why does the ‘golden rule’ fall on deaf ears?
Vic Shayne
author
13 Pillars of Enlightenment: How to realize your true nature and end suffering
You can’t get much simpler than the Golden Rule: Treat other people in a way that you would like to be treated. One iteration after another of this basic philosophy has been repeated in each era of history, yet it has never led to societal transformation. The Golden Rule is fundamental to Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism, Sufism, Zoroastrianism, and other spiritual groups.
A multi-faith poster (below) showing the Golden Rule in sacred writings from 13 faith traditions is on permanent display at the Headquarters of the United Nations. Apparently, the Golden Rule is agreed upon by even the most committed enemies, quite ironically.
“That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another.”
— Egyptian goddess Ma’at, c. 2040–1650 BCE
In the Old Testament it is written, “Do to no one what you yourself dislike.” (Tobit 4:15)
The first century Jewish scholar Hillel said, “That which is hateful to you, do not do unto your fellow.” Hillel lived in Jerusalem during the time of King Herod and the Roman emperor Augustus. A couple of generations later another teacher came along, or so the story goes. His name was Yeshua ben Yoseph, better known as Jesus, and he is credited with saying, “All things . . . that you want men to do to you, you also must do to them.”
Islamic teachers over the centuries have offered various versions of the Golden Rule, including, “That which you want for yourself, seek for mankind.” And the Baháʼí Faith teaches, “Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not.”
The Hindu Vedic deity Brihaspati taught, “One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self. This, in brief, is the rule of dharma. Other behavior is due to selfish desires.”
does anyone really mean what they say?
What are we to make of this ubiquitous Golden Rule that has found its way into every religious philosophy and the earth religions? What has been its impact in uplifting humanity? If we look at world history and all of the endless violence and suffering that has occurred as, time and again, one people has forced itself upon another across the globe, one could easily conclude that the Golden Rule is an insincere teaching.
Of course the Golden Rule is offered in all sincerity, but why does it fall upon deaf ears? Why has it not changed and uplifted the world into a place of permanent love, brotherhood, sisterhood, and peace? If everyone agrees with the Golden Rule, why does it not extend to animals and all things living and inanimate? In other words, why is it interpreted conditionally? For thousands of years human beings have held steadfast to an idea providing the solution to all our problems and yet the Golden Rule perennially remains a broken contract, does it not?
back to the source of the problem
By and large, human beings seem unable to commit fully to a philosophy of “love thy neighbor.” Of course some people do, but most do not. And the most ardent religious fanatics are the greatest breakers of the Golden Rule. Their fanaticism is proof enough.
Seneca the Younger (c. 4 BCE — 65 CE), an ancient Roman Stoic, said in his Letter 47, an essay regarding the treatment of slaves, “Treat your inferior as you would wish your superior to treat you.” Here we have it: a society that embraced slavery as a just institution believed in the Golden Rule. Think about this.
desire sets the heart afire
Is desire at the bottom of this conundrum? The desire for wealth, sex, distractions, land, material goods, and conquest is greater than the desire to do right by one’s fellow human being. History clearly shows this. Desire overrides compassion. But where does such destructive desire come from, and why is it so persistent that, despite having the key to harmony the Golden Rule is overridden and ignored century after century?
Desire is a theme that features prominently in Hindu, Taoist, and Buddhist teachings. As a sin of Christianity it has plagued the most religious believers who have relentlessly punished their own minds and bodies. But this concept of desire is greatly misunderstood and misapplied.
Desire is a drive, a need, to act. While desire is often equated with evil, weakness of the mind, and of low consciousness, such is not always the case. Desire is as natural as thinking. Desire is the emotion that moves our lives forward, sparks inventions, and leads to great technological advancement. Still, many religious teachings speak of desire as a fault that must be suppressed, punished, and exorcised from the mind and body. This is because they conflate ego-driven desire with the movement of consciousness. And it is this egoic desire that ignores the Golden Rule in favor of seeking pleasure and fighting its fears.
cart before the horse
One’s personal, tribal, national, or group desire for conquest is based upon the conditioned mind that is infected with beliefs such as: might-makes-right, God is with me but not with you, and my (or our) needs are more important than yours.
We can easily break the Golden Rule down into three words: Always be kind, but sadly, people want to know what they get out of it. Ironically, then, the Golden Rule is a quid pro quo — you be kind to me and I’ll be kind to you. So be it. Maybe that’s the best we can come up with.
It is the egoic mind that has created the sense of “the other,” and for this reason the Golden Rule cannot abide in the hearts of human beings until such a mind is exposed to the light. People cannot adhere to the Golden Rule because they are putting the cart before the horse. First there must be desire to understand oneself in relation to all others, and then there must be desire for harmony and compassion, and then there must be a recognition that we are all of the same essence; and only then can the Golden Rule have lasting meaning and effect.
