How We Do It

A Core Principle: Our means determine our ends.

In the nonviolent paradigm, the goal is to replace violence with the force of love and compassion – nonviolence – not only in our actions, but also in our words and our thoughts. When we abstain from physical violence, but still speak with unkind words or harbor violent thoughts, we simply plant the seeds of violence within (which does great harm to our selves) and predispose ourselves to violent action (which does great harm to others). Conversely, when we are able to convert all desire to harm into something much deeper, like love or compassion, we experience the full power of nonviolence, and transform ourselves and others. As we strive to purify the body of violence in thought, word, and deed, we do our part in building the foundation for a nonviolent future.

With this in mind, at Metta we are dedicated to the belief that there is a constructive solution that can benefit all parties (’win-win,’ not ‘win-lose’ or ‘zero sum’), that nonviolence always makes the world better even when it may not gain a specific end, and to the abiding principle that our means determine our ends, or, as Gandhi said, ‘means are ends in the making.’ We believe that when we choose the right goal, use nonviolent means to achieve it, and try to avoid personal entanglement in the fruits of our actions, the results will always be in harmony with the well-being of all parties. We recognize that how we act, speak, and think is as important as what we achieve, and are committed to examining our motives and our means at every step, recognizing that nonviolence is ever an ongoing experiment.

Some of the values that emerge for us are:

• Transparency: we value and stive to embody open communication and courageous dialogue at all times.
• Authenticity: we are honest, even when the process is painful, trusting that our authenticity will unite us more than our differences can divide us.
• Flexibility: As Gandhi said, “truth is more important than consistency.” We are open to the unexpected turns and new interpretations life may show us, and we also recognize that we are most powerful when we act in concert – with each other, and with nature.
• Heart Unity: we recognize the inherent value in every human being, and we value the effort to reach common ground above any strategy, ideology, or personal gain.
• Localism (swadeshi): we strive to stay local whenever possible in an effort to contribute to our supporting community, whether it be expressed through the food we eat, the goods and services we choose, or the projects we create.
• Personal Responsibility: We take responsibility for our lives and for our actions as individuals, knowing that nonviolence cannot be taught if it is not lived. In short, we practice what we preach.

As nonviolent actors (satyagrahis) in the modern world, we are ever aspiring to this courage to experiment with peace the way a scientist experiments with matter: with an open mind, a creative energy, and a willingness to fail. At times we find we are not always able to be nonviolent with one another or with others, and that is part of the practice. Gandhi himself believed that no person can be perfectly nonviolent all the time. But when we remind ourselves again and again that our means will determine our ends, our path becomes clear in the face of any confusion. We can consider our next move at every step with clarity and foresight, asking ourselves only: “what is the nonviolent action I can take in this moment?” Nonviolent action is the seed of its own result, and the seed of nonviolence we plant today is sure to bear nonviolent fruit (even if not the one we had in mind!). This is our faith, our vision for the future, and our work. We invite you to join us!

A note on “meeting our needs” at Metta:

At Metta, we are striving to live according to priciples of simplicity, by asking only for what we need to cover our honest, minimal needs for basic infrastructure and programs. We are working to reduce those needs wherever possible, and to be ever-more creative in meeting the needs we do have. We do not define our wealth in terms of possessions, but in terms of contributions to the greater good. Therefore, we find value in (and rely upon) many kinds of capital, whether it be financial capital (donations and grants), social capital (the work of volunteers and other intangible gifts), synergy capital (the power of networking and exponential expansion), and even subtle capital.

What is subtle capital? It is the energy of service, of working bottom-up, of giving of the heart, hands, and spirit. It is the capital that comes from voluntary simplicity, the energy that is released when we do our work simply, and know that we will be supported, in myriad ways, by those who find value in our message. By working with all these forms of capital, we find ourselves thriving, confident, and deeply grateful to the community that is helping us to thrive.

As we dedicate ourselves to reducing our footprint, to efficiency, to experimentation and increasing participation, please let us know of any ways that you see for us to continue our work in creative ways, and feel free to contribute as you feel called to do. If you can donate, by all means, do so. But if you have other ideas regarding how you might contribute, we want to hear those!

Do you know of a way to sponsor a project with nontraditional capital, or to structure a project to reach more people with fewer resources? Do you have an idea for ways to spread a message more efficiently? Do you see ways that we might better harmonize the values of nonviolence with the need to operate within our current social structures as a legal 501(c)(3) nonprofit? If you do, please share! We are all in this together, and we are always looking for visionary social thinkers that can tell us how we might improve in our work. An improvement anywhere – including an improvement at Metta — is an improvement everywhere. Thank you for your collaboration!