January 28, 2015

A disciple asked the Buddha what was the essence of all of his teachings, and he said, “Think about the single thing that causes you the most pain. Go and live so that you do not cause that pain in others.” Buddha (563 – 483 BCE)

Jesus said “Do to others what you would want them to do to you.” (Luke 6:31)

Here is the golden rule in an “unknown” version and in the one we all quote. Jesus was making this statement toward the end of his “Sermon on the Plain” (Luke 6:17 – 26) which includes not only blessings but woes as well. Buddha makes us think of it in a different way – to think of that which causes us pain, and live so that you do not cause that pain in others. This brings the Golden Rule alive, because it forces us to look at things from a different angle. Instead of saying “Do to others what you would want them to do to you”, we now are confronted with “Don’t do to others what you do not like done to yourself.” But it actually raises the bar for us, because not only are we to think about how we like to be treated, but we are to imagine what causes us the most pain, and then form our treatment of others accordingly.

Both form and inform our behavior – but one forces us into an uncomfortable place. No one likes to think about painful experiences, but knowing what gives us pain can help us avoid doing the same to others. The direction to “do unto others” is not just a “happy” way to try to be nice to people, it is a challenge to us to understand what causes us pain, and then avoid doing this in all of our interactions with others. It is always good to be nice to others, but it is a higher calling to know our own pain, and then never inflict that pain on another. It is a higher calling, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, it will help us live into the higher calling of faith.

Pastor Dave