What was the spiritual significance of the dhuni that Baba kept in the mosque?

The dhuni, or sacred fire, was central to Sai Baba's spiritual practice, as explained in Chapter 5. While it provided practical warmth, its primary purpose was deeply symbolic. Baba would sit facing the dhuni and mentally offer all worldly things into its flames as oblations. This included his ego, desires, various mental tendencies, and worldly inclinations. He even placed the 'log of knowledge and pride' into this fierce fire-pit, signifying complete surrender to the divine. His constant chant of 'Allah-Malik' (God is the Master) while observing the dhuni underscored its role as a tool for purification and detachment from the material world.