Be merciful and compassionate to all our fellow human brothers and sisters.

 

150. Being merciful and compassionate to all our fellow humans is a teaching found in all of God’s religions: Mercy and compassion, towards one another, seems to be almost a prerequisite, in religion, for man’s interactions with each other, which could save a lot of difficulties and pain and suffering throughout the world if mankind would just adhere to these principles.  Judaism: Exodus 33:19 “And he said, be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.” Proverbs 3:3 “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:” Proverbs 11:17 “The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.” 2 Kings 22:26 “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.”  Christianity: Luke 6:36 “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” 2 John 1:3 “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace.”

 BABI RELIGION: “The revelations of His bounty pervade all created things; He is the Merciful, the Compassionate.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 163)

 ISLAM: “Why be a scourge to mankind? Let us have mercy on them, whether they are sincere and Allah (God)-fearing Muslims, or ignorant, unenlightened and greedy mercenaries misguided and fooled……. Let there be peace and tranquility for all the creatures of Allah.”

(Islam, Ali b. Abi Taalib, Letters from Nahjul Balaagh)

Islam: “It is mercy which Allah has lodged in the hearts of His slaves, and Allah is merciful only to those of His slaves who are merciful (to others).”

(Islam, Hadith, Bukhari Vol 2, Book 23, Number 373)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: “May He come hither to us to (grant us) mercy. May He come hither to us to cure (us of disease). May He come hither to us so that we are able to defeat our enemies. May He come hither to us to (grant us) a good life.” “May he come to Us for mercy! May he come to Us for health! May he come to Us for victory! May he come to us for good conscience! May he come to Us for bliss!”

(The Zend-Avesta, Khorda Avesta – Book of Common Prayer pt. 1)

 Zoroastrianism: “We sacrifice unto Mercy and Charity.” “With eyes of love, made by Mazda (God) and holy;” “to Mercy and Charity.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Khorda Avesta – Book of Common Prayer pt. 1)

 HINDUISM: “Thee, Lord of Lords! I see, Thee only- only Thee! Now let Thy mercy unto me be given, Thou Refuge of the World!”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 11)

 Hinduism: “Be subdued, Give, Be merciful. Therefore let that triad be taught, Subduing, Giving, and Mercy.”

(Hindu, Upanishads vol. 2, Brihadaranyaka-Upanishad Part 3)

 Hinduism: “(Have) compassion (mercy) on all creatures, forbearance, freedom from anger, purity, quietism, auspiciousness, freedom from avarice, and freedom from covetousness. He who is sanctified by these forty sacraments, but whose soul is destitute of the eight good qualities, will not be united with Brahman,”

(Hindu, The Dharma Sutras, Gutama  8)

 BUDDHISM: “He has cast away Ill-will; he dwells with a heart free from ill-will; cherishing love and compassion (mercy) toward all living beings, he cleanses his heart from ill-will.” “He has cast away Torpor and Dullness; he dwells free from torpor and dullness; loving the light, with watchful mind, with clear consciousness, he cleanses his mind from torpor and dullness.”

((The Eightfold Path), Buddha,  the Word (The Eightfold Path))

 Buddhism: “He avoids harsh language and abstains from it. He speaks words as are gentle and soothing to the ear, lovingly going to the heart. He is courteous and dear and agreeable to many.” “He has cast away ill-will; he dwells with a heart free from ill-will; cherishing love and compassion (mercy) toward all living beings,”

((The Eightfold Path), Buddha,  the Word (The Eightfold Path))

 Buddhism: “Think compassionately (mercifully) of other beings.” “It is because of your compassion for the world, because of the benefit it will bring to many people.” “Think compassionately of other beings.” “But after they attain self-realization they will find themselves reacting spontaneously to the impulses of a great and compassionate heart endowed with skillful and boundless means and sincerely and wholly devoted to the emancipation of all beings.” (Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra)

 SABEANISM: “Be careful; make enquiry, display kindness, show compassion (mercy).” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 74)

Sabeanism: “Who is filled with compassion (mercy) for these souls. Praised be thou, my lord, Manda-d-Hiia, O Hibil-Ziwa (Manda-d-Hiia, God), great Fulfiller who deliverest us from evil plots and deliverest us from all that is evil and ugly, O high King of Light, thou wilt give me comeliness of body, compassion of heart, fullness of hand and integrity of eye. O Life, (God) and my Lord Manda-d-Hiia Thou deliverest me savest me and guardest me. O high King of Light!” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 70 and 176)

 BABI RELIGION: “It behoves, in this day, the peoples and nations of both the East and the West to hasten to this threshold, and here seek to obtain the reviving grace of the Merciful.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 59)

 Babi Religion: “The path to guidance is one of love and compassion, not of force and coercion.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 75)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Our greatest efforts must be directed towards detachment from the things of the world; we must strive to become more spiritual, more luminous, to follow the counsel of the Divine Teaching, to serve the cause of unity and true equality, to be merciful, to reflect the love of the Highest on all men, so that the light of the Spirit shall be apparent in all our deeds, to the end that all humanity shall be united, the stormy sea thereof calmed, and all rough waves disappear from off the surface of life’s ocean henceforth unruffled and peaceful. Then will the New Jerusalem be seen by mankind, who will enter through its gates and receive the Divine Bounty.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 87)

Baha’i Faith: “All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. The Almighty beareth Me witness: To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are forbearance, mercy, compassion and loving-kindness towards all the peoples and kindreds of the earth. Say: O friends! Drink your fill from this crystal stream that floweth through the heavenly grace of Him Who is the Lord of Names.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 214)