Sathya Sai Baba compared to the historical Jesus

Consider the following comparisons made by Barry Newton of Australia (ex-devotee) between some aspects of Sai Baba and Jesus of Nazareth:- 

·         “Jesus had no fears at all, nor bodyguards in the face of vigorous objection to His tirades directed at the temple priests, and even during his arrest showed the most divine loving compassion when he healed the severed ear of the Roman soldier who was there to arrest Him at His betrayal. Yet armed guards are everywhere in Sai Baba’s ashram.

·         Jesus spoke by His actions, the like of which no number of words could describe, yet we were very often warned in the Sathya Sai Organisation that “the hollow vessel makes the most noise.” Funny that, because Sai Baba and all but a very rare few in the Sathya Sai Organization talk lots and do little (actually nothing).

·         Jesus had no home and fed the multitudes, yet Sai Baba lives in luxury while the villagers outside the ashram live in squalor and obviously go hungry.

·         Jesus chose to be among the outcasts of society - publicans, prostitutes, tax collectors, the sick and despised, yet Sai Baba invariably interviews the obviously well off, wealthy, or important, and the ashram is walled off from the villagers outside.

·         Jesus traveled to all parts of the land and to different countries to give the benefit of His presence and message, yet Sai Baba will not leave his native area.

·         Jesus’ life was open for all to witness at all times, yet Sai Baba has two appearances of around twenty minutes a day only.

·         Jesus ate with whomever offered food, Sai Baba eats specially prepared meals away from all in private.

·         Jesus healed the sick in open view of all, Sai Baba does not.

(There are reports that some sick people in the village of Puttaparthi say that they are not allowed into the so called free “Super Specialty Hospital”, and were too afraid to go there even after a devotee offered to accompany them. Actions such as these speak far more convincingly and louder than the innumerable talks on such topics as the five human values).

·         Jesus said (aphorism #5, Gospel of Thomas) “Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be disclosed to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed.” and (aphorism #40, Gospel of Thomas) “A grapevine has been planted away from the father. Since it is not strong, it will be pulled up by the root and will perish.”

Sathya Sai Baba’s claims about Jesus Christ

Image from screen capture of Radio Sai propaganda

but only in some things, evidently!

Many Sai Baba devotees say that he is Jesus, and Sai Baba himself told Peggy Mason and Ron Laing that he is the Cosmic Christ. (in their book ‘The Embodiment of Love’ in the chapter ‘The Second Coming has Come’ p. 149-160, See also here). Of course, there are thousands who have claimed to be Christ and even now many are in psychiatric care in Jerusalem and elsewhere around the world. However, when Hislop had identified Sai Baba with Jesus in a talk, Sai told him not to confuse devotees, that Sai Baba and Jesus are different persons. Sathya Sai Baba has also claimed in a discourse to be Jesus’ Holy Father, the one who sent Jesus to earth etc.! It is evident that he has very considerable difficulties in explaining himself in all this, and the amazingly ignorant howlers he has stated concerning Jesus through the years rob him of all credibility on the subject. (see the academic Brian Steel’s analysis of Sai Baba on Jesus under ‘Christmas Declarations’)

Various other Sai-devotee authors (eg. Victor Kanu) have tried to show the similarity between the teachings of Sai Baba and Jesus. Interestingly and typically, none of these writings contain source references either to the Bible or to Sai Baba’s discourses and some contain quotes that are not even correct. Incidentally, such similarities can also, of course, be shown between the teachings of hundreds of Indian and other spiritual figures and Jesus. That Sai Baba plagiarises the actual words of spiritual figures without acknowledgement (such as Gandhi, Vivekananda, Shivananda, Ramana Maharshi etc.) has been proven, and he has evidently also taken much from the scriptures on Jesus, sometimes in garbled fashion as if filtered to him through the conversation of a third person more literate than himself, such as Prof. N. Kasturi. However, the apologists for Sai Baba always conveniently neglect the large discrepancies between Jesus and Sai Baba in both word and action. Perhaps most significant is that Jesus was never widely and credibly accused of child abuse, pedophilia or sexual abuses against boys and young men, nor was he in any way involved in a governmentally quashed murder case.

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More on this to follow…