Have A Meaningful Christmas - Wednesday in The STAR

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014)

Let us be Moderate:

The Golden Rule

In our Deepavali message, we elaborated the sixth point of the Ten Principles for a Moderate Malaysian. For Christmas, we would like to share the seventh principle. Do look forward to the upcoming three.

Principle Number Seven.

I will practice the Golden Rule. I will treat others as I would like others to treat me. I will not treat others in ways that I would not like to be treated.

1.   Why the Golden Rule?

The Golden Rule is a shared value that all of us can practice; regardless of our race, religion, background or spiritual tradition. The Golden Rule is found in the Mahabharata, in Confucianism, in the Udanavarga, the Bible and the Quran. It is a shared value that unites us. The Golden Rule acts as the rope that binds our hearts firmly together and prevents us from being divided.

2.   How and when to use the Golden Rule?

The Golden Rule is crucial for a nation like ours; a nation with many different race, religion and cultural backgrounds. It is important that we are sensitive to the needs of others and avoid wounding our brother and sister Malaysians. The Golden Rule emphasizes on empathy and compassion. When we understand and apply this rule, we do not call the Chinese and Indians as pendatang and at the same time refute that this nation descended from a Malay polity.

3.   How does moderation and the Golden Rule relate?

At the core of moderation, is the Golden Rule. He who practices the Golden Rule will always be a moderate person. He will choose to treat the other person well, knowing that his behaviour will create a chain reaction of others treating others well too. By practicing the Golden Rule and moderation, we create a catalyst for a better Malaysia.