How does Chapter 9 connect the act of listening to Baba's stories with a devotee's personal welfare, and what underlying divine principle does it assert?

Chapter 9 establishes a direct link between attentively listening to Sai Baba's stories and achieving one's own welfare. The text explicitly includes a prayer for listeners to be attentive, stating, "By listening respectfully to these holy stories, you will achieve your welfare." This is connected to a fundamental divine principle that the chapter asserts: that Sai is all-pervading and that God resides in all beings, from Brahma to the smallest object. As Chapter 9 explains, Sai Baba, becoming merciful, impresses this truth upon us. Therefore, the stories of his leelas, such as controlling devotees' departures for their own good, are not mere anecdotes but practical demonstrations of his divine presence and mercy, the hearing of which is spiritually beneficial.