What was Sai Baba's general philosophy regarding fasting and its role in spiritual life?

Sai Baba's philosophy was quite clear that fasting is not beneficial for spiritual practice. As detailed in Chapter 32, he himself never remained fasting and would not allow his devotees to do so either. He reasoned that a fasting person's mind is not peaceful, which he considered a prerequisite for any genuine spiritual benefit. His core teaching on this matter was to 'first satisfy the soul of the self,' implying that one must address their physical hunger before they can successfully seek God. He explicitly stated that God is not attained on an empty stomach, thus prioritizing physical well-being as a foundation for devotion.