Comparing the Golden Rule in Hindu and Christian Religious Texts

Abstract

This article compares the oldest Hindu versions of the Golden Rule found in the Mahabharata with those in the gospels. What may the Hindu texts, which usually receive little attention, contribute to the understanding of the New Testament renditions? Methodologically the article draws from Clooney's Comparative Theology and Moyaert's approach of hermeneutical hospitality. In the Hindu texts the rule is understood in terms of ahimsa (non-violence). This seems to be close to Luke's version, in which the maxim is closely connected with the appeal to love one's enemies. The Mahabharata, however, reveals also the maxim's potency to use reciprocity as a strategy for making peace. So, the reciprocity stressed in Matthew is also important.Ré sumé : Le présent article compare des versions hindoues les plus anciennes de la Règle d'Or trouvées dans le Mahabharata avec celles des évangiles. Comment le choix des mots hindous, qui d'ordinaire ne nous intéresse guère, peut-il nous aider à comprendre l'interprétation du Nouveau Testament ? Mon récit se base méthodiquement sur la théologie comparative de Clooney et l'approche herméneutique de Moyaert. Dans les textes hindous, la règle de conduite est comprise en termes de non violence, ahimsa. Ceci donne une place prépondérante à la version de Luc, puisque cette maxime, dans l'évangile de Luc, est étroitement liée à la demande que nous aimions nos ennemis. En fait, le Mahabharata nous révèle aussi la richesse de la formulation en utilisant, comme stratégie, la corrélation dans l'établissement de la paix. Cette idée de réciprocité est éga-lement importante dans l'évangile de Mathieu.

New Spirituality and Social Engagement

“…The Golden Rule, an ethical code often formulated as 'do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself', is found in many religious traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Baha'i religion (Momen, 2009;Bakker, 2013). Industrialization, increasing prosperity, and development of the welfare state are closely connected societal trends in Western countries that went hand in hand with a decline of cohesion in several intermediary groups in the early twentieth century.…”

The Golden Rule: A Naturalistic Perspective

“…But presenting this quote in isolation may paint a misleading picture of Hindu ethics. Bakker (2013: 49) observes that: the Hindu commentaries do not pay special attention to the Golden Rule as a subject in its own right … The Hindu authors focus on themes like dharma , self-control, ahimsa (non-violence), asceticism, the effects of certain deeds on afterlife and the importance of living in accordance with the caste hierarchy, while the Golden Rule itself is scarcely mentioned separately.…”

“…As Davis (2008: 147) says, “Indic formulations of the Golden Rule” (including the one in the Mahabharata ) “repeatedly point toward a principle that is much more significant within classical Indic ethical discourse, namely the principle of ahimsa , nonharming or nonviolence” (quoted in Bakker 2013: 49). It may be that some Western commentators eager to find commonalities between Christianity and the other great religions have assigned the Golden Rule in Hinduism a meaning and significance that it does not have.…”