“As Srila Prabhupada often said, ‘There is nothing to be lamented.’ Even ordinary people don’t die—the soul continues; but in the case of Vaisnavas, not only does the soul continue to live but their devotional service also continues. When we were with Srila Prabhupada in Surat on his guru maharaja’s disappearance day, he said that on the spiritual, absolute, platform there is no difference between appearance and disappearance; just like the sunrise and the sunset—both are beautiful. But he also said that when a Vaishnava leaves we have mixed feeling of both happiness and distress. We are happy because we know that the Vaishnava has gone to serve Krishna—and I am quite confident that Manjari dasi has gone to her gurudeva and Krishna—but we also feel some sadness because we will miss the devotee’s association. But this is all Srila Prabhupada’s mercy, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy and Lord Nityananda’s mercy: so many souls are having glorious, auspicious departures.”
Mar 022014