“Do unto others...” your mother always said. Usually that was what your mom told you whenever you were acting like a little flatulent-head.
Her words were usually uttered with that unique tone that only moms can achieve. Your mother uses the same tone when saying:
“Just wait until your father gets home…”
“You’d better count your blessings, young man...”
“There are people starving in China; eat your liver…”
The Golden Rule is older than you might think. The first reference to The Rule comes from ancient Egypt, roughly 2000 BCE. “Do for one who may do for you, that you may cause him thus to do.”
It’s also in ancient Sanskrit, in a 3,000-year-old book called Mahābhārata: “Do not to others what you do not wish done to yourself…”
Similar words also come from Rabbi Hilel, 1st century BCE, long before the birth of Western Christianity. “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow; this is the whole Torah; the rest is explanation.”
And in the Tamil traditions of Southern India, 1st century BCE: “Do not do to others what you know has hurt yourself.”
The ancient African proverb: “If you cannot add to the man you meet, do not subtract from him.”
And in archaic Mayan civilizations, on the other side of the world, the ancients said: “In Lak’ech Ala K’in.” Which means, “I am another you, and you are another me.”
In ancient Greece, all the smart guys were using the Rule:
“Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing.” Thales of Miletus (624 –546 BCE)
Sextus the Pythagorean, 3rd century. “What you do not want to happen to you, do not do it yourself either.”
The venerable Plato (420-347 BCE): “I am sensible I shall treat others with the same respect [with which I treat myself.]”
In ancient Persia, (300 BCE): “Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others.”
In Buddhism, which predates Christianity by some 500 years: “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful,” Udanavarga 5:18.
And Confucianism, which predates Buddhism by about 100 years: “...Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.”
Taoism, which predates Confucianism by another 100 years, Lao Tse writes: “Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.”
And in Islam, Muhammed said: “That which you want for yourself, seek for mankind.”
They were saying it in ancient Rome. In the 1st century, a stoic named Seneca the Younger wrote: “Treat your inferior as you would wish your superior to treat you.”
And then, of course there was a humble blue-collar worker from the one-horse town of Nazareth, who said these words in 1st century AD:
“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
I’m not smart enough to solve geo- or socio-political problems. I am a school dropout, not a journalist. I’m not qualified to talk about important issues, such as the 130 Border Patrol arrests in Charlotte, some of which were the videoed violent arrests of peaceful, compliant US citizens.
Heaven knows I have no answers. Neither could I tell anyone how to do their job. I do not know what kinds of horrible threats these Border Patrol agents face every day.
I do not take sides. And I refuse to label anyone in this world a villain because I am not wise enough.
I am simply saying, “Do unto others.”
