Examples of the Silver & Golden Rules in the world’s philosophies and religions:
- Jainism: “A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated.” — Sutrakritanga, 1.11.33 [Golden Rule]
- Seneca the Younger: "Treat your inferior as you would wish your superior to treat you.” [form of the Golden Rule]
- Islam: “A bedouin came to the prophet, grabbed the stirrup of his camel and said: O the messenger of God! Teach me something to go to heaven with it. The Prophet said: ‘As you would have people do to you, do to them; and what you dislike to be done to you, don't do to them. Now let the stirrup go!’" — Kitab al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 146. [Golden Rule and Silver Rules]. Although such sayings may be genuine, these hadith are not found in the Qur’an, which does not feature the Golden Rule.
- Buddhism: “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”— Udanavarga 5:18 [Silver Rule]
- Confucius: “Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.” — Analects XV.24 [Silver Rule]
- Zoroastrianism: “Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself.” — Shayast-na-Shayast 13.29 [Silver Rule]
- Old Testament Apocrypha: “Do to no one what you yourself dislike.” — Tobit 4:15 [Silver Rule]
- Hillel: “What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbor: that is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary; go and study.” — Shabbat 31a (Babylonian Talmud) [Silver Rule]
- Sextus: "What you do not want to happen to you, do not do it yourself either. " — Sextus the Pythagorean. [Weak form of the Silver Rule]
- Mahabharata: One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self. This, in brief, is the rule of dharma. Other behavior is due to selfish desires. — Mahābhārata, Shānti-Parva 167:9 [Silver Rule]
- The medical principle: “Do no harm.” [Silver Rule]
- Christianity: So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12). [Golden Rule]
