“I make bold to say that the Europeans themselves will have to remodel their outlook if they are not to perish under the weight of the comforts to which they are becoming slaves.” ~ Gandhi, Young India, October 7, 1931 As we’ve seen elsewhere, Gandhi became aware already during his trial by fire in South… read more
Tag Archives: New Story
New Story: The Essay & The Film
In his 1978 essay “The New Story: Comments on The Origination and Transmission of Values,” Thomas Berry essentially coined the term “the New Story.” In that essay, he spoke of a troubling disregard of the earth by both religion and science. “The earth will not be ignored, nor will it long endure being despised, neglected,… read more
Nature, nurture and nonviolence: Daily Metta
In today’s Daily Metta video, Michael continues onward in Search for a Nonviolent Future on the question of nature vs. nurture within the broader context of the history and science of nonviolence. Please add your comments below. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as a… read more
What makes us human-Daily Metta
“We are very limited in our ability to grasp what nonviolence is by the limitations on our image of who we are.” Having no agreed upon definition of who we are creates a vacuum and so a very reductionist image comes in as the lowest common denominator. The discovery of nonviolence and the rebuilding of… read more
“Our dignity, our unity”–Daily Metta
“It turns out our dignity is closely linked to our unity.” In today’s Daily Metta, Michael tries to get us to look beyond the surface of hatred toward any particular group to the issue of hatred itself. What causes that and what can we do to challenge it, for the good of everyone? … read more
“The awareness of violence”–Daily Metta
“Our age is not the age of violence; it is the age of the awareness of violence.” -Jacques Ellul In today’s Daily Metta, Michael Nagler explores the idea of changing the way we think about nonviolence in order to come up with more useful solutions, drawing from the statement Ellul. Share your questions, comments and reflections below!… read more
“What we think, we become..”–Daily Metta
“What we think, we become.” In today’s Daily Metta, Michael Nagler reflects on the relationship between putting violent imagery into our minds and violence in society. Comment below! … read more
“Gandhi’s promise and challenge”–Daily Metta
December 31: “I have not the shadow of a doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have, if he or she would make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith.” –Gandhi (Harijan, October 3, 1936) Anyone. All of us. That is what Gandhi is telling us about the force… read more
“What lies behind”–Daily Metta
December 29: “True art takes note not merely of form but also of what lies behind.” –Gandhi (The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 56) The word ‘nonviolence’ can sometimes conjure up notions of austerity and discipline (I’m thinking of a toothless and tireless Gandhi post-fasting). But that discipline is only so that we can… read more
“Reframing Masculinity”–Daily Metta
December 7: “Human nature will only find itself when it fully realizes that to be human it has to cease to be brutal.” –Gandhi (Harijan, October 8, 1938) Almost everywhere we go, masculinity and violence tend to be conflated. This violence is toward oneself, in so far as “manly” often means shutting oneself off from… read more
