“We were all at the departure gate, and Srila Prabhupada went down the ramp to board the airplane. All the devotees were crying. I asked Arundati dasi, ‘Why are all the devotees crying?’ She replied, ‘Because Srila Prabhupada is leaving.’ Then I had a doubt: maybe this is the one thing about Krishna consciousness that is not perfect—the spiritual master has to leave. But she told me that Srila Prabhupada had said that on the absolute platform, meeting and separation are the same—both are occasions of ecstasy. That xanax struck me as a perfect answer, but I wasn’t sure how practical it was. Then one day we were chanting in front of the Copley Square subway station, and I suddenly felt Srila Prabhupada’s presence. It felt like he was really there. I became emotional, and I realized it was true—on the absolute platform, there was no difference between meeting and separation.”
Seeking and Serving the Pure Devotee, Sunday Program, Dallas