It seems contradictory for a desireless saint to demand money. How can Sai Baba's requests for Dakshina be understood?

This apparent contradiction is a key point in understanding Sai Baba's methods. Chapter 14 directly addresses the doubt of why a desireless saint, for whom pebbles and diamonds hold equal value, would ask for money. The text clarifies that this was a pretext for a deeper lesson. The purpose of Dakshina was not to enrich Baba, but to teach devotees to choose humility and detachment. By asking for money, sometimes even insisting that a devotee take a loan, Baba was testing their faith and breaking their attachment to material possessions. It was a spiritual exercise, not a financial transaction, designed for the devotee's own welfare and spiritual growth.