At the heart of every system of belief there is a moral core uniting all religions. Known as The Golden Rule, it is a fundamental principle of every faith. The rule is as simple as it is brilliant. It teaches, “Don’t do to others what you wouldn’t have others do to you.” Just imagine how you would feel if somebody did something nasty or hurtful to you. This will help you think twice before doing the same to others. How can we condemn this rule? It’s so universal that literally every faith has discovered and included it in its teachings. Appreciated as a mutual concept, it establishes common ground between all religious people: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist. It diminishes the prejudice that misleads everyone into believing their own superiority. Since sacred scripture always become a stumbling block, instead of debating holy books, let’s focus on how we treat others and how we apply the Golden Rule in each personal encounter.
I believe there is no better way to foster peace. Every major world religion has expressed this principle by refining its version in either the positive form, “Always treat others as you would like to be treated” or the negative form, “Don’t do to others what you would not like them do to you.” So please consider your actions and ponder their consequences. If they would hurt you on the receiving end, then hold back and control yourself. Don’t inflict that suffering on others. It really couldn’t be simpler, yet for centuries people struggled to apply this theory. The venerable Confucius said the rule must be applied all day and every day. All sages and wisemen across the ages implemented it as a way to dethrone egotism from the centre of consciousness and crown compassion as master of existence. Its mastery helps to familiarized believers with the divine, called in different languages: Vishnu, Allah, Nirvana, Jehovah, Bhagwan, Rama, Tao and God.
Next time you encounter believers of other faiths – a common experience in multicultural, multiethnic Hong Kong – don’t worry whether they are Catholic or Protestant, Shia or Sunni, Hindu or Sikh, Buddhist or Taoist. Yours is not the only spiritual path and others are not lost. There is nothing more divisive than thinking in these terms, as nobody can persuade others to change religion through rational proof alone. The parable of the “Good Samaritan” holds the key to this dilemma. If you were lying on the roadside, robbed, beaten and bleeding, would you worry about your rescuer’s faith? Would you debate reincarnation, scripture or prophets? Would you refuse help and bandages, if you didn’t see eye to eye? When faithfully applying the Golden Rule in every encounter – treating people whoever they might be as precious as ourselves – we are contributing to a peaceful and unprejudiced world nurtured rightly for future generations.
