Please explain in what context Swami Vivekananda said the following.

[dattaswami]

[Smt. Chhanda Chandra asked: Swami Vivekananda told those who live for others and love others, they serve God. Swami will You please take this pain to explain in what context he might have told this?]

Swami replied:- Unless you recognize the context of a statement, there is a danger of extending the statement to all contexts. In such over-extension, things get spoiled. This statement applies to a specific type of people, who are always selfish and greedy.

This statement does not apply to ordinary normal people. In this statement also, there is an error in understanding real angle of the context. The word ‘others’ shall be taken as good and deserving people and shall not be taken to mean everybody good or bad. Sage Vyaasa told this statement, which says that helping others is merit and harming others is sin (Paropakāraḥ puṇyāya…).

This statement is corrected by Krishna in Gita, who said that helping good people is merit and harming good people is sin. It means harming bad people is merit and helping bad people is sin (Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām…). All this comes under Pravrutti or worldly life only for which the temporary heaven and the temporary hell are the fruits. The soul shall enter Nivrutti, which gives the permanent abode of God (Brahma Loka).

Pravrutti also must be followed in a more careful way because in deciding merit, there are several cunning technologies spread by fraud souls so that you may do sin thinking that it is merit. You must be overcautious in Pravrutti especially in this Kali age. Helping sinners appearing as deserving good people will yield the results of sins only and not the fruits of merit. Tigers and wolves are moving covered by the leather of goats!

[Age]

[Smt. Chhanda Chandra asked: Swami Vivekananda told those who live for others and love others, they serve God. Swami will You please take this pain to explain in what context he might have told this?]

Swami replied:- Unless you recognize the context of a statement, there is a danger of extending the statement to all contexts. In such over-extension, things get spoiled. This statement applies to a specific type of people, who are always selfish and greedy.

This statement does not apply to ordinary normal people.

But the so-called 'ordinary and/or normal adult people' are the ones who ARE selfish and greedy. And, HAS, IS, or WILL there EVER BE a so-called 'ALWAYS selfish and greedy person'? Is it even possible to ALWAYS be selfish and/or greedy?

In this statement also, there is an error in understanding real angle of the context. The word ‘others’ shall be taken as good and deserving people and shall not be taken to mean everybody good or bad.

But there is NO such thing as a 'good person' and/or 'deserving person'.

ALL adult human beings do some 'good things' AND some 'bad things'.

'People', themselves, are NOT 'good' NOR 'bad', but they DO 'good' OR 'bad' things.

Sage Vyaasa told this statement, which says that helping others is merit and harming others is sin (Paropakāraḥ puṇyāya…).

Just about EVERY one of the age of say nine years old KNOWS what this means or is referring to, and would say more or less the EXACT SAME statement anyway.

Did 'you' or "other" adult human beings REALLY NEED 'that' to be EXPLAINED?

This statement is corrected by Krishna in Gita, who said that helping good people is merit and harming good people is sin.

LOL
LOL
LOL

How completely 'OUT OF TOUCH' of Reality was this person?

There is NO wonder WHY the 'world' was in the MESS that it was in, in the days when this was being written, when even those who were looked up to BELIEVED that it was PERFECTLY ALL RIGHT to HARM so-called 'bad people'.

LOL All one has to do is say, 'They are a 'bad' person', to be able to "justify" that is it now PERFECTLY ALL RIGHT to HARM that "other" person.

It means harming bad people is merit and helping bad people is sin (Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām…).

These people were MORE DELUDED than I ACTUALLY REALIZED, and I was living among them.

All this comes under Pravrutti or worldly life only for which the temporary heaven and the temporary hell are the fruits. The soul shall enter Nivrutti, which gives the permanent abode of God (Brahma Loka).

So, God, SUPPOSEDLY, ENDORSES HARMING so-called 'bad people', and, IS AGAINST HELPING so-called 'bad people', correct?

This does NOT sound like the God that the rest of us have heard about.

Pravrutti also must be followed in a more careful way because in deciding merit, there are several cunning technologies spread by fraud souls so that you may do sin thinking that it is merit. You must be overcautious in Pravrutti especially in this Kali age. Helping sinners appearing as deserving good people will yield the results of sins only and not the fruits of merit. Tigers and wolves are moving covered by the leather of goats!

[dattaswami]

These people were MORE DELUDED than I ACTUALLY REALIZED, and I was living among them.

Giving milk to a serpent is certainly a sin since it bites several good people also with the strength given by your milk. Naturally, you have to share the sin as a promoter. Four partners share the sin: actual doer, doer behind curtain, promoter and supporter (Kartaa, Kaarayitaa chaiva, prerakashcha, anumodakah...chatvaarah sama bhaaginah...). Hence, the Veda says that you should donate only after deep analysis (Samvidaa deyam). If you donate to undeserving, don’t think that simply that much money is wasted. You have actually purchased sin by that much money. It is not simple zero; it is complicated minus sign. Donation is a double edged sword. Either it gives you good result or gives you bad result. Only two options are there. There is no third neutral option of zero as wastage.

The whole problem comes in being hasty to do the most dangerous donation. You are always worried about place and time, but not deservingness of receiver. “Today is Shivaratri, this place is Kashi, we are going back by tomorrow. Let us donate something to somebody today itself”—this hasty donation brings negative results. When you donate to really deserving person, that day is Shivaratri and that place is Kashi (Deshe Kaalecha Paatrecha... Gita). Krishna never donated anything to anybody. When He found Sudama (Kuchela), He donated everything to him. He was real devotee and not aspiring anything from Krishna. The Veda says that the two deserving characteristics for donation are: divine knowledge and non-aspiration of anything from you (Shrotriyasyachaakaamahatasya...).

The Veda further says that the donor should not be proud with ego and donation must be always done with lot of shy and humility (Hriyaa deyam, Bhiyaa deyam). All this creation is the wealth of God only. You are donating the wealth of God given by God to you. Sometimes, God comes straight to you as a beggar hiding His donation to you. He drops a note of $100/- in your way without your knowledge. You think that you were lucky to get it and also think that since you have made effort to come by that way, you have got the reward. The truth is that you may come in anyway, God is dropping that note in your selected way only.

After the note is received by you, God will come as a pitiable beggar begging for one rupee only to test your charity. Even if you recognize Him as God, if you are intelligent, you will say to the beggar “sorry, no change!” When Krishna begged for five villages only for the sake of Pandavas, blind king Dhrutarashtra told Krishna “O God! What can I do? My bloody son is not listening to me”. At the end, the king was caught in the fire of forest and prayed Lord Krishna to save him. Lord appeared and told the fire to pacify. The fire did not pacify due to the will of Lord only. Then Krishna told “O king! What can I do? This bloody red fire is not listening to Me”. God knows when, where and how to retort!

Sometimes God is totally hidden or partially hidden or totally revealing Himself. Krishna killed several demons from the birthday itself and protected all the villagers from several dangers there by revealing Himself to be God clearly. In spite of that, several Gopikas made complaints to His mother regarding His stealing butter! Jesus showed several miracles and gave excellent spiritual knowledge. In spite of this, people crucified Him. Ego and jealousy blended with blind attraction to worldly bonds surpass even the highest value of the greatest God!

Once the sin is committed, it is recorded in the file of any soul through miraculous audio-video system called Chitragupta. Due to this system, the sin appears as an audio-video cassette. There is no need of any more witness as required in our present honourable courts. The deity of justice in the hell stands with open eyes without any black cloth covering them since the deity sees directly the case and gives appropriate judgement. No witness and no lawyers are required. This divine system is extended to some extent to this world as the present audio-video technology.

The only way to escape the punishment of past sin is non-repetition of sin practically due to reformation by spiritual knowledge. Hence, if the sin is not repeated from today onwards, all the punishments of such type of sins get cancelled. But, remember that the file of the soul remains as it is since file is a record of various types of other sins also already committed. This file is called Samchita. Future punishments shall be added in this file in the name Aagami. The fruit to be enjoyed in this world itself is called as Praarabdham, which is of two types: 1) the past fruit that caused the present life and 2) the fruits of present intensive deeds (good or bad) did in this life to be enjoyed in this world itself immediately. The heaven and hell exist in the upper worlds for all normal routine deeds, but, both the heaven and hell exist here in this world also for intensive deeds.

How to get the total file destroyed so that we can escape the punishments of all our past sins computerized as various types? Deletion of one type of sins cannot bring total solution. For this, total reformation is needed so that non-repetition of all types of sins can take place. This is possible only when you enter into work of propagation of spiritual knowledge in this world. During the propagation, concepts are again and again get repeated continuously and this process of impressions on mind (Mananam) leads to digestion of concepts permanently in your brain (Nididhyaasa). The Veda says “Here, memorise and digest” (shrotavyo...).

Since you are in the work of divine service of propagation of spiritual knowledge, God will order to keep your file in cold storage since the soul in the work should not be disturbed by implementation of the file. Of course, the interests are continuously added in the file. Don’t worry about this interest. Once you are totally reformed, your file, the record of principle and interest shall be burnt since there is no need of punishments if the soul is really reformed, proved by non-repetition of any type of sin from today onwards.

----------------------------------
From the divine message of Shri Datta Swami
(Universal Spirituality for World Peace)

[Age]

These people were MORE DELUDED than I ACTUALLY REALIZED, and I was living among them.

Giving milk to a serpent is certainly a sin

That would all depend on what the word 'sin' means and/or references, EXACTLY.

AND, what you just claimed here is CERTAINLY NIT a 'sin' AT ALL to me.

since it bites several good people also with the strength given by your milk. Naturally, you have to share the sin as a promoter. Four partners share the sin: actual doer, doer behind curtain, promoter and supporter (Kartaa, Kaarayitaa chaiva, prerakashcha, anumodakah...chatvaarah sama bhaaginah...). Hence, the Veda says that you should donate only after deep analysis (Samvidaa deyam).

you obviously did NOT hear what I said and pointed out. But you have been consistent in doing this anyway.

If you donate to undeserving, don’t think that simply that much money is wasted. You have actually purchased sin by that much money. It is not simple zero; it is complicated minus sign. Donation is a double edged sword. Either it gives you good result or gives you bad result. Only two options are there. There is no third neutral option of zero as wastage.

The whole problem comes in being hasty to do the most dangerous donation. You are always worried about place and time, but not deservingness of receiver. “Today is Shivaratri, this place is Kashi, we are going back by tomorrow. Let us donate something to somebody today itself”—this hasty donation brings negative results. When you donate to really deserving person, that day is Shivaratri and that place is Kashi (Deshe Kaalecha Paatrecha... Gita). Krishna never donated anything to anybody. When He found Sudama (Kuchela), He donated everything to him. He was real devotee and not aspiring anything from Krishna. The Veda says that the two deserving characteristics for donation are: divine knowledge and non-aspiration of anything from you (Shrotriyasyachaakaamahatasya...).

The Veda further says that the donor should not be proud with ego and donation must be always done with lot of shy and humility (Hriyaa deyam, Bhiyaa deyam). All this creation is the wealth of God only. You are donating the wealth of God given by God to you. Sometimes, God comes straight to you as a beggar hiding His donation to you. He drops a note of $100/- in your way without your knowledge. You think that you were lucky to get it and also think that since you have made effort to come by that way, you have got the reward. The truth is that you may come in anyway, God is dropping that note in your selected way only.

After the note is received by you, God will come as a pitiable beggar begging for one rupee only to test your charity. Even if you recognize Him as God, if you are intelligent, you will say to the beggar “sorry, no change!” When Krishna begged for five villages only for the sake of Pandavas, blind king Dhrutarashtra told Krishna “O God! What can I do? My bloody son is not listening to me”. At the end, the king was caught in the fire of forest and prayed Lord Krishna to save him. Lord appeared and told the fire to pacify. The fire did not pacify due to the will of Lord only. Then Krishna told “O king! What can I do? This bloody red fire is not listening to Me”. God knows when, where and how to retort!

Sometimes God is totally hidden or partially hidden or totally revealing Himself. Krishna killed several demons from the birthday itself and protected all the villagers from several dangers there by revealing Himself to be God clearly. In spite of that, several Gopikas made complaints to His mother regarding His stealing butter! Jesus showed several miracles and gave excellent spiritual knowledge. In spite of this, people crucified Him. Ego and jealousy blended with blind attraction to worldly bonds surpass even the highest value of the greatest God!

Once the sin is committed, it is recorded in the file of any soul through miraculous audio-video system called Chitragupta. Due to this system, the sin appears as an audio-video cassette. There is no need of any more witness as required in our present honourable courts. The deity of justice in the hell stands with open eyes without any black cloth covering them since the deity sees directly the case and gives appropriate judgement. No witness and no lawyers are required. This divine system is extended to some extent to this world as the present audio-video technology.

The only way to escape the punishment of past sin is non-repetition of sin practically due to reformation by spiritual knowledge. Hence, if the sin is not repeated from today onwards, all the punishments of such type of sins get cancelled. But, remember that the file of the soul remains as it is since file is a record of various types of other sins also already committed. This file is called Samchita. Future punishments shall be added in this file in the name Aagami. The fruit to be enjoyed in this world itself is called as Praarabdham, which is of two types: 1) the past fruit that caused the present life and 2) the fruits of present intensive deeds (good or bad) did in this life to be enjoyed in this world itself immediately. The heaven and hell exist in the upper worlds for all normal routine deeds, but, both the heaven and hell exist here in this world also for intensive deeds.

How to get the total file destroyed so that we can escape the punishments of all our past sins computerized as various types? Deletion of one type of sins cannot bring total solution. For this, total reformation is needed so that non-repetition of all types of sins can take place. This is possible only when you enter into work of propagation of spiritual knowledge in this world. During the propagation, concepts are again and again get repeated continuously and this process of impressions on mind (Mananam) leads to digestion of concepts permanently in your brain (Nididhyaasa). The Veda says “Here, memorise and digest” (shrotavyo...).

Since you are in the work of divine service of propagation of spiritual knowledge, God will order to keep your file in cold storage since the soul in the work should not be disturbed by implementation of the file. Of course, the interests are continuously added in the file. Don’t worry about this interest. Once you are totally reformed, your file, the record of principle and interest shall be burnt since there is no need of punishments if the soul is really reformed, proved by non-repetition of any type of sin from today onwards.

----------------------------------
From the divine message of Shri Datta Swami
(Universal Spirituality for World Peace)

[dattaswami]

That would all depend on what the word 'sin' means and/or references, EXACTLY.

One shall avoid the following vices::


There are six vices, which are 1) illegal sex (kama), 2) violence (krodha), 3) greediness (corruption of money), 4) fascination (moha), 5) Ego (mada) and 6) jealousy (maatsarya). The first three affect other souls and hence are considered to be strong sins or main gates to the hell as per the Gita. The latter three are not serious in case others are not affected.

Illegal sex with some soul pains its life partner to a very deep extent. Violence to kill living beings for food and killing people for various reasons like rowdyism or terrorism is the greatest sin. Earning unlawful money by exploiting others is also a very serious sin since the affected persons suffer a lot.

Out of these six vices, the first three are very serious leading the soul certainly to hell since these three sins are harming others. The latter three sins do not lead to hell provided there is no damage to others. If you have fascination to world, you need not go to hell if your fascination to your wife/husband or issues or money does not harm others. Similarly, your ego will not take you to hell as long as your ego doesn’t hurt others.

Similarly, your jealousy towards others will not give any punishment in hell if it is not harming others. Sometimes, jealousy also helps you in your development. If you examine the first three sins, your anger/violence will certainly damage others. Similarly, your greediness for money is resulting in corruption by which you are stealing others’ money by which others suffer. Similarly, your illegal sex will certainly cause suffering to others.

When Dharmaraja asked his grandfather, Bhishma, about the essence of justice, Bhishma replied that the essence of justice is that one should not do that to others, which, if is done by others to him results in hurting himself. Therefore, the criminal nature of the sin resulting in punishment is always due to only damage done by yourself to others. Hence, God in the Gita mentioned that only these three sins are the main gates to hell, which are violence, financial corruption and illegal sex.

The foremost sin is violence to kill other living beings for the sake of food or some other personal grudge. God Brahma becomes furious by this sin because He alone is the authority to grant longevity. When you do not have power to give life to a killed living being, you do not have any right to kill any living being. The death sentence given by a judge should be ultimate. It means that before implementing death sentence to a living being, you should give several chances to the soul for rectification of sin by reformation.

Reformation is the real aim of any punishment and not vengeance. You are hanging a person to death for the only reason that the criminal may kill another human being. If reformation is achieved and the sin is not practically repeated, there is no need of punishment. Similarly, killing a living being for food is the top most level of this first sin. You must always imagine that you are captured by a demon, which is going to eat you!

Whatever agony you feel in that time and during the time of cutting your body by the jaws of the demon, the same agony is felt by that living being, being killed for the sake of your food! God Brahma represents the quality of Rajas and the anger in violence is also due to Rajas only. This is the qualitative link.
The second type of sin is stealing by cheating or robbing others money by force. Money is Goddess Lakshmi and hence this type of sin makes God Vishnu to become furious. Today, almost everyone is a victim of corruption. Before cheating somebody for the sake of money, you should analyse the damage done to others especially poor people.

You must at least avoid corruption in the case of poor people. If you rob the wealth of a sinner, that money should not be enjoyed by yourself and your family members. That should be spent to serve the beggars or should be spent for spiritual purpose.

You may digest even most dangerous poison but not the sinful money, which will destroy yourself and your family. It is said that the sinful money earned by you comes like a railway engine to carry away by linking with your earned money through justice also, which is like a series of compartments standing on the track by the side of a platform (Anyaayenaarjitam vittam sahamoolam vinashyati).

Vishnu stands for the quality of Sattvam, which is knowledge and analysis. You must analyze carefully whenever you earn or spend money. Most of the people spend money in the way that leads them to hell only. Expenditure or donation of money also leads you to hell. Everybody is spending lot of money on functions donating to relatives and friends, who have enough food in their homes.

You spend lot of money on a function due to your desire to expose yourself based on ego. You deny food to a beggar dying with hunger. You calculate to give food to a devotee or spiritual preacher coming to your house, who helps you in elevating your spiritual knowledge or devotion.

Money is never wasted because its expenditure will either bring good (Punyam) or bad (Paapam). Even if you throw money into river to call it as wastage, such act is also a sin. Hence, you should be very careful with deep analysis while earning or spending money.

The third type of sin is illegal sex, which is based on blind lust linked to the quality of Tamas. God Shiva stands for Tamas and becomes furious due to this sin. Just you observe Lord Shiva, who burnt the cupid enraging lust in any living being. You must always meditate upon Lord Shiva to avoid this sin. If you are cheating a husband by going with his wife or cheating a father by going with his daughter, imagine yourself standing in the place of such husband and father! By which you are hurt, you should not do the same to others as said above by Bhishma.

God created this world and is very particular of the justice, peace and balance of this society. You must avoid these three types of sins at least due to fear to hell created by God. This is the minimum and maximum expectation of God from a human being. God is not furious even if the human being is an atheist provided the atheist avoids the above three types of sins. Even an atheist is granted heaven if he/she follows the justice avoiding the sins. In fact, God maintains the atheists because they are also in Divine service. They do the service of God by acting as examiners to devotees.

On hearing the criticism of God from an atheist, whether the devotion of a devotee is shaken or not is the test. They criticize theists doing sins and this develops alertness and care in devotees. They disprove the false miracles done by exploiters, which is very much essential to save the devotees from false trap of false devotees and pseudo human incarnations.

If you are living as per this minimum and maximum expectation of God, He is pleased with you even if you are an atheist. He never encourages devotion. Devotion is the field started by human souls only and not God. God creates several obstructions to the devotion in the name of tests as we see the life histories of several devotees.