Amarendra: Later on in the darshan with the New York Times reporter that went on for hours, a devotee asked Prabhupada, “What does it mean to love the spiritual master?” I equated that definition of love to the love that I saw with the first devotees who had met Prabhupada on 2nd Avenue like Brahmananda, Gargamuni, and Rupanuga. In my opinion those devotees actually considered Prabhupada their father. They had love for Prabhupada the way we would love our biological parents. I knew these devotees very well and had spent a lot of time with them throughout the years and was impressed with how much affection and how much emotional attachment they had to Prabhupada. I never had that kind of love to Prabhupada. I wish I did and someday maybe I will, but I don’t. So I was expecting that kind of an answer, but Prabhupada said, “You have made a vow to the spiritual master to take initiation and you have taken fire sacrifice. Now you keep your vow. Don’t break your promise. That is love.” That blew everybody in the room away. Everybody was stunned to hear that. I thought to myself, “What have I gotten myself into? Oh boy, I’m finished.”
Reference: Remembrances by Sidhanta Das- Folio Vedabase
