(Click to enlarge photo of Srila Prabhupada)
"I understand that you are feeling my absence. Krishna will give you strength. Physical presence is immaterial; presence of the transcendental sound received from the spiritual master should be the guidance of life. That will make our spiritual life successful. If you feel very strongly about my absence you may place my pictures on my sitting places and this will be source of inspiration for you."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 19, 1967)
"But always remember that I am always with you. As you are always thinking of me I am always thinking of you also. Although physically we are not together, we are not separated spiritually. So we should be concerned only with this spiritual connection."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 13, 1969)
"To feel separation from the Spiritual Master or Krishna is very good position. That means one who is in pure love with Krishna and His Representative, Spiritual Master, he thinks always of Them. And this thinking process is Krishna consciousness. If we can think always of Krishna even in separation, that is Krishna Consciousness. And in the absolute platform, there is no difference of separation and meeting. The separation is also meeting, rather in separation one relishes the loving relationship more tasty. So don't be disappointed that you are separated from me, I am also always thinking of you how you are making progress there."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 21, 1968)
"Spiritual Master is along with you by his words. Just like my Spiritual Master is not physically present, but I am associating with him by his words."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, August 18, 1971)
"As far as my blessing is concerned, it does not require my physical presence. If you are chanting Hare Krishna there, and following my instructions, reading the books, taking only Krishna prasadam etc., then there is no question of your not receiving the blessings of Lord Chaitanya, whose mission I am humbly trying to push on."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, June 30, 1974)
"So we should associate by vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, June 18, 1968 )
"There are two words, vani and vapuh. Vani means words, and vapuh means this physical body. So vani is more important than the vapuh. Vapuh will be finished. This is material body. It will be finished. That is the nature. But if we keep to the vani, to the words of spiritual master, then we remain very fixed up. It doesn't matter. Just like Bhagavad-gita. It was spoken five thousand years ago. But if you keep to the words of Krishna, then it is always fresh and guiding. Not that because Arjuna personally listened to Krishna about the instruction of Bhagavad-gita, therefore he knew it. That is not the fact. If you accept Bhagavad-gita as it is, then you should know that Krishna is present before you in His words in the Bhagavad-gita. This is called spiritual realization."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Atlanta, March 2, 1975)
"When we feel separation from Krishna or the Spiritual Master, we should just try to remember their words or instructions, and we will no longer feel that separation. Such association with Krishna and the Spiritual Master should be association by vibration not physical presence. That is real association."
(Elevation to Krishna Consciousness, p. 57)
"Reception of spiritual knowledge is never checked by any material condition."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.7.1, Purport)
"The potency of transcendental sound is never minimized because the vibrator is apparently absent."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.8, Purport)
"So although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the spiritual master, vibration. What we have heard from the Spiritual Master, that is living."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, January 13, 1969)
"Krishna is almighty and is especially the cause of fearlessness for the devotees. A devotee of the Lord is always fearless because of the protection given by the Lord. Material existence is something like a blazing fire in the forest, which can be extinguished by the mercy of the Lord Sri Krishna. The spiritual master is the mercy representative of the Lord. Therefore, a person burning in the flames of material existence may receive the rains of mercy of the Lord through the transparent medium of the self-realized spiritual master. The spiritual master, by his words, can penetrate into the heart of the suffering person and inject knowledge transcendental, which alone can extinguish the fire of material existence."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.22, Purport)
"I also do not feel separation from my Guru Maharaja. When I am engaged in his service, his pictures give me sufficient strength. To serve master's word is more important than to serve him physically."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, July 7, 1970)
"Regarding your request for your deliverance from the clutches of Maya, please rest assured of being delivered, because we have captured the strong chain of disciplic succession. This chain is coming down from the highest platform, Krishna. Just like a rope comes down the well so that anyone who may catch the rope from any position is sure to be delivered; so our aim should be to not give up the rope. We must capture the rope very tightly. Then our deliverance is assured. So far as I am concerned, in relationship with my disciples who are so kindly cooperating with me in the matter of my rendering service to my Spiritual Master, for them I am always ready to come back from Goloka Vrindaban, if they are not delivered along with me. So don't be worried about the clutches of Maya. Be fixed up in your determination and go on serving the Supreme Lord, Krishna, with determination as you are already doing."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 15, 1969)
"So far as I am concerned, I have accepted you as my disciple and you have accepted me as your spiritual father. This relationship cannot be ended anymore. It is eternal."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, July 9, 1969)
"Please be happy in separation. I am separated from my Guru Maharaja since 1936 but I am always with him so long I work according to his direction. So we should all work together for satisfying Lord Krishna and in that way the feelings of separation will transform into transcendental bliss."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 3, 1968)
"So continue your activities with great vigor. I shall always pray to Krishna for your steady advance, but try to follow the principles which are necessary to strengthen oneself in the matter of spiritual advance. Never think that I am absent from you. Physical presence is not essential; presence by message (or hearing) is real touch. Lord Krishna is present by His message which was delivered 5,000 years ago. We feel always the presence of our past Acaryas simply by their immutable instructions. I hope you will understand me right and do the needful."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 2, 1967)
"The Spiritual Master is present wherever his sincere disciple is trying to serve his instructions. This is possible by the Mercy of Krsna. In your attempts to serve me and in all your sincere devotional sentiments I am with you as my Guru Maharaja is with me. Remember this always."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 1, 1973)
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