Sai Baba advised that during meal time; do not go out on an empty stomach disregarding any offer of food. On the contrary, it should be regarded as an auspicious sign of success. To do any job perfectly, one requires energy which can only be acquired by eating food. Secondly, refusing something offered by somebody lovingly, means hurting his feelings which is certainly not a done thing. Sai Baba narrates his own experience as to how he and his companions lost their way in the woods because they disregarded the banjarin’s offer of food and guidance. However, later, when Sai Baba accepted the banjarin’s food and guidance, he was able to carry out the quest successfully.

Baba himself never ate anything without sharing it with others. Everyday he used to go out begging and whatever food was collected, he used to place it in the earthen bowl in the masjid. Some beggars used to pinch 3-4 bread slices and dogs and birds used to eat out of it, but Baba never drove them away. Whenever any devotee offered him fruits and richly cooked food, he hardly tasted it and distributed it amongst the devotees present. Every afternoon in the Dwarkamai, when the meal was served and ready to eat, Baba would call out for Bade Baba (a fakir from Malegaon) and make him sit next to him on his left respectfully as an honored guest. Then after the meal, Baba used to pay him Rs.50 as dakshina and walk with him 100 paces to see him off.

(The virtuous who partake of what is left after sacrifice, are absolved of all sins. The sinful ones who only cook and eat for themselves eat only sins.) Thus Sai Baba very effectively taught this principle of not precept and example. In today’s state of towering prices and food rationing, therefore, this meaning would have to be borne in mind to ensure that an unwanted and persisting person does not take advantage of our generous nature.