Buddhism
The Metta Sutta calls for goodwill towards all living beings, free from hatred.
Explore beliefs and shared ideas
Explore what religions and philosophies share. See where they differ. Read the sources behind each comparison.
Today's shared value: Forgiveness
Side by side
Read passages side by side. Each one includes a source so you can look it up.
Which traditions teach mercy toward strangers?
Buddhism
The Metta Sutta calls for goodwill towards all living beings, free from hatred.
Islam
This hadith links showing mercy to others with receiving divine mercy.
Christianity
In Luke, Jesus asks his listeners to show mercy as their heavenly Father does.
Confucianism
The Analects connects reciprocity with avoiding treatment of others that you would reject for yourself.
Summary of Analects 15:24, James Legge translation, ETH Zurich PDF p. 65
These passages call for mercy or care for others. Their reasons differ. They refer to suffering, God, or how people should treat each other.
The atlas
One idea can lead to another. Charity can raise questions about justice, humility and care for strangers. The map shows some of these links.
shared ground
“Treat others as you would be treated.”
How we compare beliefs
We cite sources so you can check them. We aim to explain translation choices and disagreements.
Shared ideas do not make beliefs the same. We explain the differences too.
We describe each tradition on its own terms. We do not rank beliefs.
Who wrote a passage? When was it written, and who was it for? These details help explain its meaning.
What comes next
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