Daily Quote
Unless we change direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.
Chinese Probverb
Day 59 Gandhi-Kind Season of Nonviolence Meditation
“Truth is within ourselves. There is an innermost center of us all, where truth abides in fullness.
Every wrongdoer knows within himself that he is doing wrong, for untruth cannot be mistaken for truth. Truth and righteousness must forever remain the Law in God’s world.” M.K. Gandhi
One of the great awakenings of this path is this: except in very rare cases, those who do wrong still hear the voice of truth somewhere within them that they are wrong. This may lead us to be harsher in our judgments of them than if we thought they had no such voice. But the reverse should be true in every case. Those who do wrong, even though they hear that still, small voice, are acting from a place of deep fear and a feeling of being alone in an unloving world.
Compassion and love call us to recognize the fear, pain, and soul poverty that drive humans to acts of injustice against others. Feeling this compassion and love, we can refrain from meeting violence with violence and hate with hate. In this compassion and love, we are able to see that they fear injustice as much as we. The only difference is that they fear our actions will cause injustice to them. With this understanding, we can see how the path of non-resistance can, and should, serve all, including those participating in the injustice. Thus, our eyes are opened and we advance on our path.
Affirmative Practice
Today, I will meditate on my path, “Is it true, is it just?” Today I will know that the wrong doers in
my life know that they are doing wrong, but cannot help themselves. Today, I will love them wit
compassion in their fear.