The "Silver" Rule

“As all are one...

What you do unto another, so to you do unto yourself”

This theme is not uncommon.  I am sure that you have heard it’s close likeness before.  In fact,

every major life affirming spiritual path has somewhere in it’s pages of liturgy a corresponding

ethic.  Generally, this type of ethic is known as the “Golden Rule”.  Below are listed the Golden

Rules from many diverse cultures and spiritual paths throughout history.

Baha’i :

“Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself.”

Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, 71

Buddhism :

“Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”

Udama-Varga, 5:18

Christianity :

“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”

Matthew 7:12

Confucianism :

“Do not unto others what you would not have them do unto you.”

Analects 15:23

Hinduism :

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

Mahabharata 5:1517

Islam :

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

Sunnah

Jainism :

“In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our

own self.”

Lord Mahavira, 24th Tirthankara

Judaism :

“What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man.  That is the law: all the rest is commentary.”

Talmud, Shabbat 31a

Native American :

“Respect for all life is the foundation.”

The Great Law of Peace

Sikhism :

“Don’t create enmity with anyone as God is within everyone.”

Guru Granth Sahib

Zoroastrianism :

“That nature only is good when it shall not do unto another whatever is not good for its own self.”

Dadistan-i-Dinik, 94:5

After reading the examples above one is moved to ask:  why and how does this same theme

resonate across seemingly unrelated cultures and historical periods?  Some claim that one

culture steals or corrupts it from another and so it is passed on.  However, there is no factual

evidence beyond assumption to support this explanation.  The answer is less sinister and more

profound.  There are certain cosmic truths that bind creation.  The wise and enlightened women

and men of all time have received these truths directly from the divine source.  Regardless of

your spiritual path or how you perceive divinity, (old man on a throne, Goddess & God,

disembodied force...) the source is always the same.  The divine does not favor one path above

another.  The song of creation penetrates every molecule of the cosmos from majestic nebulae

to minute dust particle.  Anyone that stills their mind long enough is welcome to partake of the

music.

The shamans, mediums, druids, and mystics of ages past have often described in their tales

and myths a “web of life”.  They likened it to a spiders web, for what effects only one strand in

the web can be felt throughout the entire structure.  Creation is the same way.  All things are

connected, interwoven like strands in a web.  We perceive the whole of the web as reality.  Even

modern science has begun to unravel this ancient mystery.  There are theories and models that

show how our world is made of interacting patterns of energy that are bound together, which

oppose the classical view of separate pieces of solid matter.  Whatever causes any effect on

one local pattern alters the whole structure.  We may seem like insignificant beings when

compared to the majesty of the entire cosmos.  However, one grain of sand may seem

insignificant as compared to the whole beach.  Yet, remove that one grain of sand and the beach

is now changed.  In essence, this is the philosophy of ONE.

If we subscribe to this model, either ancient or modern, we must fully understand the

implications of being ONE.  It can be a difficult lesson to grasp.  To our mundane senses all

things appear to be separate.  I am separate from you, the tree is separate from the rock, the

fish is separate from the bird, and so on.  Our senses are easily fooled.  To understand fully, we

must learn to see with our soul, hear with our heart, touch with our spirit and partake of all.  The

philosophy of ONE requires that we learn to live our lives in terms of unity instead of duality.

Duality is the source of mentalities that promote “us versus them” conflict, “someone else will do

it” laziness, “its mine” selfishness, and “blind eye” ignorance.  Unity promotes “one community”

peace, “power with” harmony, “let me help” generosity, and “universal” wisdom.

The Pagan Golden (or perhaps, Silver?) Rule is not a command to behave in a particular fashion.  It is a statement of cosmic truth that offers a small bit of insight about the inner mechanism of creation.  Like most Pagan ethics, the choice of action is left to the individual.  While there is no “eternal damnation” for “sinful” behavior, there are always consequences for your choices.  One must be prepared to accept these, for they are inescapable.  Your hand would not take up a knife and stab your foot because the resulting damage would effect your entire body.  As your hands and feet are of one body, we too, physically and spiritually, are of the ONE body of creation.  So, truly, whatever we do to any part of creation---be it the land, the water, the air, the animals, or one another---we do also unto ourselves.

~Gryphon M