Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions Part 115

"In granting or refusing a request, a man obtains a proper rule of action by looking on his neighbor as himself." (Ibid.)

"Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matt. xxii. 39.)

"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." (Luke vi. 31.)

"Before infirmities creep o'er thy flesh; before decay impairs thy strength and mars the beauty of thy limbs; before the Ender, whose charioteer is sickness, hastes towards thee, breaks up thy fragile frame and ends thy life, lay up the only treasure: Do good deeds; practice sobriety and self-control; ama.s.s that wealth which thieves cannot abstract, nor tyrants seize, which follows thee at death, which never wastes away, nor is corrupted." (Ibid.)

"Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say: I have no pleasure in them." (Ecc. xii. 1.)

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal." (Matt. vi. 19-20.)

"This is the sum of all true righteousness--Treat others as thou wouldst thyself be treated. Do nothing to thy neighbor, which hereafter thou would'st not have thy neighbor do to thee. In causing pleasure, or in giving pain, in doing good or injury to others, in granting or refusing a request, a man obtains a proper rule of action by looking on his neighbor as himself." (Ibid.)

"Ye have heard that it hath been said: Thou shall love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Matt. v. 43-44.)

"A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John, xii. 34.)

"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matt, xi 39.)

"Think constantly, O Son, how thou mayest please Thy father, mother, teacher,--these obey.

By deep devotion seek thy debt to pay.

This is thy highest duty and religion."

(Manu.)

"Wound not another, though by him provoked.

Do no one injury by thought or deed.

Utter no word to pain thy fellow-creatures."

(Ibid.)

"Treat no one with disdain, with patience bear Reviling language; with an angry man Be never angry; blessings give for curses."

(Ibid.)

"E'en as a driver checks his restive steeds, Do thou, if thou art wise, restrain thy pa.s.sions, Which, running wild, will hurry thee away."

(Ibid.)

"Pride not thyself on thy religious works.

Give to the poor, but talk not of thy gifts.

By pride religious merit melts away, The merit of thy alms by ostentation."

(Ibid.)

"Good words, good deeds, and beautiful expressions A wise man ever culls from every quarter, E'en as a gleaner gathers ears of corn."

(Maha-bharata.)

"Repeated sin destroys the understanding, And he whose reason is impaired, repeats His sins. The constant practice of virtue Strengthens the mental faculties, and he Whose judgment stronger grows, acts always right."

(Ibid.)

"If thou art wise seek ease and happiness In deeds of virtue and of usefulness; And ever act in such a way by day That in the night thy sleep may tranquil be; And so comport thyself when thou art young That when thou art grown old, thy age may pa.s.s In calm serenity. So ply thy talk Through thy life, that when thy days are ended, Thou may'st enjoy eternal bliss hereafter."

(Ibid.)

"Do naught to others which if done to thee Would cause thee pain; this is the sum of duty."

(Ibid.)

"No sacred lore can save the hypocrite,-- Though he employ it craftily,--from h.e.l.l; When his end comes, his pious texts take wings, Like fledglings eager to forsake their nest."

(Ibid.)

"Iniquity once practiced, like a seed, Fails not to yield its fruit to him who wrought it, If not to him, yet to his sons and grandsons."

(Manu.)

"Single is every living creature born, Single he pa.s.ses to another world.

Single he eats the fruit of evil deeds, Single, the fruit of good; and when he leaves His body like a log or heap of clay Upon the ground, his kinsmen walk away; Virtue alone stands by him at the tomb, And bears him through the dreary, trackless gloom."

(Ibid.)

"Thou canst not gather what thou dost not sow; As thou dost plant the tree so will it grow."

(Ibid.)

"He who pretends to be what he is not, Acts a part, commits the worst of crimes, For, thief-like, he abstracts a good man's heart."

(Ibid.)

FOOTNOTES:

[384:1] "Before the separation of the Aryan race, before the existence of Sanscrit, Greek, or Latin, before the G.o.ds of the Veda had been wors.h.i.+ped, ONE SUPREME DEITY had been found, had been named, and had been invoked by the ancestors of our race." (Prof. Max Muller: The Science of Religion, p. 67.)

[384:2] See Chap. XII. and Chap. XX., for Only-begotten Sons.

[384:3] See Chap. XII. and Chap. x.x.xII., where we have shown that many other virgin-born G.o.ds were conceived by the Holy Ghost, and that the name MARY is the same as Maia, Maya, Myrra, &c.

[384:4] See Chap. XX., for Crucified Saviours.

[385:1] See Chap. XXII.

[385:2] See Chaps. XXII. and x.x.xIX., for Resurrected Saviours.

[385:3] See Ibid.