The “Golden Rule” – “do unto others as you would want them to do to you” – is perhaps the most well-known spiritual teaching. In fact, it is so universal that every world religion or philosophy has expressed this teaching, in some way, shape, or form. For example:

• The Buddhist’s Tripitaka Udana-varga 5:18 says: “Hurt not others in ways that you would find hurtful.”
• In the Analects of Confucius 15:23 it is stated: “Tsekung asked, ‘Is there one word that can serve as a principle of conduct for life?’ Confucius replied, ‘It is the word ‘shu’ – reciprocity. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.”
• Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew (7:12): “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
• Socrates – “Do not do to others that which would anger you if others did it to you.”
• In the Jewish Talmud Shabbat 31a, it says: “What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow men. That is the entire law; all the rest is commentary.”
• In the Hindu Mahabharata, Anusasana Parava 113:8, it is expressed: “One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire.”
• The Zoroastrian Avesta: Dadistan-i-dink 94:5 states : “That nature only is good when it shall not do unto another whatever is not good for its own self.”
• Taoism – “Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.”
• Jainism, Lord Mahavir 24th Tirthankara, said: “we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self.”
• And from the Prophet Muhammad, the Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi states: “Not one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother what he desires for himself.”

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If all religions are aware of this great truth, then why is there so much violence and not more love and compassion in the world?

Why, if all agree & teach that we should treat others as we would want to be treated, has more bloodshed, wars, and violence been inflicted in God’s name than for any other reason?

The first thing to recognize is that we mustn’t blame God for this horrific fact. God is not responsible for the evil that ignorant men and women do in the name of religion. The evil that we see everywhere is strictly due to humanity’s ignorance, or lack of understanding, of Truth. And so, any person who is calling for blood and violence, within a religious group, does not know the God they say they honor. And any leader or person calling for harm

And so, any person, within a religious group, who is calling for blood and violence, does not know the God they say they honor. For from the beginning God has always been against murder & killing. And any leader or person calling for harm towards another individual, group, or nation should not be followed because that individual does not know love. And if someone does not know love, then they cannot know God.

Also, bear in mind that whoever says he is in God’s light, yet hates his brother is really living in darkness; and he does not know where he is going (1 John 1:9-11). For, God’s message expressed to us through all religions is to love and care for one another. So, whoever hates their brother or sister ultimately has no true understanding of God. “For God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16).

A true child and servant of God loves his neighbor. For, he realizes that the same Spirit that is within him is within all people. And so, when someone loves his neighbor he is, in essence, loving God. And let us be aware that in today’s world, our neighbor is not just the person who lives next door to us, but is everyone on the planet.

Therefore, in order to be a proper Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jew, Muslim, etc…or whether we belong to no religion and simply want to live a moral & upstanding life, then we need to try to practice living in harmony with everyone we see. This is easier said than done, but, if we can live life in such a way we will be blessed with an intimate awareness of God in our lives.

God Bless you on your journey! Remember to love one another and always — Heed the Spirit,

Anthony

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