“Who sees all beings in his own Self, and his own Self in all beings, loses all fear.” – Isa Upanishad

In its earliest forms, religion was a way for the natural to interact with the supernatural. Some paid the unseen fealty, others made deals, and still others saw them as simply a part of a larger whole. 

But at its core, religion is the manifestation of the idea that all comes from one, and one comes from all, in the end. In Abrahamic systems, this is God creating the universe. In Eastern systems, this is the universe creating God. 

And this idea is a comforting one indeed, but a peer beneath the surface reveals an uncomfortable truth. Each of us comes from the same essence, and while you are not your neighbor, you do share a common home and a common origin. 

The uncomfortable truth to this deepest layer of reality is that, just as any act of good to another is an act of good to oneself, any act of evil to another is an act of evil to oneself. In Eastern thought, this is true in the most literal sense. In Abrahamic thought, this is true as a brother does good or evil to a brother. Even so, you are your own blood. 

And beyond this is the notion that you are fundamentally connected not just to all other consciousness, but all other things. Scientifically there is a basis for this as well. All consists of the same protons, neutrons, and electrons. At our smallest and most fundamental levels, everything and everyone is identical. It is simply the arrangement of those pieces, and what we do with them, that makes us individuals. 

This may seem a selfish argument for altruism, but not so when reflected. Just as they are you, so you are them. Another will see themselves in you, just as you see yourself in them. And they, too, are presented with the choice of kindness or evil, just as you are. 

How will you treat yourself?