Golden rule
The Golden Rule is the single short statement that love is the only and highest law for humanity, and every human being is to love another person as one's self.
This statement has been at the basis of all religions worldwide across cultures and millenia. There are various formulations both positive and negative, eg 'do not treat others like you would not like to be treated yourself'.
Christ-Jesus gave "Love your neighbor as yourself" as his only main message and the single and highest teaching, replacing all other moral laws (such as the ten commandments).
To understand why this is so, why humanity got this guidance, and why it represents a spiritual scientific truth with the greatest possible implications for mankind, see the aspects below.
Aspects
- the Golden rule got renewed attention in popular media worldwide through the Charter of Compassion, an initiative by Karen Armstrong that started in 2008, see Note [1] in the Discussion area below
- the spiritual scientific foundation for the golden rule can be approached from various perspectives (that are obviously very related):
- [1] - the principle and law of karma: the fact that all humans are part of the same group soul (see Monad and Second Adam, and/or the nature of the true spiritual I on Human 'I' and Man's higher triad), implies that what one does towards another is done to oneself. However that is not clear for the majority of incarnate human beings with limited contemporary waking consciousness on Earth, as each identifies with their physical-material body in daily reality experience (see Cosmic fractal). It is different however for initiates with higher stages of consciousness (re: Stages of clairvoyance) reaching up to the higher spirit world, and also for all human beings between death and a new birth.
- [2] - the nature of the cosmos, spiritual in nature, is intrinsically moral. See also: Moral ideals, Virtues, and the Good in Truth Beauty Good
- [3] - a characteristic of the Cosmic fractal is that all entities are part of the evolutionary dynamic whereby they evolve and rise through the ladder of Twelve Conditions of Consciousness (see also IAO - eg Schema FMC00.329, and/or related Cosmic breath of Brahma). This evolutionary path includes going from 'receiving' to 'giving', and 'wanting to give' (rather than receive) is the essence of love, even upto sacrifice.
Illustrations
Lecture coverage and references
Golden rule
Bible - New testament
Matthew 7:12
Do to others what you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.
or, other translation:
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Luke 6:31
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise
Luke 10:25
Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"
He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself."
He said to him, "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live."
Mark 12:31
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.
Paul in Galateans 5:14
13 For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.
14 The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
15 But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
or, other translation:
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Paul in Romans 13:8-10
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Discussion
Note 1 - Charter of Compassion
A contemporary example that exemplifies working the core message of Christianity as a global concept for the whole of humanity (as opposed to one of multiple religions), is the work of Karen Armstrong (1944-).
A common theme in her work has been to rise above the differences between ancient religions and find the common essence that they share.
In 2008 Karen Armstrong, at age 64, used her TED prize to use the TED platform to create a 'Charter of compassion', which was launched in 2009. Two TED talks are on youtube, see:
- Let's revive the Golden Rule (2009)
and also short 2' promotional video captures the key message.
In her life work and published books, she explored the various great religions and traditions and finds the essence in all of them is the Golden Rule: 'do not treat others like you would not like to be treated yourself'.
In the book 'The Great Transformation' (see below) she also notices that Socrates, Buddha, Confucius, Jeremiah, Lao Tzu and others all emerged in a timespan of a few centuries with very similar ideas regarding and common messages for humanity.
As Rudolf Steiner pointed out about a century before, the common link is the White Lodge, and the timing has to do with the preparatory work for the Christ Impulse and the Mystery of Golgotha, and the development of the I.
The interesting element here is that this initiative puts the same old wine in a new bottle, the essential key message now broadcasted to the world in the new clothe of youtube, TED and social media. As background it's interesting to also look at Armstrong's biography and life development.
Related pages
References and further reading
- Karen Armstrong: 'The Great Transformation: The World in the Time of Buddha, Socrates, Confucius and Jeremiah' (2006)
- Karen Armstrong: 'Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life' (2010)
.. why did Socrates, Buddha, Confucius, Jeremiah, Lao Tzu and others all emerge in this five-hundred-year span? And why do they have such similar ideas about humanity?
Website links:
- golden rule (wikipedia)
- Charter of Compassion: website and wikipedia page
