The Golden Rule: “Do Unto Others, As You Would Have Done Unto You”. — is a message that has been written within every single philosophy and religion of this world. There isn’t one of them that doesn’t mention or express this very same message — somewhere — in some way. Here’s just a few of them:

“Love your neighbor as yourself”. — Moses (c. 3000 – 1271 BC)

“That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another.” — Egyptian Papyrus (c. 664 – 323 BC)

“Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing.” — Thales (c. 624 – 546 BC)

“One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self”. — Brihaspati (c. 600 BC)

“The sage has no interest of his own, but takes the interests of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind; he is also kind to the unkind: for Virtue is kind.” — Lao Tzu (c. 600 – 400 BC)

“Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” — Siddhartha Gautama (c. 563 – 400 BC)

“What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.” — Confucius (c. 551 – 479 BC)

“One should never do wrong in return, nor mistreat any man,…” — Plato (c. 428 – 347 BC)

“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” — Jesus (c. 0 BC – 33 AD)

“As you would have people do to you, do to them; and what you dislike to be done to you, do not do to them.” — Muhammad (c. 570 – 632 AD)

“Khris, Be Nice”. — My Mom (c. 1971 – 1989 AD)

If the Golden Rule is prevalent within just about every cultural tradition there is, then why don’t people just follow and live by it? Why doesn’t the Golden Rule work? That one could be debated endlessly, but the main reason the rule doesn’t work — is when it’s broken. People break the rule. Nothing else.

Concepts mean absolutely nothing — until they are applied in practical application. People don’t live by their concepts. People live by their actions, attitudes, inner feelings, and ways — their behaviors. Concept means nothing — until the moment you move beyond the concept and actually become what the concept means and defines. This is the moment when concept becomes a way of living. It becomes a behavior.

Here’s Krepcik’s modern version of the Golden Rule: “Harm Nothing — Want Nothing — Need Nothing”.

I would like to tell you that the Golden Rule is Love, but people don’t even understand what love is. All love really is — is acceptance, kindness, reverence, and warmth towards others. All love really is — is a Golden Resonance. Love has no motive or agenda. People have motives and agendas. I would like to tell you that love is all you need, but that isn’t true either. You can treat people with love — an acceptance, kindness, reverence, and warmth — and they wanna lick you in the ear and rub your bits ‘n pieces. You can treat people with love — and they show up on your doorstep and never wanna leave. You need love, but you need boundaries, because people get dippy. People fall into motives and agendas — which is the opposite of what love is. Love is allowing others to be. You need love — but you also need your wits.

Here’s what the Golden Rule really means:

All Evil is Rooted in Selfishness — the Sickness of Greed. Greed and Selfishness are Rooted in the Ego’s Desires and the Rigid Intellectual Opinions of the Human Mind that are Trying to Justify and Sustain the Selfishness and Greed of the Ego’s Desires and Rigid Intellectual Opinions. How do you heal the Sickness of Greed? Ditch Selfishness and Greed. Ditch Ego, Desire, and the Rigid Intellectual Opinions that try to sustain them. How do you heal the Sickness of Greed? — With Generosity, Kindness, and Reverence.

If You Want Nothing — If You Need Nothing — Then How Can You Harm Anything? — You Can’t.

To Live by the Golden Rule is to Live with Generosity, Kindness, and Reverence for All Living Things. If you cannot live with Generosity, Kindness, and Reverence for All Living Things — then you have lost your connection to the mystical inner wisdom of your very own heart. And you better start finding it.

This is the Golden Rule — a Sacred Heart — and all you need is the Discipline and Virtue to follow it.

© 2012 – Khris Krepcik
The Hooded Sage. All Rights Reserved.

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