Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) — "'As I am, so are they; as they are, so am I.' Comparing others with oneself, do …"
'As I am, so are they; as they are, so am I.' Comparing others with oneself, do not kill nor cause others to kill.
Get This Quote & Author's Image Illustrated On:
Click any product to generate a realistic preview. Up to 3 at a time.
* Initial load can take up to 90 seconds — revising the preview in another color is nearly instant.
Kitchen
Apparel
Other
More from Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
"Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on how you think."
"An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea."
"Just as a solid rock is not shaken by the storm, even so the wise are not affected by praise or blame."
"When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky."
"To abstain from all evil, to cultivate the good, and to purify one's mind — this is the teaching of all Buddhas."
Verification
Unverifiable
Found in 1 providers: gemini
1 source checked
Understanding this quote
What it means
Recognize that other beings experience life, fear, and suffering just as you do. Since you value your own existence and safety, extend that same regard to everyone else. Do not harm others directly, and do not push or encourage anyone else to harm them either. The principle rests on empathy through identification: your sameness with others makes violence against them irrational and morally wrong.
Relevance to Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
Siddhartha abandoned royal privilege after seeing suffering firsthand, shaping his conviction that all sentient beings share the same craving for life and freedom from pain. Nonviolence (ahimsa) became a pillar of his Eightfold Path, and the First Precept forbids killing any living creature. His teachings on compassion (karuna) and loving-kindness (metta) flow directly from this identification-based ethic, which he modeled by refusing animal sacrifice and protecting even insects.
The era
In 5th-century BCE northern India, Vedic Brahmanism relied heavily on ritual animal sacrifice, and warring kingdoms like Magadha and Kosala normalized conquest and caste-based violence. The Buddha emerged alongside Mahavira and other shramana reformers challenging these bloody rites and rigid hierarchies. His nonviolence teaching directly confronted priestly sacrifice culture and offered commoners, including outcastes, an ethical path independent of birth, ritual slaughter, or state-sanctioned warfare.
AI-generated insights based on extensive research and information for context. Factual errors? Email [email protected].