Thus there are always complications in such Universal work as mine, wherewith there arise so many questions and factors concerning and involving hundreds or thousands of people at one time. Consequently, there is always the chance of my actions, words or explanations being misinterpreted and misunderstood in one way or the other.
In trying to please everybody, one pleases nobody! Yet, I have to try to please everybody in turns or, on certain occasions, simultaneously, through different moves, actions and words as required for certain persons at certain places.
My coming here to Mysore was for a certain object and work, and my activities here are in certain directions which none of you understand. For instance, our neighbor, Subrahmanya Iyer: He is a particular type of person with whom I am required to deal with certain tactics, because I want him to help in certain work of mine in the future. Iyer is a pleasant man, well-educated, religious, of good character and honest. But he has certain peculiar weaknesses [orthodoxy] which I know and must overlook at first for the sake of my work.
In explaining the particular traits of human character found in the East and in the West, Baba said:
From my knowledge and experience there is a marked deficiency and weakness in the character of Indians: They have no discrimination as people in the West have. For instance, our neighbor [Iyer] again. A person of his type, in spite of his university education and intellectual training, would be prejudiced in an instant toward the slightest cause that he does not understand.
Iyer has a certain impression about Spiritual Masters and saints, and he has formed his impression accordingly from what has been explained to him by Kalemama and Chanji, as well as from the books he has been given to read. He is pleased also to have an "ashram" opened here as planned and he would willingly help us in his own way. But all this would go on quite all right only so long as his impression already formed lasts. The moment that impression is prejudiced or lost, all his zeal and enthusiasm to cooperate and help us would be blown to the winds. Such a person's impression is based on certain ideals he has formed which must be maintained, and these ideals are very delicate and susceptible to being instantaneously shattered.
So in order to maintain that ideal and impression, I have to be very careful in dealing with him.