Sai Baba says, 'I myself shall write my own story!' while also telling Hemadpant to keep a record. Isn't this a contradiction? How can both be true?

This is not a contradiction but a profound statement about divine inspiration and the role of the ego. As explained in Chapter 2, Sai Baba's statement that He Himself will write the story is contingent on the author's complete self-surrender. Baba clarifies the process: 'He should dissolve his ego and surrender it at my feet... When the ego is dissolved, no trace of it remains. Then I myself shall enter with 'I-ness' and write with my own hand.' Therefore, Hemadpant's role is to act as a 'pretext' or a pure instrument. His work of keeping a record is the physical action, but the creative and spiritual force behind the stories is Sai Baba, flowing through the author once his personal ego is set aside.