“You may not waste a grain of rice or a scrap of paper, and similarly a minute of your time. It is not ours. It belongs to the nation and we are the trustees for the use of it.” ~ Gandhi, CWMG Vol. xxvi, p. 272 One of the most compelling stories Arun Gandhi tells… read more
Tag Archives: trusteeship
“Belonging or belongings?”–Daily Metta
October 1: “The possession of anything then became a troublesome thing to me and a burden.” –Gandhi (Young India, April 30, 1925) For Maja When Natchiketa, the young hero from the Katha Upanishad, is sent to Death by his father, he willingly goes, curious to meet and learn from Death. Waiting for three days at… 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
“Trusteeship and Nonviolence”–Daily Metta
February 22 “Those who own money now, are asked to behave like trustees holding their riches on behalf of the poor.” –Gandhi (Modern Review, October 1935, p. 412) (Image: Gandhi used to raise funds for those without resources to meet their basic needs, while at train stations during his travels.) Gandhi was convinced that it… 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
The “Real Wheel”
That man came back from South Africa, having realized God, and quietly set about solving every problem in the modern world. When Michael Nagler heard this quiet, dramatic statement by his meditation teacher, Sri Eknath Easwaran of the Blue Mt. Center of Meditation, it changed his life. These two pictures are an attempt to illustrate… read more
Gandhian economics
Gandhian economics if a term coined by J. C. Kumarappa for Gandhi’s approach to meeting material human needs. It is used as an umbrella term for the following related concepts in Gandhian thought. Namely these principles are: An economy based on needs rather than wants Swadeshi (in the economic sense, localism and material self-sufficiency at… read more
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
A Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is a form of restorative justice aimed at the healing of a community broken apart by violence and oppression. The Commission hearings create a safe space where perpetrators and sufferers of that violence can meet safely and discuss the violent actions. By meeting face to face with the sufferers the… read more
Trusteeship
Trusteeship is a key component of Gandhian economics that could be called the nonviolent equivalent of ownership. Gandhi borrowed the concept from English law. It means that one is the trustee, not the owner, of one’s possessions, or ultimately one’s talents or capacities. All must be used for the good of society as a whole,… read more
