Why did Sai Baba consider wealth a 'calamity,' and what methods did he use to protect his followers from its influence?

Sai Baba considered wealth a "calamity" because he believed it could create a "delusion" and ensnare people in the "glory of wealth," thereby distracting them from their true spiritual purpose. To protect his followers from this influence, he employed several methods as detailed in Chapter 36. For deeply devoted individuals like Mhalasapati, Sai actively prevented the accumulation of money, even when others tried to give it. He would not allow a single penny to be touched if he felt it would delude his devotee. Furthermore, while he accepted Dakshina, he would often redistribute it, but he never gave it to those who were solely seeking money. In one instance, he used the act of taking money as a pretext to remind a devotee of a forgotten spiritual vow, thus turning a material transaction into a lesson on spiritual debt and duty.