Tag Archives: Nonviolence

“Labor and Dignity”–Daily Metta

January 16 “This mad rush for wealth must cease, and the laborer must be assured, not only of a living wage, but a daily task that is not a mere drudgery.” -Gandhi (Harijan, 11-2-1934) The Sanskrit term svadharma is integral to the vision of a nonviolent world. The concept means that everyone has her or… read more

“Economics of Justice”–Daily Metta

January 15 “True economics is the economics of justice.” –Gandhi (Gandhi paraphrasing Unto this last, pp. 50-53, from Sarvodaya, p. 33)   (After reading John Ruskin’s Unto this Last Gandhi established Phoenix Settlement in South Africa.)  A woman steps out of her limousine in front of a five star hotel. Money is falling out of her pockets… read more

“Expanding Our Love”–Daily Metta

January 13 “The more we give up our attachment to the physical frame of the person we love, the purer and more expansive our love grows.” –Gandhi (Letter to ashramite Prabhudas, 2-2-18, from Day to Day with Gandhi, vol. 1, p. 21) Another term for nonviolence is love-in-action. It’s not always an apt term, because… read more

MLK Day for Early Childhood with Songs

  If you are an early childhood educator, you bring music into the classroom on a daily basis. Do not miss the opportunity as you discuss the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the 1960s African American Freedom Struggle this month to bring songs to share. Find ways of incorporating gestures and… read more

“Nonviolence as an Evolutionary Force”–Daily Metta

January 12 “Non-cooperation is a process of evolution: it has most aptly been described as Evolutionary Revolution.” –Gandhi (Young India, February 23, 1921) Gandhi understood that nonviolent non-cooperation against a State, aka civil resistance, meant a closer form of cooperation among people. Assured that such actions would not lead to disorder or chaos, he put… read more

Humility and Nonviolence–Daily Metta

January 11 “The spirit of nonviolence necessarily leads to humility.” -Gandhi (Young India, January 12, 1921)  Humility is one of those delicate virtues that disappears the moment we think that we have attained it. If Gandhi was a humble man, it was not because he lived frugally or because he wore only home-spun khadi, or… read more

Dr. King on Loving Enemies- then and now (PPR podcast)

  “Nonviolence aims at the restoration of relationships.” -Michael Nagler on this week’s episode of Peace Paradigm Radio! In this week’s show, Stephanie and Michael get into a passionate discussion on nonviolent strategy in our bi-monthly nonviolence in the news report and both emerge with new insights about this great power. As January is the… read more

“Forgiveness and Strength”–Daily Metta

January 8 “A definite forgiveness would mean a definite recognition of our strength.” -Gandhi (Mahatma, vol 2. p. 5) (Gandhi and Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the man who ‘had a problem for every solution Gandhi came up with’) When it is not confronted with nonviolent resistance, violence always leads to more harm than any physical harm… read more

“Duty of Noncooperation and Cooperation”–Daily Metta

January 7 “Sometimes non-cooperation becomes as much a duty as cooperation.” -Gandhi (Young India 1-19-1921) In Sanskrit, the word for “duty” is dharma. There is an expression repeated throughout the Indian spiritual tradition, ahimsa paramo dharma, nonviolence is the highest dharma, or duty. There should be no wonder why Gandhi was so keen on duties. It… 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