MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD: A Selection of Philosophical Writings

A collection of miscellaneous writings by Shantidas, otherwise known as Lanza del Vasto, who founded the Community of the Ark in France in 1948 -- a nonsectarian order that requires members to adhere to a (any) religious creed as well as utilizing Gandhi's principles in their daily lives. This entails what del Vasto calls active nonviolence, harmony of body and soul, work and belief. His teachings are derived from both Eastern and Western religious systems, and emphasize the moral integrity of action (for instance, buying shoes from a local craftsman rather than from a factory which by its automation has put people out of work), a refusal to justify means by the ends, and knowing one's inner self. A basic premise, very much not in vogue today, is man's essential goodness, in which evil is perceived as error. Although many of these homilies (on such as ""Food"" and ""Haste"" and ""Prayer"") seem both naive and familiar, there is no doubting the sincerity of the writer or his followers -- and if their path is not everyone's, perhaps the world is unluckier for it.