Understanding the Golden Rule--A Most Powerful Tool for Learning to Live Together
Dr. A. K. Merchant*
Against the all-pervasive scenario of gloom and doom that rages in different parts of the world let us remain ever hopeful. In the global population of 8+ billion people the vast majority are believers in some religion or spiritual tradition while one-sixth of the population, as per PEW survey, claim to be non-religious. The greatest unifying factor in the interreligious or interfaith dialogue is a universal ethic known worldwide as “Golden Rule” which is to be found in the Scriptures of all the extant religions and even earlier civilizations. In fact, it is part of the spiritual heritage of humankind. In 2007 the Interfaith Peace-building Initiative (IPI) declared 5th April as Golden Rule Day and until today efforts are on by several other organizations to get this date accepted by the United Nations as “Golden Rule Day”. However, the United Nations has declared 5th April as International Day of Conscience and it would be most appropriate to make this day as “UN Golden Rule Day”.
Anyone familiar with Golden Rule and practices it in daily life would readily agree that it is, indeed, a powerful tool to dispel misunderstandings in interpersonal relationships. Steeped in empathy the Golden Rule is the basic premise of ‘do to the other as you want done to you’ or even ‘what you hope for others is what you hope for yourself’. It may be helpful if people are able to better use the Golden Rule with discretion if they understand how empathy works. In the words of a practicing psychologists, "Empathy is the key bridge that helps an individual to tune into one’s own experiences and how one would like to be treated in similar situations involving others.” It should further help one to distinguish between the similarities and differences between oneself and other people's situations. A word of caution, doing unto others as one would wish others to do unto oneself assumes that people's experiences are alike—but this is simply not true since we are all from diverse backgrounds and unconsciously or consciously harbour some prejudices depending upon one’s upbringing and life’s journey. From the religious point of view this is indeed a big challenge when followers of different religions of today claim to be the sole possessors of truth, clinging rigidly to their own narrow interpretation of the teachings of their religion. However, many people of goodwill, be they civic leaders, parents, teachers or individuals with responsibility for education of children, social development, framing policy matters, or those interested their search for practical solutions be it at the local or national levels the Golden Rule definitely merits implementation and should simply remain confined to public discourse.
We have to be mindful that there are times when cultural and personal sensitivities require a person to be treated in ways that honor their unique worldview. We have to respect boundaries. Knowing the times that the Golden Rule may not necessarily apply requires a level of self-awareness that would alert the individual when 'what you wish were done unto you' isn't necessarily what someone else might want in a given situation. The process of learning how to apply the Golden Rule should give rise to strategies and actions adaptable to every setting. It should be systematic; it should be organic; it should be all-embracing. The connections that emerge would then blossom into dynamic relationships, among families, among neighbours, among youth, and among all who are ready to be protagonists in this worthy endeavour.
Nevertheless, this universal ethic is a good starting point for building bridges out of the walls and has the potential for transforming the mind-set of societies that are separated due to ignorance or by age-old animosities and prejudices.
Hinduism: “This is the sum of all true righteousness: deal with others as thou wouldst thyself be dealt by. Do nothing to thy neighbour which thou wouldst not have him do to thee after.” – The Mahabharata
Jainism: “In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self.” – Yoga-Sastra
Buddhism: “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” – Udana-Varqa, 5:18
Sikhism: “Be thou not estranged from another. For, in every heart pervades the Lord.” – Guru-Granth Sahib, Vol. 1, p. 250
Judaism: “What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow men. That is the entire Law, all the rest in the commentary.” – The Talmud, Shabbat, 31a
Christianity: “As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” –The Gospel of St. Luke 6:61
Islam: “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.” – Sunnah
Baha’i Faith: “He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfill.” – Gleanings From the Writings of Baha’u’llah
Taoism: “The good man ‘ought to pity the malignant tendencies of others; to regard their gains as if they were his own, and their losses in the same way.” – The Thai-Shang
Confucianism: “Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.” – Analects, XV, 23
Zoroastrianism: “That nature only is good when it shall not do unto another whatever is not good for its own self.” Dadistan-i-Dinik, 94:5
Baha’is view the current phase of worsening global crises in a hopeful way, aware of the anguish created by current chaotic social dislocations but seeing them as part of a long-term process of adjustment, the pain of which can best be alleviated if we become conscious of its nature and direction. The current period of human history is one of those axial periods understood best perhaps in the phrase “the coming of age of humanity.” Nations and societies can no longer survive in isolation. All must collectively uphold the principle of unity in diversity and save the planet from mutual annihilation.
Time is running out, the interdependence of humanity is being acutely felt. Regardless of what the leaders, be they secular or religious, may say or do, there is a shared destiny. Exclusive sovereignties are no longer possible. The culmination of this process will be some form of an integrated world economy and political structure in which all of us will feel as much a part of the world society as we feel a part of one’s own community. There is no room for binaries and no one is a pariah. This is not simply a pious hope or wishful thinking, it is and should be accepted as the reality of the Age. Ultimately, peoples must develop a unified and integrated vision of the nature of human being and of the world society. Such a vision has been comprehensively delineated in the Writings of the Baha’i Faith and accessible by all in several hundred languages.
Human social evolution has moved through the stages of family life, tribal unity, the creation of city-states, empires, and finally, development of sovereign nations. It now stands on the threshold of the consummation of this evolution: world government. Baha’u’llah proclaimed: “…Seize, O friends, the chance which this Day offereth you, and deprive not yourselves of the liberal effusions of God’s grace.”
*The writer is a social worker, independent researcher & serves a number of non-governmental organizations and agencies for capacity building activities & member of the Baha'i Community of India.