... The Christian doctrine, the real significance of
which we are grasping more and more, teaches that man's mission is to manifest ever better and better the Rule of all; and it is love that proves the pres ence of this Rule in us. That is
law that should guide us is love....
All the ancient religions recognize that love is
the essential condition for a happy existence. The sages of Egypt, the Brahmans, the Stoics, the Bud dhists, etc. declared the principal virtues to be kindness, pity, compassion, and charity; in one word, love in all its forms. The highest of these doctrines, especially those of Buddha and of TaoTse, went as far as recommending love to
every
human being, and for people to return good for evil. However, none of them placed this virtue as a
supreme law that should be the only motive of our acts. This was the distinctive trait of the most recent religion, that of Christ. All previous doc trines proclaimed the love of one's neighbor as one of the virtues; the doctrine of Christ is based on the metaphysical principle of love, the supreme law, that should guide us in our daily life and which admits of no exception....
The law of laws, the law of violence. Leo Tolstoy