March 17NextPrevious
“Making Heaven on Earth”–Daily Metta
“If we could erase the ‘I’s’ and ‘Mine’s’ from religion, politics, economics, etc., we shall soon be free and bring heaven upon earth.”
-–Gandhi (Young India, 9-3-1926, p. 336)
“Succeed at all costs, and leave the rest in the dust.” What if we were to turn the current purpose of our mainstream institutions on its head? Instead of seeking to aggrandize oneself or one’s own allies, these institutions could be reformed with a mandate to serve all of life, while never neglecting the individual’s good. For example, a school would not promote individualism and competition for becoming richer than others; rather, it would encourage students to cooperate at larger and larger scales to build solutions to the world’s toughest problems, ones which require creative and robust collaborative work, like ending war or planning healthy, livable cities. Imagine politicians reaching out a hand of service to one another, knowing that their–and everyone’s– highest interests would be served by serving one another. This shift in worldview within our institutions is not impossible — we find more and more examples of it every day, be they “B corporations,” free clinics, or whatever — and it would encourage and support all of us to get along with one another in more constructive and less combative ways.
Experiment in Nonviolence
Find out what schools, organizations, sports teams, or other groups are experimenting with a version of this shift. How’s it working? Write about them.
The Metta Center for Nonviolence, PO Box 98, Petaluma, California 94953 707-774-6299 info@mettacenter.org