“a profound attitude of the heart”
Hatred of war will not bring peace … Only love of peace will bring peace.
Seth
Nonviolence is more than the absence of violence, and more than saying “no.” It is a way of life. It works to defeat injustice, not people. Nonviolence chooses love over hate.[i]
During the corona virus pandemic (2020) Jack Kornfield made the all-important distinction between the behaviors we call reactions (violence) and those we call responses (nonviolence). “Epidemics are a part of the cycle of life on this planet. The choice is how we respond. With greed and hatred and ignorance [fear]? Or with generosity, clarity, steadiness and love [compassion]?”[ii]
Insight # 91 comes to us indirectly from Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) an Indian lawyer, politician, social activist and writer who came to be considered the father of his country and is internationally esteemed for his doctrine of nonviolence.
“According to Gandhi, nonviolence does not imply a mere abstention from acts of aggression; it is a profound attitude of the heart, involving the whole person in a continuous spiritual exercise.”[iii]
__________
Additional Reading:
- Nonviolence, The ABC’s of Simple Reality, Vol 2
__________
[i] Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns, 2nd ed. War Resisters’ International (WRI) Nonviolence Programme, 2014. https://www.nonviolence.wri-irg.org/en
[ii] Marchese, David. “Talk.” The New York Times Magazine. April 19, 2020, p. 11.
[iii] Ferrucci, Piero. Inevitable Grace. Los Angeles: Tarcher, 1990, pp. 291-292.
