What is the unusual perspective on slander presented in the stories of Sai Baba, and what is the underlying spiritual lesson?

A particularly advanced spiritual lesson found in Chapter 19 presents a paradoxical view on slander. While acknowledging that slander is a harmful impulse that is difficult to contain, the text reframes the slanderer as an unlikely benefactor. It suggests that the slanderer is 'highly venerable' because they perform a service for the person they criticize. The analogy given is that while some people use soap or water to clean dirt, the slanderer uses their tongue to remove the faults and impurities of the person they speak ill of. The underlying lesson is a profound one in perspective-shifting: it teaches that the slanderer, by pointing out faults, helps the other person become alert to their shortcomings and avert future calamities, thus contributing to their spiritual purification, albeit unknowingly.