Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the Coffee Hour at Street Prophets. This is an open thread where we can discuss what’s happening in our lives, what we’ve been working on, and our opinions on current events.
Thanks-Giving Square Golden Rule Mosaic in Dallas, Texas.
If asked about my religion, I usually say I am not a believer. Truth be told, this response over-simplifies. While I do not believe in a supreme being, benevolent or otherwise, I greatly value some of the fundamental teachings from religious traditions. To me these teachings are gifts our ancestors passed on to us through the generations. One of the most important in guiding my own life is the concept of reciprocity expressed in the golden rule:
Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.
This guidance on how to treat other people traces back millennia and over multiple cultures. Here are just a few examples:
“Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself." – China, Confucius
"The sage has no interest of his own, but takes the interests of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind; he is also kind to the unkind: for Virtue is kind. He is faithful to the faithful; he is also faithful to the unfaithful: for Virtue is faithful." – China, Laozi
"Now this is the command: Do to the doer to cause that he do thus to you." Egypt, c. 2040–1650 BC
"That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another." Egypt, c. 664 BC – 323 BC
"Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing." – Greece, Thales, c. 624 BC – c. 546 BC
"Do not do to others that which angers you when they do it to you." – Greece, Isocrates (436–338 BC)
My favorite expression of the concept shows its fundamental nature as a foundation for all other moral teachings:
Once, when Hillel the Elder (c. 110 BCE – 10 CE), was challenged by a gentile who asked to be converted under the condition that the Torah be explained to him while he stood on one foot. Hillel responded:
What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.
What teachings are particularly important to you?
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Sources - http://en.wikipedia.org/... , http://en.wikipedia.org/...