God is a person, and out of His infinite kindness He allows us even in our present condition to render Him personal service. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the devotee Prahlada Maharaja, a great spiritual authority, says, "Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia, and pastimes of Lord Visnu [Krsna], remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship …, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in...

Srila Jiva Gosvami, arguably one of the greatest spiritual scholars in the history of religion, said that one does not really accept God unless one accepts his inconceivable nature. In other words, if we try to limit God in some way, then in effect we have eliminated his true nature. In the same way, how the Lord’s internal potency for performing pastimes in this world expands as the pure devotee Tulasi, an eternal consort of Krishna, is also inconceivable. Devotees simply accept her and w...

Few prasadam stories from New Vrindaban’s history are as legendary as those of the late Amburish Dasa’s sweet rice and Pitambar Dasi’s ice cream. Straight from the cow barn and prepared by the cowherd couple with deep love and devotion, they were much-craved treats in the austere lives of New Vrindaban’s early devotees. Neither Amburish nor Pitambar had any cooking or cow-care experience before becoming devotees. Amburish, a city boy from Denver, Colorado, stopped at New Vrindaban on a road trip in 1971 just after high school, and instantly knew he was home. He ...

OK, I admit it. I’m a junkie, a New Year’s resolutions junkie. Every year I make so many resolutions, and every year I fail to keep them. I know I am not alone in this. Is there a support group out there?! This pesky little urge to make a commitment to a project or to reforming a habit to mark the beginning of each New Year is not new and seems to be quite universal.

I resolve to set my sights on the highest possible goal. Srila Prabhupada said he would know his movement was successful if even one of his disciples became a pure devotee. My chances to satisfy this desire of my gurudeva are about as good as a snowflake in hell. Nonetheless I resolve to try or die trying.

The subject of Lord Buddha and how we as Vaishnavas should consider him is a deep, highly complex subject, and the very complexity and depth of Buddhist teaching makes it impossible to discuss in detail in an article of this length. Suffice to say that Lord Buddha, as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, played a major part in the reformation of religious thought in India 2,500 years ago, and thereafter across the world. When we view him in the light of his being an inc...

Folding his hands, Sanatana Gosvami said, "My Lord, You ordered me to write a directory about the activities of Vaishnavas. I am a most lowborn person. I have no knowledge of good behavior. How is it possible for me to write authorized directions about Vaishnava activities?" Sanatana Gosvami then requested the Lord, "Please personally tell me how I can write this difficult book about Vaishnava behavior. Please manifest Yourself in my heart. If You would please manifest Yourself within my heart ...

Picturing King Rantideva transplanted in modern society, we can imagine that his family would surely be labeled "dysfunctional," and that the king himself would be seen as seriously co-dependent. What sort of pleasure can one derive from suffering on behalf of others? After all, Rantideva didn't create the suffering in their lives. And he was a king why not enjoy the opulence of that position? Obviously, the man lacked a sense of personal boundaries. The activities of King Rantideva are ...