Why did God create this world? If he wants us to attain Him, why does He make bad qualities exist?

 This world is created for those of us who have material desires and want to enjoy and control separately from Krishna. Although Krishna wants us to come back to Him and gives all kinds of opportunities, He seldom forces Himself on someone. We have to want to attain Krishna, then things can start to happen. The stronger the desire to be with Krishna is, the closer we come to Krishna. We move towards Krishna, and Krishna moves towards us so that eventually there is a meeting. If we slow down or stop, the meeting is delayed.

That’s a major problem with bad qualities, they slow us down. They are the result of the interactions of the three modes of nature. Goodness, passion, and ignorance are the three modes and when passion and ignorance prevail in a combination, then we call those less desirable or bad qualities. Our situation is that we tend to acquire the qualities we repeatedly come in contact with. This is good if they are good qualities and not so good if they are bad ones.

Those not interested in attaining Krishna find the qualities of passion and ignorance attractive. So they exist for those who want to go in that direction. Greed, envy, lust, anger, selfishness, and so many other bad qualities are embraced by them because they are attracted to them.

Krishna speaks about such people in Bhagavad Gita.

Bg 16.4 - Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance-these qualities belong to those of demoniac nature, O son of Prtha.

Bg 16.5 - The transcendental qualities are conducive to liberation, whereas the demoniac qualities make for bondage. Do not worry, O son of Pandu, for you are born with the divine qualities.

Bg 16.6 - O son of Prtha, in this world there are two kinds of created beings. One is called the divine and the other demoniac. I have already explained to you at length the divine qualities. Now hear from Me of the demoniac.

Bg 16.7 - Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them.

Bg 16.10 - Taking shelter of insatiable lust and absorbed in the conceit of pride and false prestige, the demoniac, thus illusioned, are always sworn to unclean work, attracted by the impermanent.

Bg 16.11-12 - They believe that to gratify the senses is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus until the end of life their anxiety is immeasurable. Bound by a network of hundreds of thousands of desires and absorbed in lust and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense gratification.

It’s not uncommon to see bad characters in films laughing heartily. It’s can be exaggerated, sinister, or even a little crazy, but they are laughing. Laughter is commonly associated with being happy, so they are happy with all their bad qualities. They like them. Out of the possible influences that affect us, they have chosen the ones that lead to bad qualities because that’s what they want, so Krishna makes them available through the modes of nature to those who choose them. That’s why they exist.

An important part of returning to Krishna is to get rid of residual bad qualities. In bhakti yoga this is the stage known as anartha nivritti. It’s up to us to let go of them. Krishna will help but we have to want His help.

As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Prtha. Bg 4.11

Material life is basically a cycle of desires, actions, reactions - more desires, more actions, more reactions, and so on. When the desire for Krishna arises the cycle can be broken through bhakti.

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