Why was Sai Baba so strongly against the practice of fasting for spiritual gain?

Sai Baba was strongly against fasting because he believed a peaceful mind was essential for spiritual progress, and the mind of a fasting person is not peaceful. As explained in Chapter 32, he taught that God is not attained on an empty stomach and that one must first satisfy the soul of the self with food. Baba argued that without the strength provided by food, the senses—such as the eyes to see God, the tongue to praise him, and the ears to hear his glory—become weak and lack the capacity for devotion. Therefore, he viewed excessive fasting as a terrible practice that causes continuous discomfort and is not a viable path to realizing God.