What was Sai Baba's general opinion on fasting for spiritual purposes?

Sai Baba did not advocate for fasting as a spiritual practice and would not allow others to do it in his presence. As Chapter 32 explains, Baba himself never remained fasting and believed the mind of a fasting person is not peaceful, which hinders spiritual benefit. He taught that God is not attained on an empty stomach and that one must first satisfy the soul of the self. The text explicitly states that the "trouble of fasting and penance - this doesn't work with Sai," highlighting his strong stance against this practice.