Thinking over: luminous extracts.

The golden rule
I am deeply convinced that compassion [...] constitutes one of the fundamental aspects of our nature, is shared by all humans and also represents the foundation of our happiness. In this regard, between a believer and an unbeliever there is not a shred of difference. [...] at the base of the ethical teachings of the great spiritual traditions of the world [...] we rely on a basic principle, often called the Golden Rule [...]
Hinduism: "This is the essence of morality: do not do to others nothing of what you would not do unto you" (Mahabharata 5, 1517);
Judaism: "Do not do to your neighbor what is intolerable for you. This is the summation of the Law; everything else is his comment" (Hille, in the Talmud for the Sabbath 31a);
Zoroastrianism: "The only good disposition consists in abstaining from doing to others what is not good for ourselves" (Dadistan i Denig 94, 5);
Buddhism: "Since the others take care of themselves, who takes care of itself should not do harm to others" (Udanavarga 5, 20);
Jainism: "A man should wander into this world by treating all creatures as he would like others to treat him" (Sutrakritanga 1:11, 33);
Taoism: "Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain, and its loss as your own loss" (T'ai-Shang Kan-Ying P'ien);
Confucianism: "Do not do to others what you would not want for you. Only then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the State" (Analects 12, 2);
Christianity: "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7: 12);
Islam: "None of you believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself" (hadith of al-Nawawi 13).
Dalai Lama (2010), Le religioni sono tutte sorelle.

I live in Ankara
I live in Ankara, 20 kilometers from the center, but even here every night at 21 we go out and walk for 3 hours, we let our voice be heard. Who is at home plays pots at the windows. In the squares there are people of all ages, believers and atheists, people of right, left, nationalists, veiled girls. It's a reaction of the whole people, there isn't a reason for everyone, there is a different reason for each. We ask the government not to intervene in daily life with continuous prohibitions, not to despise us, to respect our founder Ataturk, to vacate the press, not to divide us. They should stop using religion to subdue us and to achieve the interests of the few."
Sara Ficocelli (2013), Noi donne in piazza per una nuova Turchia.

Hero at home
One day in history class, we were studying an Afghan "hero", Sultan Mahmud. He had led an army to invade India and sack Delhi. Down there he had taken possession of large quantities of gold and jewelry and had desecrated everything that was sacred to the Indians, Hindu shrines and Buddhist temples.
In the previous lesson we talked about Genghis Khan, the Mongol leader who had invaded Afghanistan. He was described as a war criminal. [...]
- Why the Sultan Mahmud is a hero and Genghis Khan is a villain when both invaded and plundered the country of someone else?
- Is not it obvious? - The teacher said - Sultan Mahmud is a hero because he spread Islam.
Imma Vitelli (2012), Tahrir. I giovani che hanno fatto la rivoluzione.

I'm a doctor
- Have you been in prison in Kabul? Under the Soviets?
He nodded. - [...] I thought I was in the worst place in the world [...] I could hear the screams of all the people being tortured. It was like being in hell [...] I stayed there for three years.
- My God three years. [...] Dr. Abdullah, can I ask you a question?
He smiled gently. - Of course.
- If you could see one of the bastards that tortured you, dying, would you help him?
- Yes, I would. I'm a doctor. I should.
Later I learned that Dr Abdullah had saved the life of the wife of the man who had put him in prison.
Suraya Sadeed (2011), Le lezioni proibite.

An enviable condition
- You know Dad, once I reproached myself to change my mind too often. Now I realize that it's inevitable.
- It 's true, my son. The most difficult thing in a discussion it's not defend one's opinion, is to have one.
- And one only!
- Yes, because we are all made of many people. Only a fool believes to be the sole occupant of his home.
- How does he do it?
- He gagged and locked many parts of his self. So he can thunder and pontificate.
- An enviable condition, after all.
- Being stupid is always an enviable condition.
Eric Schmitt (2010), Ulisse a Bagdad.

The universe is one being
There are more fake gurus and masters in this world that stars in the visible universe. Do not confuse the egocentric driven by the lust for power with true mentors. A truly spiritual master does not draw attention to himself and does not expect from you absolute obedience and total admiration, but instead he will help you to appreciate and admire your inner self. True mentors are as transparent glass. They let them be crossed by the Light of God ...
...You can study God through everything and every person of the universe, because God is not closed in any mosque, synagogue or church. But if you really want to know where exactly is his dwelling, there is only one place where you can look for him: the heart of one who really loves...
...Research of Love changes us. No one can go looking for love and not mature along the way. From the moment you begin to seek love, you begin to change inside and outside...
...The whole universe is contained in a single human being: you. Everything you see around you, even things that you may not like it, and even the ones that you despise or abhor, everything is present in you, in varying degrees. Do not search the devil out of you. The devil is not an extraordinary force that attacks you from the outside. It 's just an inner voice. If you can get to know yourself well, to deal with honesty and severity your dark side as well as the bright side, you will reach a supreme form of knowledge. He who knows himself, knows God...
...The universe is one being. Everything and everyone is connected by an invisible web of stories. Whether we know it or not, all of us entertain a silent conversation. Do no harm. Practice compassion. Do not gossip behind others, even seemingly innocent remark! The words that came out of our mouths do not vanish, they are preserved forever in the infinite space, and return to their time. The pain of one will make everyone suffer. The joy of one will make everyone smile...
... No two people are identical. Nor two hearts that beat the identical pace. If God had wanted us to be the identical, he would have made us like that. So do not respect differences and impose on others our thinking is equivalent to not respect the holy plan of God...
Shams-i Tabriz, Le quaranta regole dei mistici erranti dell'Islam. Elif Shafak (2009), Le quaranta porte.

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