It seems inefficient for Baba to tell a story and then send someone to the Wada just to hear the same story again from a book. Why this strange and redundant method of teaching?

This method, which might appear redundant, was actually a profound teaching tool used by Sai Baba to instill deep faith and provide confirmation of his divine nature. As detailed in Chapter 18, Baba would sometimes tell a short story and, while the listener was still absorbing it, he would instruct them to go to Sathe's Wada. Upon arriving, the sincere listener would find that the reading from a book like the Jnaneshwari or Nath Bhagawat included the very same story Baba had just told them. This created a sense of wonder, provided full understanding, and demonstrated that the ancient scriptures and Baba's own words were one and the same.