“Service and not bread becomes with us the staff of life. We eat and drink, sleep and wake for service alone. Such an attitude of mind brings us real happiness.” ~ Gandhi, from Yeravda Mandir, p. 4 Gandhi is turning the propaganda wing of militarism, the commercial mass media, on its head by emphasizing that… read more
Tag Archives: service
“Help one person”–Daily Metta
November 17: “Only one who has exhausted all efforts may say that he can do nothing more.” –Gandhi (Mahatma, vol.4) When we feel a problem is too big to solve by ourselves, many of us tend to draw back into our shells and resign ourselves to doing nothing. Here’s what Gandhi offered to a friend… read more
“Finding the perfect bed-time”–Daily Metta
September 25: “I am experimenting.” –Gandhi (Harijan, July 23, 1938) One of the most rewarding things we can do to support our very busy lives is to establish a routine. An ideal one would integrate care for the health of the mind, body and spirit every day, balancing time for oneself with time with others,… read more
“Mother Teresa and Gandhiji”–Daily Metta
September 23: “The contrast between the rich and the poor today is a painful sight.” –Gandhi (Harijan, March 31, 1946) Very often, when people associate others with Gandhi, they think of Mother Teresa. But what is it that they have in common? While she was not leading a political or even economic movement, we might… read more
“Gandhi’s lesson about Christ”–Daily Metta
August 22: “Whether you profess one religion or another is of no consequence.” –Gandhi (Day to Day with Gandhi, vol. 7, p. 50) The year was 1925. Gandhi sat (due to a health challenge at the time) before a college for Christian missionaries in India. The topic he had been invited to address was how… read more
“Voluntary Service or Resist”–Daily Metta
August 7: “Voluntary service of others demands the best of which one is capable.” ––Gandhi (From Yeravda Mandir) When it comes to formulating a principle around voluntary service, we could do much worse than turning to the Mahatma for some guidance. From the moment he “hit his stride” in South Africa he gave himself in… read more
“Essence of Nonviolence”–Daily Metta
April 3: “Exploitation is the essence of violence.” –Gandhi (1-20-1940, p. 423) At the root of exploitation is the worldview of separateness: that I can derive some kind of personal benefit by harming others. In nonviolence, we want to turn exploitation on its head, into the awareness that no one benefits when harm is offered… read more
