“A man of charity does not even know that he is doing charitable acts, it is his nature to do so, he cannot help it.” ~ Gandhi, The Gita According to Gandhi, p. 185 Gandhi firmly believed that our nature is good. We do not need to prove it to ourselves by having others affirm… read more
Tag Archives: stephanie van hook
A Seed Sown: Daily Metta
“The seed is never seen. It works underneath the ground, is itself destroyed, and the tree which rises above the ground is alone seen.” ~ Gandhi, Hind Swaraj, Chapter 2 Gandhi wanted us to understand that no single event, great or small, is an end in itself. Each one leads to something down the line:… read more
True Swaraj
“You are impatient. I cannot afford to be likewise.” ~ Gandhi, Hind Swaraj, Chptr 1 Nonviolence requires patience and Gandhi knew this. In Hind Swaraj, he frequently describes the various movements for a free India not under the categories of violent or nonviolent, but by the kind of energy behind the actions of those who… read more
Home Rule: Daily Metta
“The views I venture to place before the reader are, needless to say, held by many Indians…and they are also held by thousands of Europeans.” ~ Gandhi, Hind Swaraj Gandhi wrote Hind Swaraj, or Indian Home Rule, in 1909 while on board the Kildonan Castle taking him from England to South Africa. Written in Gujarati,… read more
A Radical Idea: Daily Metta
“Happiness has no exchange value. There’s no profit from it.” From Gandhi to Vinoba, by Lanzo del Vasto, p. 26 When advertisers offer us happiness in exchange for buying something, for ourselves or others, we would do well to remember Gandhi’s insight: there is no happiness outside of ourselves. Advertisers don’t really want us to… read more
A Serious Call: Daily Metta
“We must not forget that India’s conquest was not an invasion by a people but the operation of a trading company.” From Gandhi to Vinoba, by Lanzo del Vasto, p. 26 Gandhi knew that people thought that he seemed foolish by putting his hopes in the spinning wheel, of all things. But he saw into… read more
War is Ruin: Daily Metta
“The author of the Mahabharata has not established the necessity of physical warfare; on the contrary he has proved its futility.” ~ Gandhi, The Gita According to Gandhi, p. 128 The Bhagavad Gita is a chapter out of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. Seemingly, it is a book about a great war; even the… read more
Rays of Hope: Daily Metta
“Even through the failures, we seem to see rays of hope.” ~ Gandhi, The Gita According to Gandhi, p. 126 Trying to put the Bhagavad Gita into practice is no easy task. It describes the height of human idealism and though we strive—and strive we must—reaching that ideal is terribly difficult. Gandhi pointed out that… read more
Nonviolence as Strength: Daily Metta
“Destruction is not the law of the humans.” ~ Gandhi, Harijan in July 20, 1931 If destruction were the law of humanity, we would not feel remorse or regret when we harm others. Our bodies would not respond to violence with pain and stress reactions but with oxytocin. But that isn’t the case. Why are… read more
Extending Love: Daily Metta
“It is no nonviolence if we merely love those who love us. It is nonviolence only when we love those who hate us.” ~ Gandhi in a letter dated December 31, 1931, from All Men Are Brothers, pg. 78 Nonviolence challenges us to cleanse our heart of all resentment, bitterness, and hatred. If we merely… read more
