Why did Sai Baba ask for money, or Dakshina, from His followers?

Sai Baba's practice of asking for Dakshina was not for personal gain, as the text questions, 'Why does a saint need money?' The core purpose was to instill humility in his devotees. As explained in Chapter 14, the essence of this act was that 'under the pretext of Dakshina, Baba was teaching His devotees to choose humility.' He would ask for Dakshina from everyone who came for darshan, regardless of their faith, be they Hindu, Muslim, or Parsi. For Baba, to whom pebbles and diamonds were of the same value, the act of giving and receiving was a spiritual transaction designed to reduce the ego of the giver.