What was Sai Baba's daily ritual involving the sacred fire, and what lesson did he intend to convey through it?

Sai Baba's daily ritual, as narrated in Chapter 33, involved maintaining a sacred fire, the Dhuni, into which he would offer bundles of firewood. The ash that remained, known as Udi, was then given to devotees as a blessing and a teaching. He would not let anyone leave empty-handed. The core lesson Baba intended to convey through this practice was the impermanence of all creation. The Udi symbolized that the entire visible universe, including our own bodies, is transient and will ultimately turn to ash. This was a practical method to instill the spiritual understanding that Brahman is the only true reality, while the world is an expression of Maya (illusion).