“Do unto others what you want others to do unto you”

This is the ultimate distilled essence of morality and right conduct popularly known as the Golden Rule to which even many atheists subscribe!

THIS DATA Is COLLATED FOMR WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE and other SOURCES:

This one thing is agreed by MOST Hindus - Hitopadesha (Mahabarat) (Indian Epic), Christians - (Bible) & Muslims - (Quran), and many other religions such as Buddhism, etc.

The earliest recorded reference to the sentiment of the Golden Rule was from Hinduism (3200 BC, from the ) a couple thousand years prior to the earliest known reference (1300 BC, from the Old Testament, 19:18).

African Traditional Religions

"One going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts."

Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria)

"Do not do unto others what angers you if done to you by others."

Socrates 436-338 BCE

"We should behave toward friends as we would wish friends to behave toward us."

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

"He sought for others the good he desired for himself. Let him pass."

Egyptian Book of the Dead (1580-1350 B.C.)

"Do not kill or injure your neighbor, for it is not him that you injure, you injure yourself. But do good to him, therefore add to his days of happiness as you add to your own. Do not wrong or hate your neighbor, for it is not him that you wrong, you wrong yourself. But love him, for Moneto loves him also as he loves you."

Shawnees Indians

Golden Rule - Wikipedia article:

It is The Golden Rulelaw of reciprocity or .

From Wikipedia:

Ancient Egypt

Possibly the earliest affirmation of the maxim of reciprocity, reflecting the ancient Egyptian goddess Ma'at, appears in the story of The Eloquent Peasant, which dates to the Middle Kingdom (c. 2040 – c. 1650 BC): "Now this is the command: Do to the doer to make him do."

This proverb embodies the principle.

A Late Period (c. 664 BC – 323 BC) papyrus contains an early negative affirmation of the Golden Rule: "That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another."

The Golden Rule existed among all the major philosophical schools of ancient China: Mohism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Examples of the concept include:

"Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself." — Confucius [14](c. 500 BC)

Ancient India

Sanskrit tradition

In , the ancient epic of India, comes a discourse where the wise minister Vidura advises the King thus, ", treat others as you treat yourself.. O king aim for these, may you be steadfast in these qualities. These are the basis of prosperity and rightful living. These are highest attainable things. All worlds are balanced on encompasses ways to prosperity as well. O King, is the best quality to have, wealth the medium and desire () the lowest"

| || (तस्माद्धर्मप्रधानेन भवितव्यं यतात्मना। तथा च सर्वभूतेषु वर्तितव्यं यथात्मन।॥ || 167:9)

Ancient Greece

The Golden Rule in its prohibitive (negative) form was a common principle in ancient Greek philosophy. Examples of the general concept include:

"Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing." – Thales [16] (c. 624 BC – c. 546 BC)

"What you do not want to happen to you, do not do it yourself either. " – Sextus the Pythagorean.[17] The oldest extant reference to Sextus is by Origen in the third century of the common era.[18]

"Do not do to others that which angers you when they do it to you." – Isocrates [19] (436–338 BC)

Ancient Persia

The Pahlavi Texts of Zoroastrianism (c. 300 BC–1000 AD) were an early source for the Golden Rule: "That nature alone is good which refrains from doing to another whatsoever is not good for itself." Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5, and "Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others." Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29

Ancient Rome

Seneca the Younger (c. 4 BC–65 AD), a practitioner of Stoicism (c. 300 BC–200 AD) expressed the Golden Rule in his essay regarding the treatment of slaves: "Treat your inferior as you would wish your superior to treat you." The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca.

Judaism:

A rule of altruistic reciprocity was first stated positively in a well-known Torah verse (Hebrew: ואהבת לרעך כמוך‎):

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

— Leviticus 19:18

Hillel the Elder (c. 110 BCE – 10 CE),

used this verse as a most important message of the Torah for his teachings. Once, he 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 accepted him as a candidate for conversion to Judaism but, drawing on Leviticus 19:18, briefed the man:

What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn. Shabbath folio:31a, Babylonian Talmud

Hillel recognized brotherly love as the fundamental principle of Jewish ethics. Rabbi Akiva agreed and suggested that the principle of love must have its foundation in Genesis chapter 1, which teaches that all men are the offspring of Adam who was made in the image of God (Sifra, Ḳedoshim, iv.; Yer. Ned. ix. 41c; Genesis Rabba 24).

The "Golden Rule" has been attributed to Jesus of Nazareth, who used it to summarize the Torah: "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"

(Matthew 7:12 NCV, see also Luke 6:31). The common English phrasing is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

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.

Luke 6:31

Islam

The Golden Rule is implicitly expressed in some verses of the Quran, and is explicitly declared in the sayings of Muhammad. A common transliteration is: ِAheb li akheek ma tuhibu li nafsik. This can be translated as "Wish for your brother, what you wish for yourself" or "Love for your brother what you love for yourself".

From the Quran: the first verse recommends the positive form of the rule, and the subsequent verses condemn not abiding the negative form of the Golden Rule:

"...and you should forgive And overlook: Do you not like God to forgive you? And Allah is The Merciful Forgiving."

— Quran (Surah 24, "The Light", v. 22)

A Bedouin came to the prophet, grabbed the stirrup of his camel and said: O the messenger of God! Teach me something to go to heaven with it. Prophet said: "As you would have people do to you, do to them; and what you dislike to be done to you, don't do to them. Now let the stirrup go! [This maxim is enough for you; go and act in accordance with it!]"

— Kitab al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 146

Buddhism

Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama, c. 623 – c. 543 BC)

made this principle one of the cornerstones of his ethics in the 6th century BC. It occurs in many places and in many forms throughout the Tripitaka.

Comparing oneself to others in such terms as "Just as I am so are they, just as they are so am I," he should neither kill nor cause others to kill.

— Sutta Nipata 705

Jainism

The Golden Rule is paramount in the Jainist philosophy and can be seen in the doctrines of Ahimsa and Karma. As part of the prohibition of causing any living beings to suffer, Jainism forbids inflicting upon others what is harmful to oneself.

The following quotation from the Acaranga Sutra sums up the philosophy of Jainism:

Nothing which breathes, which exists, which lives, or which has essence or potential of life, should be destroyed or ruled over, or subjugated, or harmed, or denied of its essence or potential.

In support of this Truth, I ask you a question – "Is sorrow or pain desirable to you ?" If you say "yes it is", it would be a lie. If you say, "No, It is not" you will be expressing the truth. Just as sorrow or pain is not desirable to you, so it is to all which breathe, exist, live or have any essence of life. To you and all, it is undesirable, and painful, and repugnant.

A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated.

— Sutrakritanga, 1.11.33

In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self.

— Lord Mahavira, 24th Tirthankara

Sikhism

See also: Sikhism and Karma

Precious like jewels are the minds of all. To hurt them is not at all good. If thou desirest thy Beloved, then hurt thou not anyone's heart.

— Guru Arjan Dev Ji 259, Guru Granth Sahib

That is to say that:

Butwe should do all the above without expectation, because the same though guaranteed by nature in return may not be immediately possible as nature waits for the most opportune moment when it will be most appreciated/needed by us.

This is the sum and substance of all the answers following which makes this a world better even if 10℅ were to follow it!

Love and mercy are the roots of all religions which requires that we empathize with others and treat them as we want them to treat us.

Doesn't this show that God is really one as he is the one inspiring all the Prophets of different religions into thinking the same thing across ages and regions?

Why should we consider ourselves different just because of the changes in languages, dress codes, regions, etc. though the underlying basic principle of goodness is the same everywhere?

Won't this make this world a much better place when people realize this simple thing and put it to practice?

THUS, WHY WOULD THIS GOLDEN RULE ARISE IS THE QUESTION. BECAUSE, MERCY IS THE BASIS OF ALL RELIGIONS! ALL RELIGIONS PREACH THE SAME BASIC THING! ALL RELIGIONS ARE ESSENTIALLY TO PROTECT GOODNESS!

ALL RELIGIONS ARE ORIENTED TOWARDS GOODNESS AND THAT IS GOD, THE SAME ONE AND ONLY GOOD GOD! THERE ARE NO TWO GODS!

SO, MERCY, LOVE BEING THE ROOT OF ALL RELIGIONS, ANY ABERRATIONS IN RELIGIONS SUCH AS HATE TOWARDS OTHER RELIGIONS IS AN CLEARLY AN INTRODUCED MISINTERPRETATION OF ANY RELIGION AND IS POLITICAL AMBITION!

So, All those who agree with the Golden rule, I beseech you, please try and popularize this as much as possible!

What one thing would change the WORLD?

Surprisingly it is not difficult!