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Winter 2006/7

Please compare these two statements, written within one year of each other:

“No-one will deny the fact that Srila Prabhupada is still present with us. But as long as we are conditioned by the material nature we will not be able to perceive him and communicate with him [...]
a person from the material platform, a conditioned soul, will not be able to communicate with him directly.”
(1993)

“How many millions of such souls are there who have yet to write, who are directly experiencing your mercy daily, who read your books with implicit faith, whom you talk to in dreams and pictures, whose lives you change abruptly and reward with tears when chanting the holy names? [...] I think these people are meeting you every day.”
(1994)

The first statement was written by GBC-elected guru HH Bhakti Caru Swami (Letter of 24th September 1993). It says, essentially, that Srila Prabhupada is a "physical", not a spiritual master, since not a single conditioned soul is capable of perceiving or communicating with Srila Prabhupada.

The second statement was written by GBC-elected guru HH Sivarama Swami (Vyasa-Puja offering of 1994). It says, essentially, that Srila Prabhupada is a spiritual, not a "physical" master, since millions of conditioned souls are capable of perceiving, communicating with and even meeting Srila Prabhupada every day. (Of course, the fact that he himself does not ACT on this understanding, but rather initiates disciples on the premise that they can only approach Srila Prabhupada through him, is another matter entirely!).