In spiritual science we understand that Kṛṣṇa, Śrīla Prabhupāda and the paramparā are not dead and gone but are with us via their vāṇī

Śrīla Prabhupāda Says - [Regarding that in spiritual science we understand that Kṛṣṇa, Śrīla Prabhupāda and the paramparā are not dead and gone but are with us via their vāṇī]

So now, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu and in the presence of my Guru Mahārāja, you are so nice boys and girls. So in front of Caitanya Mahāprabhu you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and you are taking part in it very seriously. So my Guru Mahārāja will be very, very much pleased upon you and bless you with all benefits.

So he wanted this, and he is not... It is not that he is dead and gone. That is not spiritual understanding. Even ordinary living being, he does not die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. And what to speak of such exalted, authorized personality like Bhaktisiddhānta. 

He is seeing. I never feel that I am alone.

Of course, when I came to your country without any friend, without any means... Practically, just like a vagabond I came. But I had full faith that "My Guru Mahārāja is with me." I never lost this faith, and that is fact. There are two words, vāṇī and vapuḥ. Vāṇī means words, and vapuḥ means this physical body. So vāṇī is more important than the vapuḥ. Vapuḥ will be finished. This is material body. It will be finished. That is the nature. 

But if we keep to the vāṇī, to the words of spiritual master, then we remain very fixed up. It doesn't matter.

Just like Bhagavad-gītā. It was spoken five thousand years ago. But if you keep to the words of Kṛṣṇa, then it is always fresh and guiding. Not that because Arjuna personally listened to Kṛṣṇa about the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, therefore he knew it. That is not the fact. If you accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you should know that Kṛṣṇa is present before you in His words in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is called spiritual realization. It is not mundane historical incidences.

[His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Prabhupāda Appearnce Day Lecture: Atlanta 2 March 1975]