Interfaith

“The Golden Rule” is Central to the Teachings of Many Religions

Norman Rockwell's "The Golden Rule"

If I missed a “golden rule” from another major religion, please leave it in the comment section so I can add it to the list. The picture above is Norman Rockwell’s “The Golden Rule,” which I also discussed in a post on a Pakistani Muslim friend of mine in Boston.

Christianity:

“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” Matthew 7:12

Islam:

“No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother what which he desires for himself.” Sunnah

Judaism:

“What is hateful to you, do not to your fellowmen. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.” Talmud, Shabbat 31:a

Buddhism:

“Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” Udana Varga 5:18

Confucianism:

“Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.” Analects 15:23

Taosim:

“Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.” T’ai Shag Kan Ying P’ien

Brahmanism:

“This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.” Mahabharata 5:1517

Zoroastrianism:

“That nature alone is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not good: for itself.” Dadistan-i-dinik 94:5

Source: American Muslim

3 thoughts on ““The Golden Rule” is Central to the Teachings of Many Religions

  1. I can only comment on Christianity regarding this, the ‘golden rule. The golden rule, if it is taught in Christianity, it is surely contradicted by many of the other teachings, like it’s okay to persecute homosexuals, rape and subordinate women and enslave minorities.

    Surely ‘god’s chosen’ would hate it if these were done unto him, but his faith in his infallibility, and hence, his invincibility lends unto him a psychological sense of impunity. The hypocrisy is less disturbing to his own psyche since he has full faith and trust in ‘the Lord’ (an english title, not a name). Therefore, its much easier for the Todd Akins and other white male christian conservatives to draft and approve of legistlation regarding racist voter redistricting laws and restrictions on what women can and cannot do with their own bodies.

    That is the reason why no reasonable person can trust the Bible as it is handed to us today. The massive errors in translation and transliteration, and the clerical setting of taboo’s on ‘other writings by scribes’ like the apocrypha and dead sea scrolls, all conspire to make for massive confusions surrounding the intentions and will of this being many call ‘our divine creator’.

    The golden rule is indeed much worthy of living by, regardless of my lack of belief in divine agency.

    Here is another Buddhist quote which illustrates the golden rule very nicely;

    ‘All beings tremble before violence. All fear death. All love life. See yourself in others. Then whom can you hurt? What harm can you do?’

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  2. Hinduism: “This is the sum of duty. Do not unto others that which would cause you pain if done to you.”

    ― Mahabharata 5 1517 from the Vedic tradition of India circa 3000 BC

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