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If you lead a virtuous life and die, you will die as a good man, not as a saint. You will not
attain Moksha.
You have hundreds of good men. But, how many saints have you got? Even real
aspirants are rare in the world now. Even in your category of “good men”, there are grades.
How many good men have you got of Gandhiji’s type?
What do your good men do? They may be truthful and noble; they may be charitable and
pious. But, even they will be selfish at the core. They will hoard wealth and look after only their
own wife and children. Will they feel that all children are theirs? When they bring sweetmeats
from the bazaar, will they give to other people’s children first? No, no. Because they have no
knowledge of the truth that the One Self dwells in all beings. Unless this understanding of the
Truth dawns on them, unless they meditate upon this Supreme Reality and strive to realize It,
how can they develop renunciation and the true spirit of selfless service?
To be a good man is no doubt a better ideal than to be merely a human animal full of
vicious qualities. But it is only a means to an end; it is only a step nearer the goal, not the end or
the goal itself. The goal is Self-realization or Moksha. In order to achieve that, you must be
good and do good; and you must do more - you must cultivate discrimination, dispassion and a
correct attitude to life; you must meditate, do Japa and Kirtan, study scriptures. Then by the
grace of God, you will attain the goal!

From "May I answer that" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami Sivananda: on the Website of Divine Life Society, Photographs of Swami Sivananda, German Pages on Swami Sivananda