What is the Vedic equivalent of the Golden Rule of Chrisitianity?
The Golden Rule is “Do unto others as others have done unto you.”
Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Thank you. Question, what is the Vedic equivalent of the golden rule of Christianity do unto others as others have done unto you? Answer, firstly this is not the golden rule is not just a rule from Christianity even Greek pre-Christian thinkers like Lato Aristotle have talked about it.
So, anyway in the Vedic context also this has been talked about in the Bhagavad Gita 6.32 the verse says So, Atma Upamayena, so Atma, self, Upama as a reference point for comparison Atma Upamayena Sarvatra, all living beings. One who sees all living beings equally. In what sense equally? In happiness and in distress.
Such a yogi is the topmost of all yogis. So, yogi paramo mataha. So, this is a verse which talks about enlightened equal vision.
Chanakya Pandita also talks about something similar in his famous verse where he talks about three characteristics of knowledge. There one of the characteristics is Atmavat Parasarvate Bhuteshu Iha Pashyati Sa Panditaha. One who sees all living beings as same as oneself.
Atmavat Sarvabhuteshu. So, now do unto, this is basically similar to do unto others as you want others to do unto you. In the Bhagavad Gita however if we look at the context of this verse 6.32 the context also reveals the meaning quite significantly.
The context indicates this comes after Krishna has described the whole process of yoga and he has talked about the level of Samadhi in 6.30 when he says that the enlightened soul sees me everywhere. And sees everything in me. So, after that when Krishna talks about compassion and based on compassion equal vision.
So, that is indicative of the equal vision encompassing our entire being. Encompassing our body, our mind and our soul. So, many times when people say do unto others as you want others to do unto you.
It is often at a material level where people think that I should do good unto others and as I want others to do good unto me. But the Bhagavad Gita says that Atma Upam Jena. By using the word Atma over there.
The Atma means self. Atma means soul also. So, when we understand who we actually are.
When we understand what is actually good for us and what is actually good for others. And based on that when we do good just like a patient would not want to be in pain and similarly a patient would not want other patients to be in pain. But when a doctor doesn’t want a patient to be in pain that wanting is not simply a good feeling.
That wanting is also accompanied by the knowledge of how to rectify that bad feeling that is there. The pain that is there. So, similarly when we acquire Bhagavad Gita knowledge it is not just as a generic injunction.
We don’t remain like patients. Bhagavad Gita knowledge helps us to become like doctors. So, we don’t just feel that we should do good to others but we also get the knowledge by which we can do all around good to all living beings.
So, this is the perfection of this golden rule. Do unto others as you want others to do unto you. So, we understand what is the best for ourselves and what is the best for others.
And Bhagavad Gita also infuses us not only with that knowledge but also with the love. Because when we understand that all living beings are the children of Krishna then all of us are a part of one family. Naturally we feel they are all our family members.
So, this way this golden rule actually attains its culmination in Bhagavad Gita 6.32. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna. Question from Jugal Prabhu.