THE READINGS · I
Every person has equal human worth. Wealth, beauty, talent, status, and influence confer no greater claim to dignity.
READING A · Christianity
King James Version.
Are ye not then partial in yourselves
The passage condemns an assembly that honors a wealthy visitor while treating a poor visitor as inferior. Examine how an ordinary decision about seating expresses a judgment about whose presence matters.
Read James 2:1–9 in the source edition · new tabREADING B · Hinduism
Swami Sivananda's English translation, presented by IIT Kanpur.
The verse describes a sage's equal spiritual regard across distinctions of caste and species. Its religious account of the Self and its historical caste language remain part of the source; it is not a modern declaration of equal civic rights.
Read Bhagavad Gītā 5.18 in the source edition · new tabWITHIN THE ORDER
Consider the difference between recognizing another person's worth and treating him as inferior in a concrete encounter. The Order chooses equal human dignity as its standard of conduct.
Whose presence receives more attention when influence or wealth enters the room?