Chapter 36 mentions a "beautiful story of the theft" from a previous chapter. Does this imply that Sai Baba condones or glorifies criminal acts like stealing?

The reference in Chapter 36 to a "beautiful story of the theft" from the preceding chapter does not suggest that Sai Baba condones stealing. In the context of spiritual literature like the Shri Sai Satcharitra, such stories almost always contain a deeper moral or spiritual lesson. The adjective "beautiful" likely refers to the outcome, the lesson learned, or the display of Baba's divine play (leela) and wisdom, rather than the act of theft itself. The provided text from Chapter 36 does not give details of that story, but it frames all of Sai's stories as the "very water of self-bliss" that removes misery, implying the story of the theft would ultimately have a positive, instructive purpose.