sin QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Q. Christianityteaches us we are all sinners; are we still sinners when enlightened?If so, does it ever end, our being sinners?
M. Yes, we are sinners, because we believewe are. Because we have no way to raise ourselves above the sinfullevel, above the mud. If you are in the mud, of course you lookmuddy, no? If you rise up, what the mud has to do with you, whetherit's there or not, understand? So rise up; be enlightened.
..... Q. Master, Iam a sinner. Can I be enlightened?
M. Oh, who is not the sinner, pleaseraise your hands. (Laughter and applause.) The sinner, pleaseraise your hands. Me, also included. Don't worry, don't worry.No one is a sinner. We're just ignorant. We have not been taughtthe way of the saint. We have been only taught to survive in thisworld, how to eat, how to clothe, how to look after this physicalvehicle. That's all we have been taught up to now. All the educationalso leads to that end, so you can havea good job, right? We havenot been taught the wise way, the holy way. So now it's the time.No problem. We did things we don't know. How can we be sinners?If the child is not taught and he makes mistakes, how can he beblamed? Blame God. Uh! Hes didn't send you a teacher soon enough,Hiers fault. (Laughter and applause.)
..... Q. Can love betruly unconditional? If God loves those who don't sin and lovesand forgives those who do, why are we spending our life tryingto avoid sin?
M. Because it hurts us, not because ithurts God. Whenever we do something that we know is sinful ornot correct, we hurt ourselves. Our conscience will scold us,make us trouble. (Master and all laugh.) Therefore we try to avoidit . God loves all alike. Therefore the sun shines on all. Therain doesn't detest those poor or sick or sinful . It's just weourselves are responsible for the feeling of separation betweenus and God if we do something unrighteous. Therefore we shouldavoid it. Also it is a duty of ourselves when we live within thisworld. We have interrelationship between each other; we have tokeep an orderly society, okay?
..... Q. Please talk about sin.
M. Sin? You all know about it. You know betterthan I do. [Laughter] I'll talk about virtues. You should be lovingto each other; should help the poor and needy, because God livesin them; you should be tolerant toward each other's shortcomings;love and respect your parents, love your wife and respect yourhusband; take care and educate the children; be a good citizento the nation. That's what we should talk about. If you do allthese, then there's no need to talk about sins. If we are positive,then we couldn't be negative.
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