In this talk, Michael addresses the very common misconception about nonviolence, only slightly less common than it was in 1906, that it is the absence of violence purely and simply, and therefore a very weak force, if a force at all. Please add your comments below. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s… read more
Tag Archives: satyagraha
“Talking to a dictator”–Daily Metta
November 23: “The fight of Satyagraha is for the strong in spirit, not the doubter or the timid.” –Gandhi (Harijan, April 7, 1946) It is one thing to protest outside of a palace, where you can say pretty much whatever you like, in whatever tone. It’s an entirely different thing when you speak directly to… read more
“No surrender to brute force”–Daily Metta
November 14: “In the code of the Satyagrahi there is no such thing as surrender to brute force.” –Gandhi (Young India, April 30, 1931) This week, when suicide bombers targeted a busy south Beirut marketplace, an indiscriminate attack on men, women, children, whoever happened to be there on an evening like any other, it was… read more
“Talking to gun owners”–Daily Metta
November 12: “We are fearless and free, so long as we have the weapon of Satyagraha in our hands.” –Gandhi (Satyagraha in South Africa) The funny thing about guns is that in nine cases out of 10, the person behind the trigger is scared to death. A gun does not represent bravery as much as… read more
“The opposite of love”–Daily Metta
November 5: “I am trying every moment of my life to be guided by ahimsa, by love.” –Gandhi (Harijan, January 12, 1934) Hafiz asked Rabia, “O Daughter of God, is hate the opposite of love?” She replied, “No. Love has no opposite.” Rabi’a, the 7th Century mystic from Basra (not yet Iraq) and founder of… read more
“A Syrian teacher’s Satyagraha”–Daily Metta
October 15: “That is the beauty of Satyagraha. It comes up to oneself, one has not to go out in search of it.” –Gandhi (Satyagraha in South Africa, p. xiv) It was the summer of 2013 when the Assad regime was forced out of the northeastern city of Raqqa, home of schoolteacher Souad Nofal. When… read more
“Knowing when to escalate”–Daily Metta
October 6: “Since Satyagraha is one of the most powerful methods of direct action, a Satyagrahi exhausts all other means before he resorts to Satyagraha.” –Gandhi (Young India, October 20, 1927) When I first contemplated activism, I thought it meant going from doing nothing to throwing every last ounce of energy into direct confrontation with… read more
“Never Forget, 9/11”–Daily Metta
September 11: “The Satyagrahis never used physical force, and that too although there were occasions when they were in a position to use it effectively.” –Gandhi (Satyagraha in South Africa, Chapter 13) “Never forget.” These are the words that we see broadcast across television advertisements, billboards, and news programs across the American landscape whenever we… read more
“Cleaning latrines”–Daily Metta
August 16: “Let me not be misunderstood. I do not discount the value of intellectual labor, but no amount of it is any compensation for bodily labor which every one of us is born to give for the common good of all.” —Gandhi (Young India, October, 15, 1925) When Jhaver Patel was a young… read more
“The Power Behind the Khadi”–Daily Metta
May 28: “The only real and reliable guarantee for khadi would be honesty, truthfulness and sincerity of khadi workers.” –Gandhi (Mahatma, vol. 7, p. 20) The khadi–or home-spun cloth–campaign was a key constructive program for the Free India movement. It meant that if you were part of the struggle, you would not only wear the… read more
