you are not to be an impediment in their path. And even if you obstruct them, nobody can live always subservient to another at the cost of his own convenience. If you find any difficulty in getting your work done, it is you who have to explain it to them tactfully. They have always been obedient to you and they will still remain so. Love can achieve anything. You can never make one obey you by force or by adopting a roundabout way."
S1980; 243
13. The cat, following its own nature, often stole food and the Mother would remark, "To steal is its dharma. Who is there always to feed it lovingly?" One day a monastic attendant treated the cat roughly and dashed it against the earth. The Mother looked very sad. She said to the monk, "Scold the cat, but do not beat it. Please feed it regularly and see that it does not go to any other house to steal