The Golden Rule is one of the three treasures of the Gamma Tao. The Golden Rule is in fact at the very heart of it. The Gamma Tao is in a way an extended version of the Golden Rule.

Long before the Gamma Tao became a guiding compass in my life, I already observed the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule is a common ground for human ethical behaviour. I often wondered whether you would need anything else to live a good life. Whether you are religious or not, the Golden Rule offers a simple and universal principle for moral behaviour.

It is not surprising that the Golden Rule has been formulated in so many ways in different traditions.

The Golden Rule departs from the fact that we are all sentient beings who know more or less what feels good and what feels bad to us. It basically tells us that we can use this personal experience in the way we treat others.

Critics of the Golden Rule often point out that we all have different preferences. Others may not want to be treated in the same way as we prefer.

The Gamma Tao adopts the “negative” formulation: do not treat others in a way you do not like to be treated yourself. This formulation is less problematic and helps us to avoid doing unnecessary harm to others.

In all its formulations the Golden Rule leads us towards more compassion. That is probably the reason why the Charter of Compassion has taken the lead in the celebration of the Golden Rule.

May Golden Rule Day become the first intercultural, interfaith holiday celebrated around the world!