196 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 17

world, by a lack of careful consideration, we differentiate between
happiness and distress, considering one good and the other bad.

PURPORT

The happiness and distress of the material world of duality are both
mistaken ideas. In the Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya 4.176) it is said:

“dvaite”’ bhadrabhadra-jnana, saba — “‘manodharma”
“ei bhala, ei manda’”’, —ei saba “‘bhrama”’

The distinctions between happiness and distress in the material world of
duality are simply mental concoctions, for the so-called happiness and
distress are actually one and the same. They are like the happiness and
distress in dreams. A sleeping man creates his happiness and distress by
dreaming, although actually they have no existence.

The other example given in this verse is that a flower garland is
originally very nice, but by mistake, for want of mature knowledge, one
may consider it a snake. In this connection there is a statement by Pra-
bodhananda Sarasvati: visvamn piirna-sukhayate. Everyone in this ma-
terial world is distressed by miserable conditions, but Srila Prabodha-
nanda Sarasvati says that this world is full of happiness. How is this
possible? He answers, yat-kdrunya-kataksa-vaibhavavatam tam
gauram eva stumah. A devotee accepts the distress of this material world
as happiness only due to the causeless mercy of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. By His personal behavior, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
showed that He was never distressed but always happy in chanting the
Hare Krsna maha-mantra. One should follow in the footsteps of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu and engage constantly in chanting the maha-
mantra—Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare
Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Then he will never feel the
distresses of the world of duality. In any condition of life one will be
happy if he chants the holy name of the Lord.

In dreams we sometimes enjoy eating sweet rice and sometimes suffer
as if one of our beloved family members had died. Because the same
mind and body exist in the same material world of duality when we are
awake, the so-called happiness and distress of this world are no better
than the false, superficial happiness of dreams. The mind is the via
