Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati, the beloved spiritual teacher of his divine grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, emphasized that the foundational quality of a true devotee is simplicity. Without this, Bhakti cannot be real or deep. What is simplicity? In one sense it means we don’t need a lot of things to be happy. We are content with simple things. Watching the sunrise, and then waiting sometime and watching the sunset. These are very simple joys in life. Hearing the birds singing in the trees, sitting on the banks of a river contemplating...

My revered spiritual master Srila Prabhupada used to say that human life is meant for austerity. So what is austerity? Austerity is to accept what is favorable for Bhakti and to reject what is unfavorable for Bhakti. It’s not our austerity that attracts Krishna, it’s the love that we give through the austerity. If we are performing our austerities for awakening that love then it will be a positive aid to achieve that love – a means of deepening that love. Our austerities are to express to Krishna our sincere...