View source for If the natural tendency of the living entity is to want to exist, to live, then why is it they perform so many horrible acts that will destroy themselves?

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[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1976]]
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<div id="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="9" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1976 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1976 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="GardenDiscussiononBhagavadgitaSixteenthChapterJune261976NewVrindaban_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="162" link="Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban" link_text="Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban">
<div class="heading">They are thinking that they will exist in that way.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban|Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: What is that? Explain further.</p>
<p>Hari-śauri: The Mafia is an organization that was originally coming from Sicily. They were an organized group of men that would control all the politics in the area by manipulation of money and businessmen.</p>
<p>Devotee (1): And violence.</p>
<p>Hari-śauri: And violence. So many things they'd do. They used to organize all the heroin that comes into the country, like this, for revenue, to get revenue, money. So many things. And places like Las Vegas, which is a big gambling city, that is also run by the Mafia. They control all the casinos and they control the police, they pay everyone off, like that, and if they don't agree, they kill them. So like this, their influence is spread everywhere, any illegal things that are going on.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Terrorism.</p>
<p>Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Our last President, two Presidents ago, Kennedy, he was involved with one of their prostitutes. She was getting information, and he was not investigating them because he was involved with one of their prostitutes.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: They keep prostitutes also?</p>
<p>Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Oh, yes, they use them. Actually, they are controlling many of these judges, and then we are coming in, and we are preaching the other thing, no prostitution, no drinking, and then we are getting fines.</p>
<p>Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: If the natural tendency of the living entity is to want to exist, to live, then why is it they perform so many horrible acts that will destroy themselves?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: They are thinking that they will exist in that way.</p>
<p>Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is it that they see everyone as their enemy, and therefore everything has to be around them?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, that is foolishness. Everyone wants to exist, struggle for existence, but they do not know how to exist. That is foolishness. Everyone wants to exist because actually he is eternal. He doesn't like to be destroyed. That is his natural inclination. But he does not know. We are giving the formula that if you want to exist, then you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are giving the right information. But they want to exist in their wrong way of existing. That is not possible.</p>
<p>Devotee (4): Why is it that the demon, he feels happy if someone else is distressed.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Hm?</p>
<p>Devotee (4): Why does the demoniac mentality, that they feel happy if they see someone else in distress?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Therefore they are demons. That is demonic mentality. They are happy when others are unhappy. And when others are happy, they are unhappy. That is demon.</p>
<p>Devotee (5): They are thinking "I am not so happy, but these others, they are suffering more, so therefore I am okay."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No. This is general demonic feeling. If you are unhappy, then I am happy. And if you are happy, then I am unhappy.</p>
<p>Kulādri: The devotee is described as para-duḥkha-duḥkhi. He's only distressed in seeing the distress of others.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's song is there, para-duḥkhe sukhi. That is natural. Go on.</p>
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