The Golden Rule
The Dove and Olive Branch of Peace
The Golden Rule – we’ve all heard it …most of us have quoted it to death, it’s so well known you just have to say “the Golden Rule” and almost everyone knows what you’re talking about. I got to wonder about its origin, thinking I already knew that it came from the Bible and was one of the quotes attributed to Jesus. That is true, but that isn’t the original source, it turns out that the philosophy has been around since before the beginning of recorded history. This thread of wisdom has woven its way throughout time and history becoming a part of every religion and philosophy we have. Just for the fun of I’m listing some of the places I found it in some of the Philosophies and Religions through time:
570 AD – Islam – “Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself” – written by the prophet Muhammad.
6TH century BC – Shinto – “Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself”
2,000 years ago – Christianity – “In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.”
2,500 years ago – Buddhism – “Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”
5TH century BC – Taoism – “Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own and your neighbors loss as your own”.
1,800 years BC – Judaism – “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary.”
5,000 BC – Hinduism – “This is the sum of duty; do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.”
Going back even further we have the primal religions that come mostly from oral traditions – summed up they say, “The entire universe is alive and interconnected. One should treat all creatures in the world as one would want to be treated.”
Interesting isn’t it, that this same philosophy has woven its way throughout time and touché into all forms of religious beliefs, and that all great masters of love and philosophy have uttered these same words in one form or another. I believe there’s a reason, it is the pathway to enlightenment and evolution – everyone had the answer and the way – it is the key to what we all seek and if we but walk that pathway – Live by those words – whichever version we choose – we can only be led to the wisdom and light we all seek.
The foundation has always been a spiritual one based upon a simple and universal philosophy. It doesn’t matter what your Religion or even if you have one. What matters is that we all follow the same basic philosophy. The Golden Rule is more than a simple saying that has been used so much we have forgotten its true meaning and worth. There is a reason this phrase is common to all belief systems and religions – it is the key and the path to enlightenment no matter where you are coming from it will take you to the source, to the origin of the light from which we all came from so very long ago.
Pause for a minute – if we all lived those words – if we walked them in earnest and in love – the world would be full of peace and there would be no conflict – All religions, all philosophies have the sane seed truth – they all come down to the same law and pathway. They all tell us to treat each other, as we would like to be treated. Forget all the rest and just follow that simple charge and you will find the pathway opens to you and the light surrounds and embraces you – what you have been seeking for generations of your souls evolution will be within your grasp.
More often than not the truth is so clear we can’t see it – so simple we ignore it – and so obvious we can’t believe it’s that easy. For thousands and thousands of years we have had the answer before us – told to us and written down for us. Wouldn’t it be nice if we finally paid attention to it? We have had the answer and the key all along; it’s how we live our lives in accordance with that rule that determines where our pathways take us. It’s how we walk our pathways in accordance to that rule that determines our spiritual awakening and the enlightenment we seek. Live the words and watch the key unlock the doors for you.