A Common Bond
By Elizabeth Schulman
In Judaism we share the Ten Commandments, a set of ethics and a way of living believed to be passed on to the Jewish people by God himself. These commandments help guide our everyday actions, words, and choices so that we may always act in a way in which the Divine within shines through us. This is the very fundamental foundation upon which Judaism -- and most other spiritual paths -- have based their belief system.
In fact, every religious and spiritual path practices a set of ethics that are quite similar to each other. For instance, in Christianity it is "Do unto others as you would have done unto you," while Buddhists embrace compassion and non-harming. Yogis have the yamas and niyamas (ethics) of which the core is non-harming, while Pagans believe "An (if) it harm none, do what thou will." Each speaks to compassion, non-harming, and acknowledging the divine within us all.
Despite this inherent similarity, wars are begun and continue over spiritual and religious differences, and whole races of people are persecuted for what they believe. On a smaller scale, there is an inherent elitism within many of these institutions which leaves no room for others and perpetuates seperatism. The very practices that should be uniting human beings divide those human beings into "us" and "them." Slowly, we find little room for diversity, if one way must be "right" at the expense of all others.
Couldn't there be an acknowledgement that most human beings may be on different paths but all strive towards a similar end? Anyone who embraces spirituality wants to live the most honorable way he or she can and to attain a connection to the Divine; to feel a part of something bigger than him- or herself. This makes a modern-day Jew no different than a monk in Tibet or a Native American. The only difference is the path each chooses to get to the same end.
Regardless of the rituals we follow in this lifetime, be it the Sabbath, mass, or celebrating the winter solstice, living with spiritual integrity is the way we bring divinity into our daily lives. The way we view others and treat others is a better marker for enlightenment than how frequently we attend our place of worship. And spiritual intolerance, at its very core, goes against everything these religions teach. Better to congratulate anyone whose beliefs promote compassion and kindness than to bicker about what itıs called. Itıs all the same God in the end. Whatever form he or she takes, it's all the same God.
Elizabeth Schulman, M.A. has a masters degree in stress management from Goddard College and a masters in health education from Columbia University. She is a yoga instructor and a full-time mother.
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