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mrs. neal's not-so-conventional MEDITATION [CLASS] for TEENS...

...the book and the recorded meditation

CHAPTER 29: A COMMON THREAD — THE GOLDEN RULE...

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another;
as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

– Jesus, in John 13:34

 

Okay — One Last Mommy Lecture...

There may be people who will come into your life and try to lead you to believe that their way of thinking, is the only way; that their way of life is the right way to live.

I pray that you will use the brain God gave you to think about what they are trying to sell you before you buy it.

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As I have mentioned elsewhere in this book, I am a Christian. I was brought up as a Christian, I read the Bible, I believe what I read, and I pray every day.

As a Christian, I was brought up with the old concept of The Golden Rule — “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” — the guideline by which we all should be living our lives.

 

I do my best to live by The Golden Rule — a concept that has been around for thousands of years. Way back around 600-800 B.C.E., Homer wrote in his epic book, The Odyssey: “I will be as careful for you as I should be for myself in the same need.”

An ancient Egyptian writing states, “Do for one who may do for you, that you may cause him thus to do.” This is from The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant (translated by R.B. Parkinson), and it dates back to around 1800 B.C.E.; it is considered to be perhaps the earliest version of The Golden Rule ever written.

When I was young — and in the midst of studying theology (monotheism and polytheism) — I noticed that there seemed to be a common thread in all religions. It didn’t matter what the religion was, there was a law that paralleled The Golden Rule. (You also may hear this referred to as the Ethic of Reciprocity.)

I want to share with you that common thread I found through my studies on this topic — how each religion states their law, or their version of The Golden Rule:

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Christianity

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.

– Jesus, in Matthew 7:12

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

– Jesus, in Luke 6:31

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Judaism

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

– Leviticus 19:18

What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.

– Talmud, Chabbat 31a

And what you hate, do not do to any one.

– Tobit 4:15 4

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Hinduism/Brahmanism

This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.

 – Mahabharata 5: 1517

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Buddhism

Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.

– Udana-Varga 5.18

...a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?

Samyutta NIkaya

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Taoism

Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.

 – Lao Tau, T’ai Shang Kan Yin P’ien

To those who are good to me, I am good; to those who are not good to me, I am also good. Thus all get to be good.

 – Lao Tau, T’ai Shang Kan Yin P’ien

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Sikhism

I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. I am a friend to all.

– Guru Granth Sahib

Do not create enmity with anyone as God is within everyone.

– Guru Granth Sahib

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Native Spirituality

Respect for all life is the foundation.

– Chief Dan George

We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive.

– Chief Dan George

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Confucianism

Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness:
Do not unto others what you would not have them do unto you.

 – Analects 15:23

Tse-kung asked, ‘Is there one word that can serve as a principle of conduct for life?’ Confucius replied, ‘It is the word ‘shu’ — reciprocity. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.’

– Doctrine of the Mean 13.3

Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence.

– Mencius VII.A.4

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Islam

No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.

– Sunnah

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Zoroastrianism

That nature alone is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not good for itself.

– Dadistan-i-dinik 94:5

Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others.”

– Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29 5

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Baha’i Faith

Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.

– Baha’u’llah

Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself.

 – Baha’u’llah

And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which thou choosest for thyself.

– Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

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Unitarianism

We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

– Unitarian principle

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Jainism

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

– Lord Mahavira, 24th Tirthankara

Therefore, neither does he [a sage] cause violence to others nor does he make others do so.

– Acarangasutra 5.101-2

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

– Sutrakritanga 1.11.33

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We — as human beings — are expected to treat each other the way we expect others to treat us; respect begets respect.

Remember some of the other lessons in this book — that as a teenager, your brain is not fully developed; that you can be misled or fooled into thinking something is real or true when it isn’t; that you have to choose your own path in life; that sometimes you have to take a step back, take a breath, and try to see the big picture; that you are responsible for your decisions.

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Your teenage years and into your early 20s — is a time of discovery. You are figuring out who you are, and where you want to go with your life. It’s normal for you to want to try new things, explore new ideas.

I caution you: be careful. Take time to think before you act.

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This is also an age when you can easily be misled.

Sadly, there are people who will try to take advantage of that — people who will not have your best interests in mind. They only will be interested in furthering their own agenda.

 

If someone is trying to lead you down a path you know in your heart — in your gut — is the wrong path for you, walk away from them.

And, regardless of your personal beliefs regarding faith or spirituality, if what that person is trying to get you to do does not parallel The Golden Rule, RUN away from them!

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THINK TIME:

Think about what "The Golden Rule" means to you.

 

 

PART FOUR

CLOSING THOUGHTS

 

I have chosen to be happy
because it is good for my health.

– Voltaire, author