What did Sai Baba say about who to associate with and who to avoid?

In his discourse detailed in Chapter 3, Sai Baba gave specific guidance on association. He strongly advised avoiding people who 'have abandoned religious conduct,' referring to them as thoughtless, fallen in character, and very dangerous. He instructed devotees to move aside when such people approach and to not even stay in their shadow. Conversely, Baba taught universal compassion, stating, 'Without some connection (lagya-bandhya), no one comes to us.' He explicitly said not to shoo away any creature, 'be it a dog, pig, or fly,' teaching that all beings have a purpose and connection to the divine.