The Charter for Compassion
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Karen Armstrong calls for a return to the golden rule.
Excerpted from an email from the Dalai Lama Centre.
NOVEMBER 12, 2009 - The Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education is pleased to share Karen Armstrong’s Charter for Compassion which was unveiled globally today.
The Charter brings together the voices from all cultures and spiritual/faith communities to remind the world that we all share the core principle of compassion. The Charter proclaims a principle embraced by every faith and by every moral code, religious or otherwise. It is often referred to as the golden rule, which requires that we use empathy — moral imagination — to put ourselves in others’ shoes. We should act toward them as we would want them to act toward us. We should refuse, under any circumstance, to carry out actions which would cause them harm.
People from all over the world have contributed to the Charter; it transcends religious, ideological and national differences; it has been composed by leading thinkers from many traditions with passion, insight, intellectual conviction and hope. It was officially unveiled this morning in Washington DC and you can read the Charter in its entirety below.
The Dalai Lama Centre invites you to:
• Commit to extend your care for the world through daily acts of compassion throughout the week and beyond or initiate shared acts of compassion as part of a community or faith group.
• Find and take part in an event in your community or workplace.
• Become a fan of the Charter for Compassion on Facebook or follow on Twitter.
• Affirm the Charter on the Charter for Compassion web site. Over 1,000 people have already done so.
• Share how you are going to live compassionately on the Dalai Lama Center Facebook page