Here is Gurudas Maharaj again writing Ujjvala, the 29 March,1928:
Life is a mystery; we are not sure of anything, cannot
predict anything, are usually wrong in our judgment of others, cannot believe anything--not even our senses--cannot disbelieve anything. Maya indeed! But there is a way out, a path leading beyond Maya. This is our consolation. I seem to be looking at life in a more impersonal way. The faults of others do not distress me at all.
Mother India [a sensational book of the 1920’s criticizing India] was simply an interesting phenomenon, a curious working of the human mind. Nivedita went to the other extreme--just as interesting. Some of our swamis are saintly, others have to be driven from the Mission. All equally interesting, all are studies, all Mother’s play. No one to praise, no one to blame--all Mother’s children. A right step, a false step--all part of the play. That is why it always amuses me when you hide things, when you want to protect people’s reputations....I neither believe nor disbelieve. I see and hear, and then it is gone. Let others form opinions, judge, criticize. To me, life is a moving picture. See it and forget it. Don’t close your eyes, don’t take sides. What I want now is to be able to include myself in the picture, to be the mere witness to myself also--in pain, in pleasure, in health and sickness, in good deeds and bad deeds. Look on, stand aside, see what this funny creature Gurudasa is doing. And know that I am not this: that I am free, the Atman--that all are free, the Atman.
What we see are the actors on the stage--today beggar, tomorrow king, today sinner, tomorrow saint. It is always the same person playing different parts. So it is difficult to shock me or make me feel different toward persons even if they make a mistake.
Take M. I am now convinced that he plays the part of an irresponsible creature. So I protect myself. But my feeling
towards him is not changed. I will receive him if he comes just as before. It is an interesting study of human behavior. What more? What less? If you ask me, can you trust him? I don’t try to hide or to protect him from you. I say, be careful. He may fool you. But that does not mean that I wish him ill or that I am not ready to stand by him. Only I know that if I or you lend him money, there is a good chance of never seeing your money again. But if I can spare it, I may give it to him. Why not? Let him have his fun, get his experience. Mother’s child, Mother’s play.
And I am glad to meet all characters, just as I am glad to read about them. I am as interested in Dempsey [Jack Dempsey, prizefighter] and Barnum [circus-master] etc. as in the saints. I would be just as much interested to meet them, or to see them in action. Books for India, books against India--they are equally interesting to me, if they are written equally well.
Let the play go on. Turiyananda once told me that when he read that when Krishna made the designs for his capital he designed one part of the city for prostitutes to live. Swami was horrified. Why did he allow prostitutes in his ideal city? Then, later he understood. They also have a right to live--they fill their place in the picture, they do their share in the play. Without them the play would not be complete. Let each choose his own part; let him play it well. And when he wants to change his part--all right--others may take it. Each part brings its own results, its own pay.
No swami claims to be perfect. Many will say, “It is only through Mother’s grace that I am not worse than I am.” This is wisdom, knowledge of life. But only old, tried, experienced souls know this. Why do people feel attracted to a rascal and
run away from a saint? Because a rascal is true; an all-saint is a myth. If he is held up as an all-saint by his so-called friends and protectors, we know we are being humbugged. It is namby-pamby silliness. Swamiji did not care a snap whether a person was good or bad, but he hated hiding--covering sores with flowers. And you know how Turiyananda used to wrinkle up his nose at “good” people. Jesus said: “Why callest me good? No one is good, but my Father who is in Heaven “

Location: new delhi

I love this!!

Location: North Carolina

RE: "Mother India [a sensational book of the 1920’s criticizing India] was
simply an interesting phenomenon, a curious working of the human mind."

Katherine Mayo's 1927 book created a sensation on three continents...

Her book was burned in India along with an effigy of its author....

And yet, in 1929, the age of consent was raised (for married girls to 13,
for unmarried girls to 14 years of age). This may be a coincidence, but with
over fifty angry books and pamphlets published in response to Mother India,
Mayo had hit a nerve...

Om Shanthi Om