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One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated - Jainism .... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you - Christianity .... None of you truly believes until you want for others what you want for yourself - Islam .... Treat not others in ways you yourself would find hurtful - Buddhism .... What is hateful to you do not do to your neighbour - Judaism ....
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Optical Delusions

February 7, 2007

     Although we human beings are part of a whole, the ‘Universe’, we experience ourselves as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of our consciousness. This delusion is a prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty - Albert Einstein

 Who am I to argue with Einstein? In fact, I would suggest that our faith traditions are in a very real sense the history of our attempts to do exactly what he is saying.

 As we live more deeply into the Golden Rule we cannot help but "widen our circle of compassion"; to see the interconnectedness of the whole in broader and broader terms until there is no other but only the whole.

 May we continue to lift high the wisdom of people like Albert Einstein; to spread the inclusivity of their insights until our optical delusions give way to limitless compassionate realities.

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