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The Golden Rule
World Scripture
THE GOLDEN RULE
The Golden Rule or the ethic of reciprocity is found in the scriptures of
nearly every religion. It is often regarded as the most concise and general
principle of ethics. It is a condensation in one principle of all longer lists
of ordinances such as the Decalogue. See also texts on Loving Kindness, pp.
967-73.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
1. Judaism and Christianity. Bible, Leviticus 19.18
Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.
2. Christianity. Bible, Matthew 7.12
Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for
himself.
3. Islam. Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 13
A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated.
4. Jainism. Sutrakritanga 1.11.33
Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you
will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence.
5. Confucianism. Mencius VII.A.4
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.
6. Hinduism. Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 113.8
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 do to
others what you do not want them to do to you."
7. Confucianism. Analects 15.23
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Leviticus 19.18: Quoted by Jesus in Matthew 22.36-40 (below). Mencius VII.A.4
and Analects 15.23: Cf. Analects 6.28.2, p. 975.
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Comparing oneself to others in such terms as "Just as I am so are they, just as
they are so am I," he should neither kill nor cause others to kill.
8. Buddhism. Sutta Nipata 705
One going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on
himself to feel how it hurts.
9. African Traditional Religions. Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria)
One who you think should be hit is none else but you. One who you think should
be governed is none else but you. One who you think should be tortured is none
else but you. One who you think should be enslaved is none else but you. One
who you think should be killed is none else but you. A sage is ingenuous and
leads his life after comprehending the parity of the killed and the killer.
Therefore, neither does he cause violence to others nor does he make others do
so.
10. Jainism. Acarangasutra 5.101-2
The Ariyan disciple thus reflects, Here am I, fond of my life, not wanting to
die, fond of pleasure and averse from pain. Suppose someone should rob me of
my life... it would not be a thing pleasing and delightful to me. If I, in my
turn, should rob of his life one fond of his life, not wanting to die, one fond
of pleasure and averse from pain, it would not be a thing pleasing or
delightful to him. For a state that is not pleasant or delightful to me must
also be to him also; and a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how
could I inflict that upon another?
As a result of such reflection he himself abstains from taking the life of
creatures and he encourages others so to abstain, and speaks in praise of so
abstaining.
11. Buddhism. Samyutta Nikaya v.353
A certain heathen came to Shammai and said to him, "Make me a proselyte, on
condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot."
Thereupon he repulsed him with the rod which was in his hand. When he went to
Hillel, he said to him, "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor:
that is the whole Torah; all the rest of it is commentary; go and learn."
12. Judaism. Talmud, Shabbat 31a
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Sutta Nipata 705: Cf. Dhammapada 129-130, p. 478. Acarangasutra 5.101-2: Cf.
Dhammapada 129-130, p. 478. Samyutta Nikaya v.353: The passage gives a
similar reflection about abstaining from other types of immoral behavior:
theft, adultery, etc. To identify oneself with others is also a corollary to
the Mahayana insight that all reality is interdependent and mutually related;
cf. Guide to a Bodhisattva's Way of Life 8.112-16, p. 181; Majjhima Nikaya
i.415, p. 465.
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"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is
like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments
depend all the law and the prophets."
13. Christianity. Bible, Matthew 22.36-40
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Matthew 22.36-40: Cf. Deuteronomy 6.4-9, p. 55; Leviticus 19.18, p. 173; Luke
10.25-37, p. 971; Galatians 6.2, p. 974; Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.2.2, p.
972; Sun Myung Moon, 9-30-79, p. 150.
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