Sathya Sai Baba imitators and parasites galore

The Nepali Sai Baba enthroned before his adoring masses

Sathya Sai Baba has had such success – not least in deceiving a very large number of religious seekers – that he has started what could be considered a particular guru brand “Sai Baba”, which numerous others have imitated. In 1994 at Kodaikanal, while driving to darsan at the Sai ashram there, the occupants of my taxi exploded with laughter when we passed a young replica of Sathya Sai Baba looking very like him when young. He was striding along confidently, but this was temporary as he was stopped at the gate and kept out for trying to ridicule Sathya Sai Baba.

There is a Sathya Sai Guru Gallery of impostors one can see here. Among the most exhaustive copyists, complete with all the trappings, poses, educational institutions, youth wing – you name it – is Bala Sai Baba, who has a huge complex modelled on Prashanthi Nilayam, also in Andhra Pradesh.

Now, however, a new competitor comes on the scene. As one can see from the photos here, he adopts poses of Sathya Sai Baba well-known from the massive photo gallery of him. Hanky to the mouth, padnamaskaar by devotees as darshan, ‘thoughtful pose’ with finger on chin, ‘Sri Sai seva’  and much besides. There is an absolutely hilarious video of this Nepali Sai Baba,  on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZgFpYfxCN8&feature=related

Doesn't he just look a darling? All that wonderful hair... how does he do it?

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Dictator Idi Amin – Sai Baba’s warm recollections

In a discourse he held on Christmas Day (25/12/2006) Sathya Sai Baba recounted his visit to East Africa – including Uganda – in 1968. During this he spoke most affirmatively about the brutal despot and Dictator Idi Amin (and this on Christmas Day of all days of the year!). Idi Amin was a self-admitted murderer who had at least five wives and 23 children (plus hundreds of ‘lady friends’), who fed enemies to crocodiles, reportedly kept some of his victims in his deep freezer, and – according to persistent reports of his staff who escaped – even tasted human flesh!
Sai Baba’s praises of Amin were eagerly promoted on the worldwide broadcasts of propagandistic Radio Sai and on the Sai Baba official website by his main propagandist, Dr. G. Venkataraman (also former contributor to India’s nuclear bomb ‘himsa technology’), who thus also evidently accepts that Idi Amin was a Sai-devotee of some stature! His lack of judgement matches that of his ailing Lord God, the evidently failing Sai Baba. That was too much even from a myth-deluded and truth-challenged ‘scientist’ who avoids all important criticisms to his cover-up and has never dared tell anything he knows of Sai Baba’s well-known private doings and the many reliable allegations about them. Perhaps he admires Idi Amin for his lead in such censorship and cover-up? Here is what he wrote about Sai Baba’s fond reminiscences in his 2006 Xmas Day discourse:-

COMMENT: Note how the besotted writer (no doubt Dr. G. Venkataraman, who decides on all publicity matters anyhow) of the above claims that not only people but the animals (wild) of Africa are “devoted to Swami”. Sathya Sai Baba has encouraged this codswallop in line with his original claim to be the creator of the Universe. “They raised their trunks in veneration and paid obeisance to Swami” we are told. But how did the writer know what the elephants were thinking? Well, the animals would have to worship their creator, wouldn’t they? It is laughable in the extreme.

The enthusiasm about the “moment of moments” when Sai Baba “related how Mr. Idi Amin was very fond of him” – and how Sai Baba gave him double daily doses of darsan!” Amin’s devotion “melted the heart of Swami” (I ask you – or was it mutual flattery?) – yes, this most horrific of ghastly rapists, torturers, killers, the sweet-hearted Idi Amin had to be given the blessing of another day’s stay from Swami! Sai gave apples to the crocodiles which were too”captivated by the divine darsan” even to eat the apples. Probably crocs to not like or eat apples – but now, Amin knew their tastes better than that. He gave them human flesh!
Sai Baba propounded that there is no feeling of hatred in these animal (which is reasonable as they are predators naturally) but – and this is another ‘moment of moments’ in Sathya Sai Baba’s down-putting of his fellow-men and -women, therefore “The noble qualities in these animals are not even to be found in human being”! All this is sheer comedy, but it has a very sinister message if you stop to think about it

Rumours about Sai Baba’s intervention to delay expulsion of Asians from Uganda rebutted.
Idi Amin acting on God\s orders… his guru Sai Baba?

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Police expert on security at Prashanthi Nilayam

V.J. Ram (aka Janakiram) was a senior Indian CID officer who received the President’s Police Medal for having solved many difficult cases. His book on ‘The Godmen of India’ is extremely revealing, especially as regards the long history of criminal incidents connected to Sathya Sai Baba and his coterie. His sensational book is about several ‘godmen’ in India into whom he has investigated and found to be bogus and surrounded by criminal allegations with much circumstantial evidence to uphold them. ‘The Godmen of India’ can be ordered here – click

See also BBC Interview (plus video clip) on the cold-blooded murders in Sai Baba’s apartment with V.P.B. Nair, Former Home Secretary of Andhra Pradesh State

See also BBC Interview (plus video clip) on the cold-blooded murders in Sai Baba’s apartment with V.P.B. Nair, Former Home Secretary of Andhra Pradesh State

Overview – the 1993 bedroom murders and follow-up Further to this The 1993 murder episode graphically explained Murders in the Prashanthi temple – reflections 1 On how I came to learn of the murders in the bedroom of Sai Baba, and how – despite misgivings – I rationalized the matter for some years until I was awoken to the realities by V.K. Narasimhan’s private confidences. Also: Murders in the Prashanthi temple – reflections 2
 

Projecting one’s whole autonomy onto Sathya Sai Baba

All Sathya Sai Baba followers who visit his ashrams have always had to queue, sit and wait almost endlessly before he appears – let alone before they get the chance of an interview, which almost no one does any longer due to his invalidism. Many pray and wait for years on end for the ‘Lord and Master’, and ‘spiritual seekers’ who travel across continents are all constantly hope for some form of personal attention, eye contact, some words… then more and more of the same. All this is shared by all followers, excluding very important persons, such as heads of state, royalty or the super rich and famous, who mostly get comparative red carpet treatment.

Sathya Sai Baba used to walk about very slowly, making gestures (which many people took as personal messages to them!) and when he looked even in a person’s general direction, they took this as a blessing! Not a few report how waves of happiness, bliss, even ecstasy floods through them, tears come to their eyes. If he smiles at them or takes a letter from them, it seems to them that they at last have confirmation of being personally acceptable to God himself. In most cases, these emotions are the culmination of a very long period of approaching through meditation on him, prayers to him, letters sent (often with the writer’s most private thoughts ‘in advance’) after much reading of books which all praise him beyond the clouds, videos which seem to prove he is a divinity, hearing miracle and amazing healing stories galore, and making diverse efforts to live according to his directions, do everything in his name.

Many followers sacrifice much time and money, put up with all manner of difficulties and disappointments on the way, meanwhile meeting many other persons telling of wonderful (subjective) experiences seen through their own faith. But by then they have already become highly open to suggestion (becoming what are called ‘good hypnotic subjects’). Despite this, or precisely because of it, various persons have been surprised, as was I, upon first observing him show himself (i.e. “give his holy darshan“) because. he seemed just too ordinary. But then, one already ‘knows’ that it could just not be true…has he not told them not to be deceived by his short stature, for in reality he holds the entire universe in his hands?

Longing and Yearning are ‘projective’: The intensity developed by followers’ desires and beliefs amount to psychological projections. Projection is a very complex process with many aspects and can vary in strength, scope and content. Nonetheless it is a common occurrence among followers of all idols, especially those who have created an aura of holiness or wisdom around themselves, by whatever means.  Even one small apparent paranormal event – taken as the longed-for Sai leela or small miracle – is enough to set one  self-reinforcing ones indoctrination to last for life! This may take the form of statement like the following which was sent to me by a colleague at some stage as an illustration of how mental projection words in those who have invested much time and energy without noticeable attention from Sathya Sai Baba:

“I vividly recall looking at his form with utter peace and no thoughts. He stopped and turned and gave me this amazing smile, piercing me with his eyes and I felt this incredible warmth enter me. “What did he do that for,” I thought, on that day three years ago. Today, the penny dropped. Thought has to stop.” by Sai Baba devotee Christopher (Chris) Parnell – Australian Sathya Sai Organization

The dropping penny – after first awakening new thoughts – evidently causes thought to deteriorate – and that is precisely the programme Sai Baba sets out – overcome one’s thoughts through mantras, prayer, bhajan singing and meditation. Kill the mind – supposedly letting mindless ‘universal consciousness’ take over!  I have observed through many years observing others how their minds tend to drift without incisiveness or efforts at improvement, getting ever more uncritical and unreliable. Impressionable persons who have been actively indoctrinating (or ‘brain-washing’) themselves for a long time within the cocoon of beliefs and mostly within the circle of other believers… especially in the otherworldly and unrealistic ashram mental environment where all one’s wildest hopes may (but most likely will not) come true.

Powerful projection reinforcements: Projecting all kinds of desires and ones best imaginings onto Sathya Sai Baba and his circle, one produces a self-conversion by oneself. These circumstances are known to be conducive to sudden healing and many other extra-normal effects, but these always prove to be partial and temporary… the enthusiasm wears off after the famous ‘honeymoon’ period is past. Such phenomena are well known, far from being limited to Sai Baba or other Indian gurus – consider Billy Graham, Lourdes. Pastor Moon and literally thousands of other personality cults. One develops a partly delusional world-view and can then become easily manipulated by powerful forms of suggestion of the kind otherwise called ‘hypnotic’. These can cause considerable distortions of sensory perception, even though one does not enter an actual sleep-like trance (viz. Derren Brown). The intensity of the ‘projection’ makes likely not only changes in outlook, but a new sense of purpose and energy. All one needed was a catalyst (a relevant  object or person to project onto in the specific case), and that is how idol-worship and personality cults work.

More on mental-emotional projection and Sai Baba’s methods of using it to come.

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Why Former Devotees Feel Obliged to Expose Sai Baba

Having for so long contributed to so many people becoming Sathya Sai Baba followers, I cannot escape the sense of duty I have to make known to them – and all comers – what I unavoidably learned about him – his deceptions and widely and firmly alleged crimes – despite all I had accepted and hoped to be true about him.

My promotion of Sai Baba was mainly through running a Sai centre for many years with my wife - and working hard to fulfil all its requirements [without appreciable help from the members or others for most of the 18 years]. It continued through my writings – a positive book (which he accepted) well over a score of articles in his journal or in other official Sai publications. Besides, I devoted 18 years of my life to trying to realise some of the ideals I came to believe that Sathya Sai Baba really stood for (yet no longer can). My nearly two decades in the organization was full of him and his teachings. During that time I practiced his various directions like selfless service and strictly following human values to the best of my abilities.  We visited him on nine occasions and come to know him (5 interviews – plus 5 private interviews total ca. 8-9 hours) and countless darsan contacts. I knew various persons very close to him, and not least because of that I happen to be unusually well placed to expose what I found out about him. In fact, Sathya Sai Baba is the one subject in my later life about which I am most informed, and it is natural that I should not just run away from the matter but instead expose all his countless deceits and alleged crimes. I have a  large catalogue of mails from persons who have been damaged by him, and from families that have been broken up due to his influence, sometimes from very prominent people in the West.

I might have preferred it had I not felt obliged to follow up my exposure of what I came to know about him. I am in no doubt that what I am doing is right in all senses of the word, for I know so many people whose lives have been seriously upset by him, his directives, broken promises, outright lies and taking advantage of them. I have suffered only mildly in comparison with many who write to me. As to those whose faith is challenged by my work in promoting all the testimonies against him etc., they have a choice… to seek the truth at whatever cost to their own feelings and dependency on him, or to continue in an illusion that he is what he claims to be. I am not responsible for any pain they may suffer from realisation of the facts, because I did not do the things I report on… it was Sathya Sai Baba who did wrong, not I. I have not deceived anyone, he most certainly has – and on a massive scale. Those officials who support him in the cover up of everything he does which he not wish should come to light are themselves also responsible for their part in it… As my activity up to now shows, I am fully determined not to allow Sathya Sai baba, his officials, his organization and the politicians and judges who protect him to get away with a total cover-up of all the many allegations of sexual abuse and murder involvement, or to hush up his megalomaniac claims and countless false and ignorant statements… whatever good he may have done or his followers have achieved. The truth shall out!

Footnote: Years of a major slur and libel campaign against me and other critics of SB by Gerald Joe Moreno have caused some of us at long last to respond in some detail to his endless bending of the truth, distorting facts about us and insultingly accusing us of many things which are entirely false.  Because there are so many deceived or deluded followers who know little or nothing other than the stories and propaganda, his many pages are read by some – a tiny proportion of the alleged millions of followers nonetheless. The transparency of his bogus arguments is such that the more who read them, the more seek out our responses, and we are confident that we stand for nothing but the facts and the truth, which will convince those who are not over-indoctrinated. Moreno’s smear and character assassination campaign against dissidents further ensures that the exposé continues with full force, also to expose his dirty tricks.

Barry Pittard, a former lecturer in Sathya Sai Baba’s education establishment and a devotee for 25 years, has recently written a series documenting his leave-taking of Sathya Sai Baba:

Barry Pittard – Leaving the Sathya Sai Baba Cult (Part 1.)- Ex Leaders + Rank-and-File
On Leaving A Powerful Global Cult. Sathya Sai Baba  (Part 2)
On Leaving A Powerful Global Cult. Sathya Sai Baba  (Part 3)

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See Public Petition for Official Investigations of Sathya Sai Baba and his Worldwide Organization
(Spanish version PETICIÓNPÚBLICA PARA INVESTIGACIONES OFICIALES

Duncan Roads and Sai Baba cyber terrorists

from NEXUS Magazine (2000):
Shame, shame
Sai Baba is being exposed as a pedophile.
As a former believer I have always dismissed rumours of Sai Baba’s sexual impropriety as ‘tall poppy syndrome’. However recent testimonials made available to myself caused me to dig a bit further. To my horror I discovered a pattern of sexual abuse of young men and boys, including rape. I have spoken with so many people from many countries. The rumours are not rumours, they are truth. I am shocked. I am running an article exposing this shoddy ‘guru’. You can expect the mainstream media to follow hot on the heels of our article. What horrifies me the most of all, is that most of the administrative hierarchy already knew of this, but turned a blind eye in order to maintain ‘status’, prestige, and basically EGO.

Shame on you all! You will be exposed and the truth will come out. There are now many more men and boys coming forward, many more than you think.

Shame on you. Petitions are circulating calling for the public closure of Sai Baba centres until the matter is cleared up. Is your centre acting thus?

I await your reply. No reply will be reported in my magazine also, and readers will no doubt draw their own conclusions.

Shame on you!

Duncan (Duncan Roads, Editor Nexus Magazine) (also posted at http://www.geocities.com/the_sai_critic/shame.html – no longer available Document date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 23:50:28 +1000

Nexus Magazine published – August 2000 – the following :-

Excerpt from FRAUD, FAKERY AND MOLESTATION (from Nexus Magazine, Volume 7, Number 5, August-September 2000)

“It is fair to say that Sai Baba is a highly revered spiritual leader, whose life and message has inspired millions of people throughout the world to turn Godward and lead more purposeful and moral lives. The stories of his “miracles” are many and legendary in their telling and retelling. Scores of famous Westerners have added their own exciting synchronistic accounts of how Sai Baba saved them from certain death by “appearing” before them at crucial moments. Accounts of Sai baba-related manifestations and materialisations are also widespread, adding to the air that Sai Baba is literally the reappearance of God on Earth.
Unfortunately, this is where the fairytale ends.

A growing number of boys and men are coming forward with allegations of sexual harassment, sexual abuse and rape. And now that attention has been focused on the Swami, one finds many more accounts of faked miracles, suspicious deaths, massive financial fraud, weapons and explosives being found in the ashram, an assassination attempt, and yet more cases of paedophilia and homosexual abuse.

With news of these events and other incidents, the seeds of doubt have been sown in many minds. How is it that Sai Baba’s own brother-in-law died of rabies? Why did Baba need to be hospitalised for a ruptured appendix and a broken leg? Why does he travel in Mercedes cars and require heavy protection? Why does Sai Baba have to wave his hand in circles before producing anything? Does his occasional transvestitism and derision for women really illustrate the male-female principle of the universe?

It is possible we will never find the real truth to many of the above rumours and allegations, with the exception of the sexual abuse cases. We have extracted the following accounts from just three of the many testimonies now emerging. We have also spoken to many former long-term devotees who have now left the organisation.

For those wishing to pursue this matter further, we suggest as a starting point that you get onto the Internet and visit http://www.myfreeoffice.com/saibabaexposed/ [that site has been closed and replaced by http://www.sathyasaivictims.com].

Let me emphasize that this information does not reflect one or two disgruntled devotees “who did not get enough attention”. It reflects the fact that many, many boys and young men have been sexually abused by someone in whom they gave their total trust. Their silence was maintained because the victims knew that no one would believe them.
I hope this article can rectify that situation somewhat.

Duncan M. Roads (Editor)

Terry Gallagher’s testimony
Hans de Kraker’s testimony
Jens & Gurprit’s Sethi’s testimony

This led to greater publicity, and another spate of resignations from the Sathya Sai Organizations branches, particularly in Australia. The integrity of Duncan Roads, the editor of Nexus Magazine, is revealed as one reads of his initial reluctance to publish a ‘negative article’ about a person revered by so many of his magazines readership. However after doing some substantial personal research and becoming convinced of the truth of the testimonies he courageously went to print, regardless of the consequences. This report includes an email from Duncan Roads to the author outlining his process prior to printing and his observations of the consequences after printing.

Duncan Roads was attacked by two fanatical Sathya Sai Baba supporters and ‘attack artists’, Gerald Joe Moreno and his equally unaccomplished accomplice Lisa de Witt (see here). Firstly, Moreno attacks almost everything Roads writes as inaccurate, false etc., (see http://www.saisathyasai.com/baba/Ex-Baba.com/nexus-magazine-duncan-roads.html). Moreno always rejects every single criticism of Sai Baba for sexual abuse, murder involvement, fraudulent materializations and most other critical statements about him or the Sathya Sai Organization, however weighty the commentator (eg. the BBC, the Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and countless other respected media). He attacks Duncan Roads for publishing others’ opinions of quite other issues than Sathya Sai Baba (AIDS, anti-Semitism, USA corruption and a long list of other items)  and smear him with typical Moreno tendentious spin for opinions he does not himself hold. Moreno charges Duncan Roads with not having investigated any of the sex abuse claims personally, but – in another context (see here), Roads has clearly stated:

“It is worth mentioning that while I was investigating the claims against Sai Baba, not one representative of the movement denied the claims. NOT ONE!!!! Instead, they sought to tell me that ‘all the good Sai Baba does, outweighs the bad’.“

Moreno claims Roads is wrong in asserting the following inset bullet points:-

• There are “many, many” boys and young men who are coming forward with allegations of sexual harassment, sexual abuse and rape.

However, one can see for oneself how many youth have come forward in public here. Further, as a trusted activists on the exposé work concerning Sathya Sai Baba and all his cover-up connections, numerous young men have contacted me and/or Barry Pittard in strict confidence stating that they were sexually abused by Sathya Sai Baba. (see example)  Their accounts are often most revealing of details of his methods, and each has its unique stamp of authenticity. We have checked their identities in many instances, yet some are so worried about repercussions for themselves or members of their families (some of whom live in Prashanthi Nilayam or Puttaparthi) that they naturally were unwilling to give confirmable details about themselves. Knowing that four devotees were murdered in cold-blood in Sai Baba’s apartment in 1993, this is probably a most wise precaution. Other reports – by Dr. Naresh Bhatia – a self-confessed sexual partner of Sathya Sai Baba – many, many boys have been misused by Sai Baba. Further, a former student has posted a list over 150 students through he collected from those who claimed to know they were abused by Sai Baba. (Prof. G. Venkataraman reports that he has spoken to some of them, who said they did not know their names were on the list. To a man who denies totally that Sai Baba is anything buy the Creator of the Universe and is totally pure, what else would they say? At least one student has informed us that Venkataraman knows of the paedophile activities reported of his guru-god, so he is a very dangerous person to confide in at all!)

• There are “many accounts” of massive financial fraud.

There are indeed many accounts of financial fraud in Sai Baba’s affairs. I have given several such accounts, including fraudulence by the Sathya Sai Baba Books and publications Trust in my own case (see here), in that of Al Drucker and also that of Rita Bruce. Further, V. K. Narasimhan informed me in detail of fraud in the ashram and Central Trust – and many deceits (see here), causing the removal of board members and top ashram officials from their posts.  Isaac Tigrett claimed that US$15 million of the US$49 million he donated simply ‘disappeared’ (see here) Numerous US devotees, not least, complained of fraud when they had paid for apartments at Prashanthi Nilayam but were later informed they had no right to stay in them for more than 2 weeks, depending on the ashram authorities’ decision in each case. My wife and I also donated to this fraudulent apartment scam as did others who have confirmed fraud. Search the web for “Sai Baba Deception on donors” and “Sai finance and deceits” Fraud has been claimed by the family of the famous film star James Mason, whose estate was taken over the the Sathya Sai Central Trust, and other major legacies have been contested as being extracted from elderly persons against false promises, disinheriting their families.

That Sathya Sai Baba engages in “occasional transvestism” and that he derides women.
Moreno’s truth-twisting denials above are found at http://www.saisathyasai.com/baba/Ex-Baba.com/nexus-magazine-duncan-roads.html

There are many accounts of Sathya Sai Baba’s dislike of women, and he is known by all visitors to the ashrams to give far, far more time to males than females – both at darsan and in interviews. That he practised transvestism to a considerable degree (and was long known as ‘Radha’ in Puttaparthi when he went everywhere with his boyfriend, Krishna who shared his bedroom for some years) is an established fact. See some of the evidence here

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Gerald Moreno – further inducted into the Sathya Sai Baba fold

Earlier I have shown here how – due to a hallucination most likely caused by sleep paralysis – Gerald Moreno became deluded and was induced into the Sai Baba sect (see). He was led to India and soon acquired all the skills of self-indoctrination I have detailed on my website (see link at foot of blog)  which led him onwards into the deceptive and illusory world from which he is incapable of liberating himself. One of the incidents which helped convince him that Sathya Sai Baba has miraculous powers, he described as follows:-

“Pratima gave me some blessed vibuthi (ash) from Baba’s Ashram. She told me to eat it. I had never eaten ash before! I felt quite embarrassed at the thought, but ate some anyway. No sooner did the ash touch my tongue when my stomach pain literally disappeared! An instantaneous healing.”

The eating of “holy ash” said to be a ‘miraculous healing agent’ – often claimed to be materialised by the hand of Sai Baba himself – can have a strong placebo effect – an upset stomach is often caused by anxiety, and so Moreno’s thinks he has been miraculously healed! The healing furore around Sai Baba – as around many other charismatics – is a complex phenomenon, with a large amount of leeway for self-delusion, not least. (See here)

Moreno describes another step which led him further into the maze of carefully constructed indoctrination by Sathya Sai Baba (in the handed-down tradition of power-seeking Hindu gurus through the millennia in India):-

There are two Darshan times. One is in the morning, and the other in the afternoon. In the afternoon, as I was waiting for Baba to come out, a man sitting next to me suddenly said, very loudly and without any shame, “Of all the thousands of people here, Baba has inspired me to give YOU these books.” The man handed me two books and he did not say another word to me. One book was a small book that described some miracles Baba had done. The other book had a picture of Shirdi Sai Baba on one side and a picture of Sathya Sai Baba on the other side. The title was, “Shirdi Sai and Sathya Sai are one and the same.” In that book, it described how Shirdi Sai and Sathya Sai would both appear to people all around the world. I found out then, that Shirdi Sai had left his body in 1918. And I realized the oneness of Shirdi and Sathya in that moment. All along, Baba had a plan that unfolded, unknown to me, exactly as he had willed. A seamless plan that left me and still leaves me in awe.

A seamless plan indeed? There are many persons who give pamphlets, books and other things to others they sit next to. Devotees are constantly telling others that they have been ‘inspired’ by Baba to do this or that. It is part of the Prashanthi culture. Moreno find it very meaningful – but remember that he has also stated in the same article that was rather desperately seeking God, and – having gone all the way to India in the hope that Sathya Sai baba is God Almighty Incarnate, he takes such otherwise commonplace – even trivial – incidents to have deep meaning for him personally!

Besides me, there was an Indian man with his sick son and an Indian family. Baba looked at the Indian man and said, “Australia.” The man nodded his head and said that he was, indeed, from Australia. I sure couldn’t tell. He looked Indian to me in dress and appearance. Baba told them that they had been quarreling among themselves. Baba told them every detail of the quarrel, including who said what to whom, etc. The family was surprised and everyone kept nodding their heads. Baba said, “I know. I know.” Just before I left Baba, I had a beautiful dream of Baba. In the dream, Baba was wearing a white robe and Baba was holding my hand. I asked Baba, “When will I be back?” Baba said, “Very soon.” (Little did I know that “very soon” turned out to be 14 months!

This incident is not at all mysterious! Sai Baba’s staff  – who register many details about everyone when they arrive – are constantly reporting to him everything of note that occurs in the ashram, not least with a view to helping him recognise who is who, what they are like, what they do and say. His undercover staff includes a considerable number of plain clothes security people and informers. He even got information about people from his trusted and tested ‘Central Coordinators’ and other Sai-VIPs when he talked to them on the veranda daily. The monied people especially come in for close scrutiny. Baba is ever saying ‘I know, I know’ and people think he really does… what an easy con trick! People go away feeling they are blessed, that Sai Baba has all their concerns in hand… and they begin to read his will into everything that happens to them, good or ill. The good is from him, the bad is a lessons for them to learn. What pitiful self-delusions!

The ways in which one is inducted, partly self-programmed are many & subtle – see here

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Please go to the Public Petition for Official Investigations of Sathya (or Satya) Sai Baba and His Worldwide Organization

Sathya Sai Baba and the truth

Nowadays  current photographs of Sathya Sai Baba are not published on his official websites and very few photos are made available anywhere which show him in his increasingly decrepit looking present form. This is no doubt because of his many boasting pronouncements in the past to the effect that his health can never deteriorate since he is a totally pure divine being!

In his monthly journal, Sanathana Sarathi (October 2003 issue),  Sai Baba’s serves up the same faulty advice that followers know so well, we read: “Speak truth, speak pleasantly and do not speak unpalatable truth” (p. 296). Unpalatable to whom? Almost every truth will be unpalatable to someone or other… so following his advice would mean that no one could be questioned about anything, or be charged with unpalatable truths and brought to justice. In short, totally impracticable advice and immoral to boot. However, one can understand that Sai Baba finds the truth about himself unpalatable and unpleasant to no small degree. He also says: “…you may be tempted to utter falsehood. But never tell a lie even if you have to sacrifice your life.” (p.303). That is truly rich coming from him, who has practiced so many deceits, including the following…

He said in a discourse see http://www.sathyasai.org/discour/2003/d031005.html) “Many of you are anxious, thinking that Swami is not keeping good health over the last few days. In fact, My health is very good. Real health is not related to the body…. If you think that Swami is strong and healthy, yes so He is. There is no weakness in Me. My angas (limbs) may appear to be weak…. If you identify Me with the body, I cannot walk even two steps.” (5/10/2003) This is the same Almighty God who bragged that his hip was completely healed exclusively by the prayers of his devotees!

It was reported earlier on the web that, “Swami then told Mr. Sundareshan, the orthopedic Surgeon who had performed the operation to Bhagawan to speak to us on the incident. Mr. sundereshan said  Swami had started walking after 5 days of the operation which is also impossible for any human being.”
But Sai Baba himself said later “After the surgery, I was able to walk within three days.” (Sanathana Sarathi July, 2003, p. 218). Not only that, but he boasted in Sanathana Sarathi July, 2003, that his recovery was far quicker than any human being could achieve, according to his inordinate boasting (while countless hip-replacement patients stand on the day of operation and walk fully within weeks, as any proper web search of medical institutions will reveal)!

“For anybody else, it would have taken at least two to three years to walk normally. The ball in the hip joint got separated.” p.230 “The doctors said that one year’s rest was required for the hip injury to heal completely. I told them it would not take one year.” p.259.

So why then still the variety of wheelchairs and invalid golf wagons, why not normal full-length darshans and interviews? Many devotees find self-deceiving rationalisations for that. Here in Norway, one the the tiny handful of remaining followers holds that Sai Baba is performing a miracle by being incapacitated, so as to give the world a lesson in self-sacrifice! This is the lunatic fringe, if ever there was one. (More on the hip injury here)

That Sathya Sai Baba spreads rumour and deceives just as it suits him is nothing new, for one of many examples of a massive exaggeration of his own popularity by Sai Baba was published in his monthly journal Sanathana Sarathi:

“Such an attraction as this is possible only in the case of Divinity. The fragrance of divinity is spreading all through the world. Argentina is a far off country. Today Bhajans are going on in every house in Argentina. In Miami, the military officers are participating in Bhajans. You might have read in the newspapers that six months ago those officers took a vow to replace the present government with the Sathya Sai government. The authorities thought that officers had gone mad and sent them to a mental asylum. The officers converted the doctors and the nurses and even the patients into
devotees.” (Discourse, 20 October, 1990).

This is based on flimsy newspaper reports from abroad that someone had mentioned to Sai Baba (a report which can no longer be traced) and even so Sai Baba’s reported words were made even less confused than his actual tape-recorded words by V.K. Narasimhan, who explained to me in detail how he translated and edited this. Sai Baba had confused two different incidents from entirely different countries in the region (Latin America) and made it all into one unlikely story. Though I was somewhat
confounded to hear this from someone so very close to Sai Baba for so long, I was then far gone as a self-indoctrinating believer and thought this falsification of his words probably for the best, all in all! I have had countless opportunities to observe how most devotees think thus most of the time when they cannot entirely avoid obvious or other unpalatable facts about Sai Baba.

Sathya Sai Baba evidently thinks it is wise to tell anything he likes, whether true or not, accurate or not, and expects to get away with it… but only among his confirmed and fully paid-up followers!

Read ‘On getting to the truth’ and ‘Fallacies vs. facts’

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Please go to the Public Petition for Official Investigations of Sathya Sai Baba and His Worldwide Organization

Sai Baba believers’ programmatic misinterpretations

In the Sai movement there are set ‘explanations’ of everything about Sathya Sai Baba. The many ways in which one can derive some meaning from his various acts and oft-repeated phrases in English – and what it may be and to whom – have become an art for the initiated, who are willing pass on this ‘wisdom’ to anyone they can… When these are too evidently inapplicable or wholly beside the point, one must realise that “We cannot understand his inscrutable, divine will”, or other words to similar effect. One cannot understand, of course, if one has given up beforehand, and this ‘giving up’ is precisely ‘to surrender to his Divine will’. It is a serious but powerful form of giving up ones autonomy… and a suppression of ones common sense and natural reasoning in never questioning anything he says or does. He must be regarded as perfect and infallible in all things.

Being distant and unavailable for normal communication and interaction, devotees have to try to squeeze some kind of significance for themselves out of any and every word they hear Sai Baba say, or any motions he makes or possible sign he gives. He has explained that that every single thing he does has deep meaning. He is clearly aware how those who aspire to get his recognition build fantasies around him and no doubt he plays on this most cleverly. In my years as a committed believer I tried out many of the ways one is advised to interpret his behaviour, because ~I had a basic belief in his honesty, knowingness and purity. I naturally tried to get responses to my questions in this way and tested the reliability of this, with varying results. I grew convinced that, in the end, most of what one experiences is more or less self-created ‘delusion’… Some examples of the commonly-shared mental paraphernalia that gradually accumulates as a consequence of adopting the basic belief-system concerning Sathya Sai Baba are:

1) The position that falls to a person at darshan is a sign of Baba’s grace or displeasure, according to how near or far from the front line it is.

2) His touching any object held out to him which represents or expresses ones projects or plans implies that they are blessed and is good. Many believe that he wills that it will necessarily succeed in some way.
3) His taking a letter written to him means that a question or problem referred to will somehow be ‘answered’ or solved. Or it is a go-ahead for anything you asked his permission for in it.

4) His glance itself confers a blessing, though what it may be only time may tell.

5) When he looks in your direction, he sees through you, knowing all you think and have done, as well as what is to become of you.

6) His nod (or any other of his characteristic movements like touching his forehead or ear, doffing his hair etc.) is the answer to some question on ones mind, according to each ones particular interpretation or ‘intuition’.

7) His moving finger waved in the air like ‘writing’ in his characteristic way ‘rewrites’ the future or fate of each person at whom it points, yet we are so limited that we cannot hope to know why or how this works or what it will effect.

8) When he takes a handful of sweets proffered to him and throws so that one hits you, or lands before you, you have his blessings.

9) Any words one hears him say are heard ONLY by those who need to hear them.

10) If he ignores you or does not come near you, it is frequently because you need to learn something. Eg. to have more patience, to examine oneself for faults (and he has decried a great number of fairly normal human actions as serious faults), to transform oneself through complete and total surrender to his will etc.

The above points are but a selection of similar attitudes and beliefs that surround Sathya Sai Baba and help to maintain the aura of Godlike impenetrability and unaccountability.

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Please go to the Public Petition for Official Investigations of Sathya Sai Baba and His Worldwide Organization
(or PETICIÓNPÚBLICA PARA INVESTIGACIONES OFICIALES DE SATHYA SAI BABA Y SU ORGANIZACIÓN
A NIVEL MUNDIAL)

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Sathya Sai Baba blessings

Sai Baba has repeatedly stated in his discourses that he  knows everything about everything and that nothing he does is without meaning. This opens for many ways of interpreting anything Sathya Sai Baba is seen to do, or does NOT do, as a blessing. There is a group indoctrination which begins as soon as one enters an ashram in explanations to newcomers by believers of how to understand Sathya Sai Baba’s alleged “mystery” and of the many ways one can supposedly derive a “divine” benefit, blessing, or boon. Blessings are supposedly given by Sathya Sai Baba in numerous ways:-

- by his supposedly “materializing” vibuti ashes or a ring or other small objects for a person
- by his handing out ‘prasad‘ (blessed foodstuffs) like laddu or sweets, mangoes or saris or whatever
- by talking to or touching a person
- by allowing his feet or the hem of his robe to be touched by a person
- by receiving a letter proffered to him.
- by raising one or two arms towards the crowd in a posture said to convey blessings (like the Pope)
- by touching any object proffered to him at darsan
- by his uttering a word to (or even within earshot of) a person
- by a nod or other gesture towards a person, including simply looking at them
- by ‘writing on air’ in front of a person, or other gestures which the person hopes to see or expects as a blessing
and so on…

For decades, Sathya Sai Baba has been unable to give interviews to more than a tiny fraction of those who visit him, and now they hardly ever occur at all. Many followers travel very far to his ashrams and then wait for very long periods day after day in the hope or expectation of getting some notice, response, message or blessing to confirm their efforts and themselves.

There is a group indoctrination which begins as soon as one enters an ashram in explanations to newcomers by believers of how to understand Sathya Sai Baba’s alleged “mystery”. Followers are very inventive in interpreting anything he is seen to do, or does NOT do, as a personal blessing. The informal system of supposed  ‘communication’ with Sai Baba is sustained by the fact that he is so very hard to get access to, so normal communication and interaction being excluded, followers learn from those “in the know” how to extract meaning from just about any perceptible movement he makes. every word he is heard to  say or any other detail about him which  could be taken as a sign (i.e. which way he turns when he comes from the veranda, what colour his robe is that day and so forth.

Anyone who checks experience with some vestige of an inquiring mind soon discovers that the various forms of ‘blessing’ that Sathya Sai Baba gives do not lead to the desired or expected result in the great majority of instances. This is most evident with projects that he ‘blesses; but which come to nothing… anything good that follows is attributed to his mystical machinations behind the scenes of the mere physical world, whatever it is… Of course, the unfulfilled blessing is also rationalised as being “for ones own good”, which good one cannot possibly know oneself! The ‘blessing’ is turned completely on its head and becomes a ‘test’ or a ‘lesson’. Knowing all this, one simply has to pity the believers…

Many observers are somewhat puzzled that many books Sathya Sai Baba ‘blesses’ and signs for publication are poorly written by any literary standards and often contain inaccuracies and direct errors of fact, besides copious exaggerated language, transparent ‘projections’ and what one comes to learn are largely wishful imaginings about Sathya Sai Baba. Nearly all books in the Sai hagiographic ‘literature’ lack sources and documentations. Hardly any of the quotations of Sai Baba are sourced and they are sometimes garbled in reproduction. On one occasion, long after publication, Sai Baba has himself stated that his meaning was completely misinterpreted and his words misstated by Dr. Hislop (i.e. Sai Baba’s words on kundalini shakti in Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba) and on another he has actually refuted that the fanciful Howard Murphet (“not perfect Murphet”) was incorrect in claiming that some light on a photo of ‘the avatar’ was caused by his miraculous leela. Otherwise, he has remained silent on the content of most writings about him. These authors’ books have served to increase his reputation, particularly among impressionable followers who take too much at face value. Most prefer to believe at all costs, whether or not it is hocus-pocus.

More on interpreting Sathya Sai Baba and his blessings

Sathya Sai Baba and the Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama bows deeply

The Dalai Lama is known world-wide for his courage and often illumining and largely acceptable teachings, but above all for his life, which is truly a message of non-violence and standing for the truth and what is right. His righteous (dharmic) life has been in strict adherence to non-violence, seen in all he has done since his inauguration, and through the tremendously difficult decades through which it has been incumbent on him to try to protect and better his people. He makes himself as accessible as possible to people without them having to kow-tow, while he is open to questions, answers directly and frankly and in intelligible, accurate ways. If one bows to him, he returns the bow and bows more deeply! It would be fitting for Sai Baba to bow to the Dalai Lama, but he bows to no one… he is too high and mighty for that! Yet some of his most deluded followers – like N. Kasturi and V. Balu – once wrote about him as having great humility!

How does Sathya Sai Baba compare with the Dalai Lama?
Sai Baba purposely keeps everyone waiting, many of them almost endlessly, whoever they are. He hardly ever gives a straight answer to any honest question, if any at all, and he is known to everyone without exception not to be able to stand the slightest bit of criticism from anyone. Yet he full of criticism of others – in general in many of his discourses but also personally in interviews where he regularly ridicules people to get laughs. The only person in recent decades who could sometimes question him at all freely was my very good friend, V.K. Narasimhan…who helped Sai Baba by editing out the gaffes from the recorded discourses! Due to his reputation and contacts, Narasimhan was an intermediary bringing many top Indian politicians he had long known to the ashram by endorsing Sai Baba as a social reformer. Sathya Sai Baba is certainly not revered and respected worldwide by the vast numbers of people and governments as is the Dalai Lama.

Sai authorities desperate to get Dalai Lama to endorse Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba is certainly not revered and respected worldwide by the vast numbers of people and governments as is the Dalai Lama, nor is he known to most of the world, like the Dalai Lama.  Sai Baba supporters have tried to create the illusion that the Dalai Lama somehow endorses Sai Baba (which he NEVER has done), simply because he once  gave a lecture at the Sathya Sai International Centre in Delhi (Jan. 3, 2004), where he generously mentioned Sai Baba just once as follows:“I am happy to see that Sathya Sai Baba has said that his mission is not to convert people to other traditions. He would like a Buddhist to be a better Buddhist, a Muslim to be a better Muslim and a Hindu to be a better Hindu." That was all!  The Director of the Centre where the Dalai Lama spoke, Dr. Karan Singh, coupled the names of Dalai Lama and Sathya Sai Baba in his address. However, the Dalai Lama emphasised that those of the Buddhist faith’ should stick to Buddhism, and Muslims to their faith, both of which religions firmly and totally reject the possibility of anyone being God Incarnate. Mahayana Buddhism rejects the existence of a God Creator.  This seems one good reason why – in his self-proclaimed Godhood as World Saviour and Avatar – Sai Baba has never so much as mentioned the Dalai Lama!

Sai Baba sweepingly berates just about everyone in the world at regular intervals from his platform but the Dalai Lama never uses such language, even about the despotic and mendacious Chinese government.

Sathya Sai Baba hides in fear while the Dalai Lama does not: The Dalai Lama has real humility and enormous courage – putting himself in the front line – without protection from any troops or gunmen of his own  – against one of the worst regimes in history. By comparison, Sai Baba has had 20 full-time plain-clothes security people since about 1994 (costing well over Rs. 200,000 a month by now. And who do you think pays?). These spies mingle undercover in the crowds. V.K. Narasimhan gave me the facts about this already in 1996. Is this for the sake of the devotees or Sai Baba? It is no more for devotees than are the metal detectors, the intensive body searches of men and women going to view Sai Baba (darshan) or the fact that Sai Baba hides daily and at night in a fortress-built apartment palace. He is guarded by additional Israel-trained commandos visibly armed with automatic weapons, he travels in a bomb-proof vehicle. No one can get into Sai Baba’s presence with the tiniest of items that could conceivably be used as any kind of weapon. Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama has convincingly lived non-violence in all he does (not just in constant torrents of repetitive words as does Sai Baba) and has never had to conceal himself nearby in a room in his own ashram while four close attendants were assassinated with his tacit and later public approval, or condone subsequent cover-ups and quashing of all legal redress to the victims’ families.

Sai Baba claims that his word is absolute law in all things – whose will is always done by mega-obsequious officials in the ashram – would not even risk answering any questions about the murders, (just reread Sai Baba’s devious, insubstantial Gurupurnima discourse in 1993 about related details!). Also this “ever-tranquil, totally unaffected” Sai Baba dropped his guard and showed everyone his hidden hand in his Xmas 2000 discourse… namely, that by damning his critics to constant rebirths in many shameful lives, he is not compassionate or loving of everyone (as he has always claimed before and since, even of his detractors). More recently, he has damned various Indian newspaper editors to the same fate. Has the Dalai Lama ever damned or threatened anyone like that? The answer is a resounding ‘No!’

The Dalai Lama, however, is never patronising nor does he harangue the whole world for being impure and under the sway of inhuman and demonic forces, as does Sai Baba constantly. Sai Baba talks down to people from a position of claimed eminence. He constantly points to his own works and service and hardly ever attributes any credit to anyone else, boasting most embarrassingly about his achievements: i.e. none do 1000th of what he does, he announced at Christmas 2000. Others do all the work and provide the funds for all to which he so selflessly lends ‘His Precious Name’. He celebrates himself and his birthdays like no other event, claiming it is the devotees who want it. But the fact is, known to those who speak with frank ashramites, that almost only he thrives on it; most residents dread it. It is Sai Baba’s annual super self-praise event at Prashanti Nilayam, where he rides on in his bizarre silver-encrusted motorised chariot-cum-jeep. All that matters is numbers and show!

See 16 points of comparison between the Dalai Lama and Sathya Sai Baba

See the Public Petition for Official Investigations of Sathya Sai Baba and His Worldwide Organization

Sathya Sai Baba ashrams in decline

Our contacts in the ashrams inform us how apartments in Prashanthi Nilayam – and in Puttaparthi village – have become quite a drug on the market nowadays, not least due to the decline of the Sathya Sai following from abroad and the unavailability of Sai Baba for interviews etc., while the credit crunch has not helped either.Western ladies who were once permanent residents have been persecuted and ignored so much that they have had to leave the ashram and even relinquish their apartments (always without a cent of recompense, also despite however much money they may have invested in making them livable). The Sathya Sai airport – a white elephant from the start – has been on the market for a long time but not been sold despite attempts to offload it with diverse sweeteners in the form of a large tract of extra land for property development.The State authorities pump in money and services to make Puttaparthi a tourist centre, which has attracted a large number of low-class Indian ‘spiritual holidaymakers’. mostly apparently hoping to benefit materially and/or socially from a visit.

The pleading faces and begging postures of many devotees at darsan – not least Westerners and a number of the selected VIPs – shows how true after all were Sai Baba’s words about the majority of people coming for something they want from him. Some have gained favours by sitting inordinate lengths of time in the ‘lines’ before darshan to get a prominent place (regardless of others whom they thereby displace) month after month until Sai Baba could hardly fail to reward them without seeming very hard-hearted to all those who observe these sad cases. The thousands of hours of discomfort they undergo – and their blank faces and often self-piteous expressions in front of Sai Baba – says at least as much about their level of desperation and dependency as their faith. They continue this behaviour when they are made VIPs too! The fixation one observes in them and others shows what a personality cult the Sai Baba movement really is. Those who strive in all ways to become important in the movement are mostly self-important, self-seeking and often uncivil persons who I would definitely have avoided entirely had I not then been a devotee… they mostly recall the phrase, ‘fools rush in where angels fear to tread’.

The foreigners who live long-term or permanently at Sai Baba ashrams develop an almost visible ‘residential patina’ that seems to serve as protection against all the abrasions and scours that they receive regularly from the native powers-that-be, from most of the ashram staff, from members of the ‘Seva Dal’, from other competitive residents and visitors and from the inevitable low caste workers and corrupt hangers-on of all kinds. Particularly vintage ashram ladies have this tough veneer, along with carefully adopted Indian traits like perfect use of saris, wiliness in learning short-cuts to privileges and condescending attitudes towards newcomers. I have never seen or heard of more than an exceptional few of these people doing anything except take care of their own quotidian affairs… no service work, no proper study or self-discipline… just following the routines, always knowing how to ‘cut corners’ and generally get ahead of others.

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Please go to the Public Petition for Official Investigations of Sathya Sai Baba and His Worldwide Organization

Sathya Sai Baba’s ‘curtain of shame’ & ‘doors of disgrace’

Sathya Sai Baba devotees have long been circulating rationalizations about the infamous ‘curtain of shame’ behind which their Guru-God gives private interviews, especially to boys and young men, often alone. The “curtain of shame” is a telling phrase, but it also tends to hide the fact that there are also solid doors which Sathya Sai Baba closes when it suits him.

The lines on which devotee denials go are as follows:- ‘It is not possible to seduce anyone behind the curtain because:-

1) a curtain cannot conceal such an act taking place from those in the main room, one would see or hear it -

2) the time people are in the private inner interview room is too short.

3) there would be clear signs in the behaviour of the victim, marks on his or Sai Baba’s clothing etc., if anything so serious had taken place.’

These points are easily refuted on the basis of facts, even without reading the dozens of detailed and credible personal testimonies of those who have been molested behind the curtain and/or the doors.

Concerning 1): the obvious must be pointed out. Why can a curtain not conceal the view? The door is so placed, both at Prashanthi and Brindavan interview rooms, that most people cannot see the inside of the inner room from where they sit even when the curtain is drawn back. Many have experienced how difficult it is to hear anything but an occasional mumbling from the inner room, even when the curtain is not drawn! Sai Baba does not stand before the door opening, except perhaps when one enters. His seats are usually not at all near the door.
More crucial, however, is the fact that the inner interview room in the Prashanthi temple (mandir) is separated from the main interview room by a curtain, yes, but also by two fairly narrow but solid wooden double doors. These used to be of natural polished teak wood, until they were painted a rich blue colour (as clearly seen in the image above with the bloody floor in the interview room after the murder episode in 1993).

My wife and I have seen the doors firmly closed when young men have been taken into the inner room on several occasions. They were also closed on at least two of the occasions when we were taken in there.  In the Trayee Brindavan interview room, the inner room is yet more isolated from the main one, and a curtain and a door can be used there too. We both know two males well who were abused by Sai Baba behind that door – oral sex included! We have seen a boy and two young men taken into the private room singly by Sai Baba – so the testimony by former leader. Ashok Bhagani, of the UK Sathya Sai organization that this never occurs is false indeed! (See Ashok Bhagani denies fully documented facts)

Concerning 2): the private interviews vary in length and can last up to 10 minutes, especially when young men are invited in. From the main interview room, I have witnessed 10 minute private interviews with a student or very young man on several occasions. The curtain is supposedly not drawn when ladies get a private interview, though we have seen it drawn across where there were more than one lady together with Sai Baba. Sai Baba closed the doors when a close lady friend of ours and another lady were given the private interview in 1987.

Genital oiling by Sathya Sai Baba is confirmed and condoned by leading Sai office-bearers (including Thorbjørn Meyer, Steen Piculell, Jørgen Trygved, and also by Phyllis Krystal etc.) The time taken for Sai Baba to oil young men anywhere from the lower stomach to the penis and the perineum [i.e. between the anus and the gonads], can be quite brief.  When a boy has been kissed on the mouth and oiled, some reported Sai Baba masturbated them. They often still go to interviews – mostly in considerable confusion, no doubt, because they have come to believe he is a Divine Incarnation who can do no wrong, who is entirely pure and who may be healing them of ailments they do not even know they have! Sai Baba is reported as saying to various candidates that it is for their health, or raising the kundalini etc. The next step can be undertaken well within 5 minutes and yet better within ten, which means that the time factor is not really a problem.

The seduction techniques of pederasts are well known in the medical literature, the gradual approach at first and more daring and unexpected quick advances soon afterwards. It is known that some enjoy the excitement of taking risks, such as that of discovery.  When a boy or young man who has been brought up to believe that Sai Baba is nothing short of Know-all God Almighty and is a regular Shiva Destroyer as much as a blissful Krishna, he is obviously easy to handle. It was reported by several boys – and even by their girlfriends (see Hilda Wright and Gabriel M.)  – that Sai Baba grabbed at their crotches surreptitiously in the main interview room before a large group.

Concerning 3): The likely or possible behaviour of those coming out after sexual abuse is an issue. My wife and I have seen young men who have been given many interviews come out of the inner room after longish periods. The first time they are usually quite excited and tell much (if not perhaps all) about it. Some we have seen after 5 or more interviews come out with blank faces and will tell us nothing, despite the fact that we never remotely suspected anything untoward could have been taking place. This is confirmed by the reports of those who have spoken out about the abuses and how envious many devotees have been of them for all the attention they were getting more and more unwanted attention as time went on. Sathya Sai Baba is widely reported as saying  to those who report his sexual molestations, “Do not tell anyone about this” and/or “Do not tell you mother” (or father or parents).

It took real bravery – after terrible confusions and fears – for those who decided to tell the truth and make known what had happened to them, often in the face of 100% devoted parents and other family members and – of course – risking criticism, ridicule, ostracism slander and yet worse from other devotees and the Sai Baba attack man, Gerald Moreno, who heartlessly and relentlessly slanders and stalks them on the Internet. This is largely what happened in Sweden to the young man known as ‘the Golden Boy’ who spoke out at a crisis Sai meeting in Stockholm. Many devotees who had known him a long time would not even believe him, despite his anguish and tears, and put it down to mental disturbance, imagination and so on! They reacted likewise to the account of a boy who also bore witness to sex abuse, supported by his mother (Britt-Marie Andeén) who then closed down the Sai school she had started in Gothenberg and spoke out firmly on the matter. Since the evidence came pouring in from young men around the world from 2000 onwards, sheer betrayal was the reaction of nearly all devotees against the testifiers. So much for ‘listening to ones conscience’ and ‘help ever, hurt never’ and all that hypocrisy to cover up head-in-sand selfishness .

Countless devotees are in denial even after being TOLD FIRST-HAND by a victim, so how would they ever notice anything untoward when a young man comes out of the interview room looking serious and disturbed? They would have plenty of theories ready to explain it… Swami must have had to correct him strictly, and suchlike rubbish. Would they be in a fit state of mind to see any signs of abuse? Would they be searching for marks left by semen, oral sex or what… or even recognise it if they saw it in that situation? Absolutely not! All visitors know that Sai Baba always has at least one handkerchief very handy. Anyone who has been in a Sai Baba interview can ask, if Sai Baba had molested him or her, would they have come out and given any hint in front of so many largely fanatical followers, and servitors who are known on at least three occasions to have beaten up people very violently right out in the darshan lines. Would they have denounced Sai Baba in the ashram where there was a covering up the darkest possible doings… four cold-blooded executions in Sai Baba’s bedroom in 1993?

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Full coverage of the Sathya Sai Baba sex abuse testimonies and their history

Please see the Public Petition for Official Investigations of Sathya Sai Baba and His Worldwide Organization