/11 policy of this country). The… read more
Tag Archives: michael nagler
Fine Line: Daily Metta
“Fasting cannot be undertaken against an opponent. Fasting can be resorted to only against one’s nearest and dearest, and that solely for his or her good.” ~ Gandhi, Young India, September 30th, 1926 Gandhi recurred to the topic of fasting from time to time because it is subtle, and powerful. When you fast—we’re thinking particularly… read more
The Inner Work: Daily Metta Weekend Video
Michael Nagler, still in Chapter Six of Search for a Nonviolent Future, discusses some insights he has had about the development of the inner spark as it relates to the outer fire. 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
Unshakeable Faith: Daily Metta
“My effort should never be to undermine another’s faith but to make him a better follower of his own faith.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma, vol. 2, p. 343 We can take this as a special case of the striking principle we’ve discussed before that Gandhi tried never to insist that anyone follow his (Gandhi’s) ideas but… read more
Getting Real: Daily Metta Weekend Video
Michael Nagler reviews some suggestions he offers for the “rubber hitting the road” in the path of deepening nonviolent action. 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. Our 2016 Daily Metta continues with… read more
Self-evident: Daily Metta
“Truth is self-evident. Nonviolence is its maturest fruit. It is contained in Truth, but is not self-evident.” ~ Gandhi, The Message of the Gita, p. 14 That nonviolence is not self-evident is, alas, too true. But it’s not to hard to infer, if not feel it operating, when we know how and where to look.… read more
Freedom From: Daily Metta
“True ahimsa should mean a complete freedom from ill-will and anger and hate and an overflowing love for all.” ~ Gandhi, D.G. Tendulkar, Mahatma, vol. 2, p. 420 What Gandhi called “the nonviolence of the strong” (or brave) and today we call principled nonviolence does mean the attempt (he would say, “prayerful attempt”) to eliminate… read more
Long Term: Daily Metta
“A truthful man (or woman) cannot long remain violent. He will perceive in the course of his search that he has no need to be violent…” ~ Gandhi, Young India, May 20, 1925 One of Gandhi’s startling—and when you think about it, inspiring—characteristics was his ability to accept, even insist upon, others finding their own… read more
Highest Dharma: Daily Metta
“The only thing that separates us from the brute, with which we have so much in common, is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma vol. 4, 158 And, we might add, the ability to choose between them once distinguished. Not that we always find it easy to exercise that critical… read more
Inner culture of nonviolence: Daily Metta Weekend Video
Michael Nagler discusses the famous scientific study by Wheeler and Fisk on predisposition for prejudice and the effects of humanization on the amygdala as he reviews the opening of Chapter 6 in Search for a Nonviolent Future. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as… read more
