Whether it’s the coldest pre-dawn hours of winter, or the staggering heat of May and June, the external conditions here are far from perfect. Along with the climatic attacks, there is noise, pollution, decrepit infrastructure… whatever you do and however you try, Vrindavana inevitably ushers you into some level of austerity. When hardships come, however, people here have learnt to grit their teeth, accept it with happiness, and carry on with enthusiasm. Some even actively embrace discomfort to deepen their spirituality. Either way, accepting or embracing it, austerity is a staple part of Vrindavana life. It’s a paradigm diametrically opposed to the ‘developed world,’ where we impulsively do anything and everything to escape austerity and discomfort. The concept of tolerating difficulty is fast disappearing from the modern dictionary.