2. Loving Others with the Same Heart as We Have for Our Own Family
World Scripture
As a mother protects her only child at the risk of her own life, let him cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings.
Khuddaka Patha, Metta Sutta (Buddhism)
Lacking compassion for all beings, Filial piety causes samsara.14
Milarepa (Buddhism)
Treat the aged of your own family in a manner befitting their venerable age and extend this treatment to the aged of other families; treat your own young in a manner befitting their tender age and extend this to the young of other families.
Mencius I.A.7 (Confucianism)
I should accommodate and serve all beings as attentively as I show filial respect to my parents, due respect to my teachers, to elders, and arhats, up to the Tathagatas, all in equality.
Gandavyuha Sutra, Vows of Samantabhadra (Buddhism)
The bodhisattva, the great being, having practiced compassion, sympathy, and joy, attains the stage of the best-loved only son. For example, the father and mother greatly rejoice as they see their son at peace. The same is the case with the bodhisattva who abides in this stage: he sees all beings just as the parents see their only son. He greatly rejoices when he sees them practicing goodness. So we call this stage the best-loved.
For example, the father and mother are worried at heart as they see their son ill. Commiseration poisons their heart; the mind cannot part with the illness. So it is with the bodhisattva, the great being, who abides in this stage. As he sees beings bound up in the illness of illusion, his heart aches. He is worried as in the case of an only son. Blood comes out from all pores of the skin. That is why we call this stage as that of an only son.
A child picks up earth, dirty things, tiles, stones, old bones, pieces of wood and puts them into his mouth, at which the father and mother, apprehensive of the harms that might arise thereby, take the child with the left hand and with the right take these out. The same goes with the bodhisattva: he sees that all beings are not grown up to the stage of law body and that non-good is done in body, speech, and mind. The bodhisattva sees, and with the hand of wisdom has it extracted. He does not wish that man should repeat birth and death, receiving thereby sorrow and worry.
When a father and mother part with their beloved son as the son dies, their hearts so ache that they feel that they themselves should die together with him. The same is the case with the bodhisattva: as he sees a benighted person fall into hell, he himself desires to be born there, too. [He thinks,] “Perhaps the man, as he experiences the pain, may gain a moment of repentance where I can speak to him of the Law in various ways and enable him to gain a thought of good.”
For the father and mother of an only son, in sleep or while awake, or while walking, standing, sitting, or reclining, their minds always think of the son. If he does wrong, they give kindly advice and lead the boy that he does not do evil any more. The same is the case of the bodhisattva: as he sees beings fall into the realms of hell, hungry ghosts and animals, or sees them doing good and evil in the world of man and in heaven, his mind is ever upon them and not apart from them. He may see them doing all evil, yet he does not become angry or punish with evil intent.15
Mahaparinirvana Sutra 470-71 (Buddhism)
It is to regard other people’s countries as one’s own; regard other people’s families as one’s own; regard other people’s person as one’s own.
Mo Tzu13
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Do not nurse only your own dear child, but try to be a mother who treats other children with the heart that they are yours as well. With that heart, the babies who suckle at your breast will certainly become great men and women.
(31:168, May 24, 1970)
You can build the world of peace on this earth if you become people who act according to the Kingdom of Heaven’s universal teaching to unfold the movement of God’s love, life and truth. This means your parents are not only your biological parents; your siblings are not only your biological siblings, and your children are not only your biological children. When you become a person who regards all people as your parents, your siblings and your children, then as you look upon the multitudes of people suffering in this world of death, you cannot relate to them without tears. Looking at people your own age as your siblings, or younger people as your own children, you will feel a strong sense of responsibility to save them. You will make every effort, with tears. If you truly become this kind of person, then you will be a central pillar for building the Kingdom of Heaven.
(2:144, March 17, 1957)
Jesus said, “A man’s foes will be those of his own household.” (Matt. 10.36) He meant that when you love your family members more than other people, they become your enemies that block you from entering the Kingdom of Heaven.
(161:249, February 22, 1987)
Parents who praise their child for being filial to them cannot raise true filial children. Parents who want to raise true filial children should teach them, “My child, love your brothers and sisters even more than you love me. Love your neighbors and your nation more than you love me.” I think that parent is qualified to have many filial children. If there is a good king, that king should teach his loyal subjects, saying, “I appreciate that you give devotion and love for me, but first love your fellow citizens and God, and then love me.” That is the good king who can rightly lead many loyal subjects. Likewise, how does God lead the saints? God does not teach them, “Do your utmost duty to show your loyalty to Me.” Instead He says, “Don’t pay Me so much regard; first love the people. Liberate every being on this earth and all the spirit beings in the spirit world, and then love Me.” Because God is that kind of being, He bears the name Jehovah, Lord of all beings.16
(85:265, March 3, 1976)
Who is a son of filial piety? He discovers what his parents most want and completes it; thus he tries to align himself with his parents’ desires. Whatever his eyes see, he sees through the eyes of his parents. Whatever his heart feels, he feels through the heart of his parents. Whatever words he hears, he thinks, “Would my parents like this kind of speech?” A filial son or daughter devotes all five senses to delighting in his or her parents’ world.
The thing that filial sons and daughters, patriots, and saints have in common is their concern for others—their family, their nation and the world respectively. Then let us turn our eyes to God, the Center of the entire universe. If you were to love God in like manner, you would embrace heaven and earth with love. You would devote all your heart and mind to benefit all beings in the universe; to make them fit to receive God’s love.17
(161:132-33, January 18, 1987)