sherrillee

The Golden Rule

Many years ago, a co-worker used to always bring the same kind of cookies to all of the functions where food was served - i.e., Birthday celebrations, Cinco de Mayo, Christmas, office potlucks - those kind of occasions. These cookies were supposedly some kind of healthy concoction made of oatmeal, sunflower seeds, raisins, you know the drill. They were okay - but this person thought they were special, very, very special. So special that she would not share the recipe with anyone. The cookies were her Secret Recipe and no one else could have it.

I always thought that to be strange, to not share a recipe. I mean everybody has to eat and everybody deserves to enjoy and find pleasure in eating. It always made me feel good to share wonderful ways to prepare food and recipes. But to each their own.

What makes this story even more odd though, is that this woman was a Born Again Christian. She even had a bumper sticker on the back of her car What would Jesus do? I used to see that bumper sticker and laughingly think that Jesus would have shared the cookie recipe!

At that time I lived in a very small community and even though I do not want to go into detail or write extensively about this I will just mention casually that this town had a predominant and very controlling religion that the majority of the townspeople adhered too. Needless to say it was not Born-again Christian.
So it was very interesting to be an observer and watch the interaction of this Born-Again Christian woman and the townspeople. She would endlessly complain and try to discount their beliefs, saying that they were wrong and mislead and even worse. But the amusing and interesting thing to me was that she was every bit as pious, judgmental and unforgiving as they were but of course she thought she was right and they were wrong and therefore she was justified in her complaints of them. She actually said to me once when there was a perceived threat to the town that God will protect my family but everyone else needs to take heed and be careful.

So back to the bumper sticker, is that what Jesus would do? Only protect her family because they were the morally superior ones?

Lately, Ive noted a lot of postings on SG whereby individuals have felt free to bash other peoples beliefs and like my aforementioned co-worker were every bit as pious, judgmental and unforgiving as the people they professed to hate. I know that SG is a microcosm of the population at large and I shouldnt expect us to be any different but somehow I do have that expectation. I do expect that we should be more tolerant and forgiving as we espouse the concepts of an alternative culture. Why would we want to emulate the bad traits of the culture that we claim to reject? And yet we fall into those bad habits anyway. It disturbs and saddens me.

It seems to me that people tend to lose sight of the spiritual messages when they claim to be the only ones who are right or the only ones given the gifts of whatever higher power that they worship.

I think that all religions can bring us closer to that higher power. But when the religions push against each other and claim to be the only ones with the answers then they take us further away from that higher power. The human Ego takes us farther from our spiritual quests than any other thing. All of the great spiritual traditions have said to practice non-judgment but people often do and they justify it through religion.
I believe that we have been given truth through many of the spiritual practices of the world. But I dont believe that any of them have the exclusive and absolute truth. I dont believe that there are people who are chosen above all others. We all have different paths and different lives and what works for me may not work as well for you.

I think that perhaps we should look more at our similarities rather than our differences.

Twice this past week, the Universe presented this idea to me in a very distinct way. We have all heard of the Golden Rule or Do unto others as you wish them to do unto you. In two completely different situations my attention was brought to the fact that every major world religion has espoused this concept. Twice this past week this same list was presented to me. I feel compelled to share it.

The Golden Rule

Christianity: In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. JesusMatthew 7:12

Hinduism: This is the sum of duty: do not to others what would cause pain if done to you. Mahabaratha 5:1517

Taoism: Regard your neighbors gain as you own gain, and your neighbors loss as your own loss. Tai Shang Kan Ying Pien, 213-18

Native Spirituality-We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive Chief Dan George

Buddhism: Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. Udana-Varga 5.18

Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary. Hillel, Talmud, Shabbat 31a

Islam: Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself. The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith

Sikhism: I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all. Guru Granth Sahib

Bahai Faith: Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself. Bahauliah, Gleanings

Jainism: One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated. Mahavira, Sutravitanga
Unitarianism: We affirm and promote respect for the interdependence of all existence of which we are a part.

Zoroastrianism: Do not unto others what is injurious to yourself. Shayast-na-Shayast 13.29

Wicca/Pagan: Wicca Rede 1: In that it harm none, do as ye will.

Whatever higher power you believe in has given all of us answers in the best way we can comprehend. We are all special in the eyes of that higher power.

Perhaps we should respect each other. We should allow each other our differences. And, rather than fight our differences, acknowledge and honor our oneness.