What was Sai Baba's general philosophy on fasting for spiritual reasons?

Sai Baba's philosophy was strongly against fasting for spiritual purposes. As explained in Chapter 32, Baba himself never remained fasting and would not permit others to do so either. He reasoned that a fasting person's mind is not peaceful, which renders it incapable of achieving any spiritual benefit. His core teaching was that God cannot be attained on an empty stomach and that one must first satisfy the soul. The text emphasizes that the "trouble of fasting and penance" did not align with Sai's methods, as he believed the senses require strength from food to have any capacity for spirituality.