from sin to sin...

अदत्तदानेन भवेत् दरिद्रो दरिद्रभावाच्च करोति पापम्।

पापादवश्यं नरकं प्रयाति पुनर्दरिद्रः पुनरेव पापी॥

गरुडपुराने प्रेतकाण्डे २-२४-४६

adattadānena bhavet daridro daridrabhāvācca karoti pāpam|

pāpādavaśyaṁ narakaṁ prayāti punardaridraḥ punareva pāpī||

garuḍapurāne pretakāṇḍe 2-24-46

a very forceful and poignant statement found in Garudapuranam

Meaning

A person who does not make gifts where such gifts are due (this can mean helping others without expectation too) becomes poor.

And the state of poverty makes him commit more and more sins

And such sins lead him to hell..

And from there he emerges again as poor and in turn sinner too..

Helping others and sharing ones resources for the welfare of others too is a great idea.. And that idea really sustains this world.. Otherwise only the strongest would have survived and all others would have perished..

Being poor is not a sin..

But surely the challenging conditions of life where one has no clue as to how to survive, he may deviate from the path of righteousness, just for existence..

Of course, the wrong does is a sinner.. and the sinner goes to heaven..

One has to expiate the sins and for that he has to come back.. and a person of that background would be born poor..

And if he has not the backing of a solid character, the person may veer towards more sins.. and the sins would again push him to hell..

So it would be a vicious circle..

Of course we believe that adherence to virtues and divine grace might permit us to escape from this tangle at some stage..

We really do not know whether being good is really of any use to us..

But somehow mankind in general has attempted to be good and generous during the long tenure of their sojourn on earth..

Such goodness has only helped all..

So what is really wrong in helping others when we do not lose much from that action?

Maybe, if I help someone today, the Golden rule will operate and help will come to me when I am in dire straits..