I've been thinking that it would be a good idea to run a public service ad
campaign promoting tolerance and respect for people of different racial,
ethnic, religious, sexual, class, and national distinctions. One of the
features of such an ad campaign would be quotes from different religious
and philosophical sources from around the world which agreed with such a
message. I'd have them written at the bottom of the screen while
different groups of people said things like: "I'm/we're your neighbor(s)."
I'm looking for such passages and since I was raised Catholic,
that's where I'm starting. As I run into other good quotes, I'm going
to collect them here. So, if you need an excuse to be nice to other
people:
- 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people,
but love your neighbor as yourself.' Leviticus 19:18
- One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating.
Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all
the commandments, which is the most important?"... The second is this:
'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than
these. Mark 12:28,31 See also The Good Samaritan, Luke 10:29-37
- There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save
and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor? James
4:12
- Judge not, or you too will be judged. Matthew 7:1
- Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you
will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke
6:37
- Show kindness to parents and kindred, to orphans and to the
destitute, to near and distant neighbors, to those that keep company with
you, to the traveller in need and to the slaves you own. Qur'an 4:36
(Al-Nisa' 36)
- 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. Yielding to
desire and acting differently, one becomes guilty of adharma.
Mahabharata 18.113.8.
- Let none find fault with others; let none
see the omissions and commissions of others.
But let one see one's own acts, done and undone. Dhammapada:
50
- 131. One who, while oneself seeking happiness,
oppresses with violence other beings who also
desire happiness, will not attain happiness hereafter.
132. One who, while oneself seeking happiness,
does not oppress with violence other beings who
also desire happiness, will find happiness hereafter.
133. Speak not harshly to anyone; for those
thus spoken to might retort. Indeed, angry
speech hurts, and retaliation may overtake you. Dhammapada
- 202. There is... no crime like hatred. Dhammapada
- 252. Easily seen are the faults of others, but
one's own are difficult to see. Like chaff one
winnows another's faults, but hides one's own,
even as a crafty fowler hides behind sham branches.
253. One who seeks another's faults, who is
ever censorious--that person's cankers grow.
That person is far from the destruction of the
cankers. Dhammapada
- 291. One who seeks one's own happiness by
inflicting pain on others, entangled by the
bonds of hate, will never be delivered from hate.
Dhammapada
- 405. One who has renounced violence towards
all living beings, weak or strong, who neither kills
no causes others to kill--such a one do I call a holy person.
406. One who is friendly amidst the hostile,
peaceful amidst the violent, and unattached amidst
the attached--such a one do I call a holy person.
407. One from whom lust and hatred, pride and
hypocrisy have fallen off like a mustard seed from
the point of a needle--such a one do I call a holy person.
408. One who utters gentle, instructive and truthful
words, who imprecates none--such a one do I call a holy person.
Dhammapada
- An it harm none, do what you will. Wiccan Rede (Gerald
Gardner?)