The threefold miseries exist everywhere
Hayagriva Dasa : After years of dormancy, my hay fever returns with a vengeance. As the grass pollinates, my sneezing and wheezing begin. I run through dozens of handkerchiefs. My eyes constantly itch. At times, after paroxyms of sneezing, I sit helpless, totally congested. "The threefold miseries exist everywhere," Prabhupada says. "If you escape one, another will catch you. There's adhibitautik miseries inflicted by other living entities. Then adhyatmik, miseries arising from the body and mind. And adhidaivik, miseries arising from natural calamities like earthquakes and tornados." "This is a natural calamity," I say. "Looks more like adhyatmik to me," Kirtanananda says. "No," I say, sneezing. "It's the grass pollen. I know. I had tests once." "What are you saying?" Prabhupada asks. "That the grass is attacking you?" "Exactly," I say. "It's adhibhautik misery inflicted by other living entities." Prabhupada laughs. "That is ridiculous," he says. "Why should the pollen attack just you? Why not others?" I look at Prabhupada through watery eyes. It's true. No one else is being attacked. "I don't know," I admit. "Maybe they're not allergic." Again Prabhupada laughs. "Of all the people here," he says, "why is it attacking only you?"
For a moment, I wonder whether I'm imagining that I'm sneezing, but a paroxym renders me helpless again. Prabhupada asks Devananda for a valise, and from this he produces a small snuffbox. "Here," he says, handing it to me. "When there is discomfort, just take a pinch and sniff." I do so. The snuff sets off a fresh barrage of sneezes. Finally I sit dazed. Surely my head must be empty of mucus. "When you're irritated," Prabhupada says, "you may use that. It will help. But you shouldn't think that you are being attacked." Again he laughs, and suddenly, seeing myself pursued by legions of grass pollen, I laugh too.
Reference: Hare Krishna Explosion by Hayagriva Dasa
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