Srila Prabhupada speaks in his books very clearly. I find sometimes that someone who reads his books becomes a very very bold follower of Srila Prabhupada. Maybe more loyal then someone like myself who has had ample association. And that person may never have associated physically with Srila Prabhupada. But obviously he has associated with Srila Prabhupada's vani. Of course I also think that there is some advantage to having had physical personal association. Because physical association gives the opportunity to see the guru upholding scriptural instructions in terms of time and place and circumstance.

From a lecture by TKG