What broader spiritual lesson did Sai Baba impart to Cholkar and others through the incident involving the sweetened tea?

Through the incident with the sweetened tea, Sai Baba imparted a profound spiritual lesson on omnipresence and non-duality. As explained in Chapter 15, Baba went on to state that a devotee's physical distance is meaningless, as He resides within their heart and is aware of their every action, even if they are 'beyond the seven seas.' He taught that He is the inner self of all beings and is present everywhere, in insects, animals, and all people. The ultimate message for Cholkar was a lesson in unity: 'Do not keep any distance from me; you and I are one.' This transformed a simple story about a vow into a deep teaching on the immanent and all-pervading nature of the divine.