From Gayle Hoover in Washington State 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) Bahá’í Faith And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which thou choosest [...]

From Gayle Hoover in Washington State

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)

Bahá’í Faith

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, 30)

Buddhist Faith

Hurt not others with that which pains yourself. (Udana-Varga)

The Ariyan disciple thus reflects, Here am I, fond of my life, not wanting to die, fond of pleasure and averse from pain. Suppose someone should rob me of my life… it would not be a thing pleasing and delightful to me. If I, in my turn, should rob of his life one fond of his life, not wanting to die, one fond of pleasure and averse from pain, it would not be a thing pleasing or delightful to him. For a state that is not pleasant or delightful to me must also be to him also; and a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another? As a result of such reflection he himself abstains from taking the life of creatures and he encourages others so to abstain, and speaks in praise of so abstaining. (Samyutta Nikaya v.353 Acarangasutra 5.101-2)

Christianity

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  (Bible, Matthew 22.36-40)

Confucianism

Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.  (Analects, 15.24)

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)

Hindu Faith

This is the sum of duty: do naught to others which if done to thee would cause thee pain. (The Mahabharata)

One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire. (Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva113.8)

Jainism

A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated. (Sutrakritanga 1.11.33)

Jewish Faith

What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor: that is the whole Torah; all the rest of it is commentary; go and learn.  (Talmud, Shabbat 31a)

Muslim Faith  (Islám)

Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. (Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 13)

Zoroastrian Faith

Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others. Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29

Others

Diogenes

Refraining from doing what we blame in others.  (Thales Diogenes Laertius, vol I, page 39)

Socrates

Do not do unto others what angers you if done to you by others. (Isocrates 436-338 BCE)

Wicca

An it harm none, do what thou wilt.  (Wiccan Rede)