Understanding religion – the origins and persistence of such diverse beliefs

The Origins and Persistence of Religious Belief and Faith in God Wonder and awe at existence, at the world early humankind lived in and not least at ‘the heavens’ are common to us all and there is evidence that neolithic humans also had the capacity and the time for this. The human condition of not knowing the whys, hows and wherefores of being pertains even today, though is doubtless not so overwhelming as it once was. This awe cannot have been insulated from fear, which is so closely related to ignorance.

Otherworldliness and futile escapism It is almost unavoidable that a person  – even if not brought up to some religious faith and even well-educated in the relevant sciences – will sooner or later become interested in age-long traditions of many kinds that try to prepare those who aspire to greater understanding and realization of their own potentialities…

Can religion and ideologies lead to cognitive disorder? Religious faith depends upon a system of beliefs, not proven facts and certainly not scientifically verifiable facts. It depends on much more than belief as such. The influences of parents and the mental and emotional imprinting to which their children are subjected forms a basis – naive childhood acceptance of beliefs.

The agnosticism vs. atheism issue and and secularism Some key distinctions for the science-religion debates: If ‘atheism’ means “100% certainty or conviction that there is no god or cosmic intelligence which created or sustains the universe” then there must be few who can – on proper reflection – subscribe to its literal sense. To do so it to become a rigid know-all…

Religion as ’emulation of the adult by the child’ Religion is the encystment of past beliefs: mythology, which is guesswork, the assumptions of trust in the universe, those pronouncements which men have made in search of personal power, all of it mingled with shreds of enlightenment. And always the ultimate unspoken commandment is “Thou shalt not question!” But we question.

The brain as a belief machine Much has been discovered in recent times about how beliefs are formed, what conditions the process – especially through neurological studies.  I recommend the following work as an important contribution to the subject The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies—How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths. By Michael Shermer.

The ‘Labyrinth fallacy’ in extensive belief systems  There are systems of thought and belief which are seldom easily recognised as being a convoluted circular ‘labyrinth’ of ideas. The logical fallacy involved is circularity or self-contradiction, but this is not easily detected because of the complexity and extended nature of the particular idea-system or ‘labyrinthine’ doctrine. Wherever there is a vast collection of thoughts, ideas, beliefs and practices which are based on speculative reasoning and unlikely assumptions, one can become lost to oneself.

Ten Reasons why unbelievers dislike religion Among the restrictions common to most mainstream religions are certain human values which are not recognised, causing the rejection of religion by those who lean towards modern humanitarianism, fairness and equality, avoidance of ideological conflict and and scientifically sound decisions.

The crucial ‘test of faith’ in religions, sects and cults Tests of faith are a part of all traditional religious views and doctrines and are invariably supportive of a priesthood, guru, church or religion. They are a very subtle means of manipulating the minds of guru-followers developed over many centuries, often embroiling people in mental networks of uncertainties and striving, which most likely bear no other fruits than keeping the ‘spiritual master’ in his fortunate, revered and comfortable position.

Sai Baba failed mega-claims – a selection

Self-proclaimed Avatar and ‘Saviour of mankind’ claims defeated by events

The quotes of Sathya Sai Baba’s words below demonstrate his immoderately exorbitant claims about himself, his ‘divine glory’ and power, his prophesies of what he would certainly achieve and the utter transformation of the world he would bring about, often even ‘in a few days’. These claims are only a part of his all-encompassing self-praise and unprecedented assertions about his avataric qualities and mission. The obvious fact that they were never fulfilled as claimed or predicted speaks volumes about the abuse of faith and fraudulence upon which he and his collusive cronies lived.

(Click here to see the collected scans from original publications of the material presented below)

 

“In the days ahead, the whole world will be obliged to come to Prashanthi Nilayam” (Sanathana Sarathi December 1991)

“The whole world will be transformed into Sathya Sai Organisation and Sathya Sai will be installed in the hearts of one and all.” (Sanathana Sarathi, January 1999 – page 16)

“You are going to witness the divine glory of Swami unfolding in the days to come. He will attract the whole world. There won’t be place for people to stand even. You can see it for yourself, what a great change has occurred during the last one month! All are getting attracted to Swami.” Discourse 16 March 2003 in Sanathana Sarathi, April 2003, p. 125.”

“In a few days the entire world will come here” His presence will be felt all over the world” – Sanathana Sarathi (Aug. 95) p. 203 & Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 28 p. 213

“My Name and Form will soon be found getting established everywhere. They will occupy every inch of the world.” – Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram (Kasturi’s biography) – Vol 3 p. 112 (p. 152 in USA edition)

“Sanathan Dharma… let Me assure you, will be re-established in all its glory throughout the world, so that the world might have peace and prosperity. That is the mission upon which I have come.” Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram (Kasturi’s biography) – Vol 3 p. 80 (U.S. edition)

“This is a human form in which every Divine entity every Divine Principle…. are manifest” – Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 8 p.99

“I am the embodiment of all Shaktis (powers) ” – Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 2 p.114

Sai embodies all 4 values of Rama/Krishna etc. – Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 2 p.113

“God can do anything. He has all power in the palm of His hand. My body, like all other bodies, is a temporary habitation but My power is eternal, all-pervasive, ever-dominant.” – Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram (Kasturi’s biography) – Vol 3 p. 136 (US edition)

“I had to come in this human form but with more than the human power and wisdom” – Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram (Kasturi’s biography) – Vol 3 p. 309 (U.S. edition)

“I have resolved to enfold the people of the world in the fostering care of Universal Love as laid down in the Vedas. For the world is My mansion and the Continents are the halls therein. I have come to inscribe a golden chapter in the history of humanity, wherein falsehood will fail, truth will triumph, and virtue will reign. Character will confer power then, not knowledge or inventive skill or wealth. Wisdom will be enthroned in the Councils of Nations.” Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram (Kasturi’s biography) – Vol 3 p.22 (US edition)

“Trust in My wisdom: I do not make mistakes. Love my uncertainty! For it is not a mistake. It is My Intent and Will. Remember, nothing happens without My Will. Be still. Do not want to understand; do not ask to understand. Relinquish understanding. Relinquish the imperative that demands understanding.” Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram (Kasturi’s biography) – Vol 3 p. 47 (US edition)

“Tune in to My mighty Power which, compared to the power of the sun which I have placed in the heavens, is what a baby’s breathing is to a typhoon.” Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram (Kasturi’s biography) – Vol 3 p. 122 (US edition)

“I am the inner spring in all that moves and exists. I am the energy, the power that propels and impels. I am the knower, the known and the knowledge. But, I do not display capriciously or confound you. I am an example, and inspiration, an instruction. My Life is a commentary on this message-” Day after Vijayadasami. 1970 Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram (Kasturi’s biography) – Vol 3 p. 122 (U.S. edition)

“Very soon, the entire world will be united. In fact, after 28 years, the world itself will become “Bharat”. Everyone will call themself a Bharatiya (one imbued with godliness — Bhagavat rathas). No one will refer to themself as belonging to this state or that state, this region or that region.” (Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1978)

VHP’s leader Singhal Reported The VHP leader, while disclosing his discussion with Satya Sai Baba, said that Sai Baba had informed him that between 2020 and 2030 the whole India would be of Hindus and after 2030 the whole world would be of Hindus” (if unavailable see scan here or here)

“Today is Krishna Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna. I am making a promise today that the people of all the countries, viz. Pakistan, China, Germany, Russia will be united. That should be our goal. The goodness of Bharat will lead to this unity.” Sanathana Sarathi journal, 11 August 2001

“In fact, there is no trace of hatred or enmity in Me at any time. I love all. That is why everyone loves Me.” (Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 36, p- 86 & 06/05/2003 http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume36/sss36-10.pdf) “… nobody is against me. Everyone loves and none hates me.” (p. 262)

“There is no trace of anger or hatred in Me and hence everyone loves Me” (Sathya Sai Baba Sanathana Sarathi 11th August 2001 in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam). (Also translated alternatively as “No one hates Me. I love everyone. All love Me.” )

“…all people love Me.” Sathya Sai Discourse, Convocation 22 November, 2008
“My construction will cover the entire Universe.” Sathya Sai Baba Discourse, October 1961 p. 120, ‘Sathya Sai Speaks’ Vol 2.

“In a matter of days, you will see that the Divine glory will increase, imparting joy and bliss to all. All the unrest will soon be eradicated from the face of the earth.” Sanathana Sarathi April 3003, p. 125

Sathya Sai Organization President of 10 states resignation

Among the many professional who were leaders in the Sathya Sai Organization who learned from victims and their families of sexual abuses by Sathya Sai Baba was the child psychologist Shirley Pike – who is hence also a mandatory reporter of abuses. She took the full consequences of her discoveries, unlike many of those leaders in the organization who failed to heed their consciences despite all the pompous talk about truth, goodness and human values. These self-serving leaders of Sai Baba’s organization and other institutions have further tried their utmost to hide not only the facts but all reports by those who have confirmed those facts through professional and personal investigations. This applies as much to all who are promoting Sathya Sai Baba today as it did in the past. Actually, they are pitiful examples of persons suffering under cognitive delusions upheld by personal emotional and social needs for a guru figure and the imagined ‘meaning to life’ that his doctrine propagates – even though he is thoroughly compromised in many ways and by his own words. Such weakness of character is not at all uncommon, of course, but it is no less indefensible for that.

EDITORIAL January 22, 2001 Letter Of Resignation  BY SHIRLEY PIKE EDITORIAL, Jan 22 (VNN) — Comment Dear Editor, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your compassionate and thoughtful editorial entitled “An Open Letter To The Followers Of Sathya Sai Baba” by Frank Morales. I resigned my position as president of a ten state region in the United States in late May (see attached resignation letter) after learning about the allegations and verifying them to my satisfaction. I have been working with an international group of ex-devotees, many of them the actual victims of Sathya Sai Baba’s sexual molestation, for the last six months to expose this “horrific scandal”, as you so aptly term it. The saddest and most difficult aspect of all of this is the damage done to Sathya Sai Baba’s devotees and to their faith. Many families, my own included, are torn assunder as some members retain their faith in Sathya Sai Baba in the face of all evidence to the contrary. Those who take a stand against him are shunned, losing a community they held dear for decades in many cases. Not only is the focus of your spiritual life gone, but your friends and family and community are gone as well. Thank you so much for reaching out and offering support to us in this very dark hour. That is true dharma. Sincerely and God Bless, Shirley Pike former president of the North Central Region of the Sathya Sai Baba Organization of the United States of America Letter of Resignation  May 28, 2000 Dear brothers, sisters, and officers of the North Central Region and the Central Council, It is with great pain and sadness that I am writing to you today. One week ago, I resigned as president of the North Central Region, giving verbal notification to the National Coordinator, William Harvey, Ph.D. Serving the North Central Region’s centers, study groups, and individual devotees has been one of the most joyful and fulfilling experiences of my life. Never have I had the privilege of knowing so many wonderful, loving, giving, and spiritually dedicated people. I thank all of you for your gracious and kind support of me as we worked together for our spiritual growth and development. The reason for my resignation will probably dismay and shock many of you. A few weeks ago I received information from a fellow long-time devotee of an e-mail she had received concerning acts of pedophilia by Sathya Sai Baba. I had the e-mail forwarded to me and I personally investigated the information contained in that e-mail. I spoke personally to various individuals who had first hand experience with inappropriate behavior by Sai Baba. These individuals are respectable, credible, intelligent and have no axes to grind of any sort. I came away from these conversations believing these individuals and have therefore resigned and am sending you this letter. I am in the midst of a personal grieving process, involving all the typical stages of grief, including shock, denial, bargaining, profound sadness, despair, and acceptance. I am grieving because I believe that Sathya Sai Baba is a charlatan, who has used the power gained by the love and reverence of his followers and the truth of ancient Vedic Doctrines and Scriptures to sexually molest boys and young men from about the ages of eight to thirty. It is these allegations of unspeakable, abhorrent sexual molestation that force me to write this letter to you. I have personally investigated these allegations and spoken with several people who have either had direct personal sexual experiences or who know someone very well, i.e. an immediate family member, who has been abused. Two of these individuals are former regional officers, who have resigned their posts and whom I have known for many years. I trust them, know them to have exemplary character and believe they would not lie. Further, they have nothing to gain and everything to lose by coming forward with their experiences. These experiences include numerous accounts of Sai Baba rubbing male genitals with oil, mutual masturbation, mutual oral sexual gratification, and even anal intercourse by Sai Baba. As a child psychologist who is familiar with the emotional devastation that sexual abuse causes its victims and the classic patterns of abuse, I found these accounts and the individuals’ reactions, to my horror, highly credible. As a school psychologist, I am a mandatory reporter. This means that under Iowa law I am required to report any allegation or well founded suspicion to the authorities. If Sai Baba were a mere trickster fleecing people for their money, I would prefer to go quietly into the night, preserve my friendships with devotees, and not disrupt the faith of others. But, as an officer who has promoted Sathya Sai Baba as an avatar, I have both a moral and a legal obligation to warn all of the members and officers in this region and the national leaders that any male between approximately the ages of eight and thirty is potentially at risk for sexual molestation should they go to India to see Sathya Sai Baba and have a private interview. I do not expect anyone to take what I am saying at face value. If you wish to investigate on your own as I have done, then feel free to contact me and I will provide you with the information to reach those who have had direct experiences and you can make your own determination. Please begin by looking at “The Findings” by David Bailey on this website: http://www.exbaba.com/articles/p_holbach/eng/finds_e.htm. You can telephone me at (319) 373-2434 or email me at sairama@home.com, but only if you are sincerely interested in additional information. I do not wish to engage in arguments or debate. My heart goes out to one and all and my love for you remains steadfast. I will miss your good company more than you can know. May God bless you and keep you, and give you peace. Shirley Pike

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Vishal Arora Indian journalist exposes Sathya Sai Baba

‘The Caravan’ Magazine on Sathya Sai Baba by independent investigative journalist Vishal Arora states:-

As Arora found out, there is a most powerful and widely extended cadre of Sathya Sai Baba worshippers in power in India, most of whom having been outspoken as worshipping devotees for many years. Prestige, favours, money and, above all, the fear or ridicule for having been so thoroughly taken in by a widely accused pedophile and accomplice to murder of his own devotees is a powerful factor in their continued fear (and blocking) of investigations of any kind into Sathya Sai Baba. Vishal Arora writes:- There is no lack of powerful, high-profile people cutting across political parties and spheres, professing their faith in Sai Baba. Justice PN Bhagwati, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India in 1985 and 1986, calls him “divinity incarnate” in Baba is God in Human Form: Experiences of Divinity of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. In the same book, Shivraj Vishwanath Patil, currently Governor of Punjab and former Union Home Minister, says, “He is the knowledge; He is the wisdom personified.” Shankarrao Bhavrao Chavan, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra for two terms and former Union Home and Finance Minister, says he has “no hesitation in saying, whatever position and status I have is purely because of Bhagwan’s blessings.” And further:-

Sai Baba amrita (nectar) at Srirangapatna orphanage

When first I met Halagappa he told me his life story in 1985, I was the only visitor and he spent hours talking. At the time I was willing to trust devotees’ honesty, but I soon learned much greater circumspection. Halagappa’s uncle took him to Shirdi Sai Baba, who hit him on the head, he claimed. He said he complained to his uncle who told him he was a fool, that it was a blessing which would cure him. He said his uncle asked Shirdi Sai to look after his nephew in future, and Shirdi Sai agreed. This was also claimed in the Shirdi Sai literature about quite another person. Much later I worked out the dates. Shirdi Sai died in 1918, but when Halagappa told me this in 1985, he was about my age (then 50) and could not possibly have been 70 or more years old as he would have had to be had he ever med Shirdi Sai Baba. So he exposed himself to me as a liar. He did tell me how Sathya Sai Baba exposed him as the baggage thief he was and made him go to Mysore to start doing service looking after homeless children. He began to solicit donations for the temple based on reputed ‘materializations’ from a locked Sai Baba had once given him. He even added sugar to vibuti (dried cow dung called ‘holy ash’ in India) to make it more acceptable. He threw out his first wife and took a young women instead, and so Sathya Sai Baba never visited him or spoke to him again.

Before I went to the Srirangapatna place (still known appropriately as ‘The Thief’s Temple’) I had tasted amrit (so-called ‘nectar’ associated with the gods or Devas) The Danish youth who gave it to me and directed me to Halagappa said its unusual taste was ‘tea rose’, something I forgot until after I was disaffected and suddenly kept smelling amrit, until I realised it was from tea rose soap I had washed my hands with. Tea rose essence is extremely strong – has long been made in India – and a few drops will give a liter of sugar water a very heady perfume. A drop or jasmine or sandalwood essence might sometimes be used as well.

Halagappa was already receiving large donations, later including mine too, but the young orphans there were in rags and had no books or other visible goods. His young wife, however, wore diamonds and gold. Local neighbours informed a Western journalist I know well that Halagappa was prostituting the boys and girls there. He had agreements with taxi chauffeurs in Bangalore who brought many Sai Baba visitors and those of unlimited blind faith who are always seeking excitement and miracles to his ‘temple’.

However, few take seriously Sai Baba’s well-known warning:  “in Mysore state there are some who distribute amrith, vibhuuthi and other articles announcing that they are showering from their pictures at their places… Devotees should keep far away from such places and persons” (Sathya Sai Speaks vol. 10, p. 186). His journal has twice warned about the Mysore orphanage and money collection. Halagappa is still a thief, only on a far grander scale.

Sathya Sai Baba said further: “In Mysore State there are some who distribute amrith, vibuthi (holy ash) … they do this free for some weeks, and later, they start begging for money, like any common mendicant! This is a sin…” [Sathya Sai Speaks Vol 11. p. 146]. The office at Prashanthi told me Halagappa has never been authorised by them or Sai Baba to collect funds!

Sathya Sai Speaks Vol 10 – p 186f refers to the orphanage near Mysore:: “Some happenings in Mysore and Madras are to be drastically condemned… I never allot in this manner, nor do I hand over my powers to anyone…” and “They could carry a begging bowl and go from door to door; that at least will save them from a life of deceit and sacrilege.” This describes Halagappa well.

In Sai Baba’s official journal, Sanathana Sarathi, Feb. 1988, p. 51 we read:-

“THE WARNING , AGAIN  We have received enquiries from overseas devotees as to whether they can make donations to organisations in India carrying Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s name and claiming to run an orphanage at Srirangapatman (in Karnataka)… etc. Recognised Sathya Sai Organizations are not permitted to solicit donations from any source. (etc.) THE EDITOR

Gullible devotees pretend to know that the amrit and vibuthi there are miraculous. They have no proof because Halagappa could easily get an objective evaluation by scientists, but it is NOT in his interests! It is based on belief, auto-suggestion and strong longing to see miracles, their having completely lost any investigative spirit and become incapable of truly critical questioning where Sai Baba and all related phenomena are concerned.

Read a fuller account of the supposed miracle with photos – and the faking involved – here.

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Information on the Public Petition for Official Investigations of Sathya Sai Baba and His Worldwide Organization
See also Devotee attacks on the Sai petition and petitioners

Falsehood and infamy – Sathya Sai Baba

“There are some jealous and petty minds who do false and imaginary propaganda. I take no note of this”

but Sai Baba noted that he does notice… just there!
He sees the need to combat what he knowing lies is ‘imaginary propaganda’ and so he must have been moved to notice it to respond like this! All can see that Sai Baba badly wants to limit the damage to his movement and especially to foreign donations.

“In the single family of humankind, where is the room for jealousy or hatred? These are all imaginary.”
I suppose Baba means among Arabs, terrorists, the most jingoistic Americans perhaps? He is still offering the pseudo-philosophy of ‘whatever you imagine, is true for you’. This may be an effective way of influencing those who can’t face the staring facts… and so choose to follow that old, old trick of mental enslavement, ‘The guru is never wrong, doubt only yourself!’

A frequently repeated complaint by Sathya Sai Baba, parroted by devotees, is that he has through the years been charged with unfair and undocumented accusations of many kinds. Both by sceptics and disaffected followers. These latter he fatuously claims were ‘dissatisfied’ or disappointed by unfulfilled expectations as to getting his, Sai Baba’s attention. Not so at all – not a few of these apostates could never wish to see him, [let along touch him, after what they have learned about him]. Sai devotees call the critics ‘disgruntled’, when many are righteously disgusted and disillusioned by having found him out for what he is – a major deceiver and an impure person, according to over 30 young mens’ testimonies of sexual molestation by him.

His cowed defensiveness towards all who have left him is seen when he churns out his usual illogical defence against criticisms:
“Stones are thrown only on fruit-bearing trees. Similarly, good people receive brickbats.” (Sanathana Sarathi September 2002, p. 267)

But some people who do very bad things receive more brickbats and deserve them! Sai Baba overlooks that the ‘bad men’ of whom he himself sometimes speaks (mainly in interviews) also sometimes receive brickbats. He is certainly a case in point!

In Sanathana Sarathi (11-92, p. 261) we read, “The minds of the so-called devotees are turned in the wrong direction. If their desires are fulfilled, they praise Me. But, once a desire is not realised they go to the extent of even reviling me. Even while they are attempting to understand Me, they harbour doubts from head to foot. Some even leave me, when their worldly desires are not fulfilled.” He also took the transparent precaution of warning devotees that he will have to separate “the grain from the chaff”, as if it were his own plan that devotees who cease to believe or accept him are rejected by him firstly! So he is not at all so powerful as he claims and maybe actually sometimes imagines.

One cannot but note that such precautionary smokescreens are most convenient for those who know they have something to hide. Much that will not stand the light of day has already come to light and his reputation is fading as the word spreads. No follower has not heard some of the reasons, however much they run away mentally from the facts (and knowing more such facts). This is the very nature of longer term mindless ‘surrender’ and blind servility and sacrifice to a God-figure whom they hope upon hope may help them out and deliver them from whatever bad may be to come.

Sathya Sai Baba defends himself by saying he predicted this all along. He KNEW he would be found out eventually because of the sheer scale and depravity of the abuses of which he stands accused and from which he hides from prosecution behind his many devotee judges and Prime Ministers.

Sai Baba loses his cool and lies blatantly about his critics!

See the entire infamous and unforgiving Christmas Day 2000 Discourse here.

The present writer was unable, for obvious reasons, to sustain faith in Sai Baba’s statements or many of his much-blazoned activities. I have come to know that he is by no means infallible, nor is it remotely possible that he all that he claims to be. He seems to possess so-called paranormal powers, which many others have done (and often people of a non-spiritual nature). Further, he has dark sides of which even some very frequent interviewees have no knowledge. Though I have never myself noticed sexual behaviour on his part, the evidence from many countries through decades has piled up to an extent where abuse cannot seriously be denied.

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Sathya Sai Baba ‘leelas’

I have encountered many devotees of Sathya Sai Baba who get doubts about what he says, what he expects them to do, what is good for them and so on… then decide to ‘ask Swami himself’. But, since they almost never can’t get to ask him in person, they use some other method for deriving his answer. One common practice is to draw one of three prepared papers left on the shrine. One will have the word ‘yes’, another ‘no’ and a third ‘wait’. Some just spin coins or roll dice! Special coins (Umi and Tumi) are even on sale at some Sai shops for this purpose.

Or the uncertain devotee may set up some other precondition of getting his answer like, “If I see a dog wagging its tail today when I go shopping, then Baba’s answer is ‘yes’. (They usually fail to consider that not seeing  it must therefore mean ‘no’!).” If the person’s idea is realised, then this event becomes a ‘graceful leela of the Lord’ (his play with his creation) and is taken as further evidence of Sathya Sai Baba’s self-proclaimed omnipresence. If the desired result is not forthcoming, then one can always forget it and have another try with something else. I have witnessed many people at the Sai Baba ashrams and in his organization  making the most absurd assumptions and conclusions in this way.

Flipping open a volume of Sathya Sai Baba’s discourses (like ‘asking the Bible’) is a typical method. Whether one sticks to the first sentence one sees, or chooses another which lends itself better to a somewhat relevant meaning, probably depends on the level of desperation of the seeker.

Those who get ‘the right answers’ are often unaware that this kind of phenomenon is by no means restricted to one name and form. It is a very common occurrence, and often works well when there has been greater investment of emotional and mental energy behind the question. In this way one may even  enter communication with spirits of the dead, or aliens on an UFO, or the Director of the CIA… and get wonderful answers. As to religionists who communicate with God… well, that is the ultimate example! There are even those who base their life decisions on a throw of the dice. In all these kinds of case, coincidences that occur become meaningful messages from the beyond and whichever entity one may believe in.

The psychologist C.G. Jung, who experienced many  ‘strange coincidences’ and investigated the question deeply, naming these effects ‘synchronicities’. He reckoned that they have to do with the power of projection of subconscious energies and that there is somehow a ‘collective unconscious’ whereby thoughts and symbols are processed and transmitted between minds across time and space. So far most of Jung’s ideas have not been scientifically tested, though a vast plethora of speculative thought has developed around his theory. It seems extremely unlikely that they are the work of what many – along with Jung – believe to be discarnate ‘elementals’. These include deities, earth spirits, djinns, ‘fairies’, demons, succubi, demons, mischievous spirits and the whole range of identities these forces have been given in different cultures and ages and represent powers that seem to exist without being embodied). There is, of course, no guarantee of goodness (let alone divinity) being attached to any such phenomena. It is an area fraught with deceits, delusions, self-deceptions, fraud. Such is life in many a guru cult…

Properly investigated explanations of these ‘meaningful coincidences’ may come in time. I have always followed developments in this area and, as neuroscience successfully delves deeper into the brain’s vast creativity, the re-creation of many psychic states and experiences through stimulating areas of the brain are showing that one may even have so-called ‘after-death’ experiences that way… or experience a range of hallucinatory states of mind, and even enjoy ‘mystical bliss’ and apparent paranormal perceptions.

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http://home.no.net/anir/Sai/enigma

This page is for the benefit of those who used to visit my former website about Sathya Sai Baba and may be looking for titles that were present there. The page is now regenerated and re-linked

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE PAGE OF HOME.NO.NET/anir/Sai/enigma

Sathya Sai Baba exposed by German person

The dispute over the divinity of Sathya Sai Baba

No master of the Indian kind has aroused so much hope and expectation in such large crowds of people as has Sai Baba. With his “miracles” – materializations staged before thousands of supporters,- he binds in the psyche of the believing masses. The religious experiences can be impressive when so much captured spiritual energy and healing force from around him may be going on. Sai Baba is an authority for tens of thousands.

Probably, but no other master has disappointed so abysmally those who came to him, as seen in the report compiled by Faye and David Bailey – “The Findings”. The Bailey couple glorified Sai Baba in their earlier books. They later suffered traumatic experiences, and after many conversations with people who did so too, they collected reports and observations of the disillusioned. Their reports document harrowing experiences of the many victims who had thought they had “found God” – after a life of unquestioning devotion to that they were cheated.

The love of Sai Baba was rejected by most dissidents due to observation that Sai Baba’s “miracles” are pretty unprofessional tricks. From a distance, the trick difficult or impossible be to see  – as I experienced too.  The throng of the faithful wonder at every so-called materialization and acknowledge all the ashes created from nothing with applause. Many who get close to him  that he seem to see him to create ash from nothing (from his right hand). However, he clearly carries the ash in pill form in his left hand from which the. The ashes “materialise”.

What weighs heavier for devout disciples than these tricks are reports of the meeting with Sai Baba by some young male followers, who have told their own personal experiences. A tragic attack by former pupils of Sathya Sai Baba’s college in 1993 led to criticism by political observers who discussed Sai Baba’s ritual of ‘anointing’  of young men, relating it to homosexual inclinations. More recently, reports of sexual abuse by Western and Indian students of Sai Baba provided a broad documentation of the degradation and disappointment.  Western observers’ critical question is, why was Sathya Sai Baba not convicted by Indian courts.

While the management at Sai Baba so far managed to go a long way towards silencing some of the disaffected, the abused have  since begun to organize. Despite their heavy accusations tens of thousands still believe in the divinity of their Master, of his super-human and divine qualities and his miracles which they compare with the miracles of Jesus. Christians reject this comparison. The miracles of Jesus do not remind of the kind of circus where Sai Baba performs miracles almost to entertain the masses while Jesus would have done so for the relief of distressing hardships. All these objections contest the claim of Sai Baba to be the authoritative divine incarnation of our time. But they do not diminish the feeling of success  in Puttaparthi:  Sai Baba is still rallying an army of idealistic-minded and self-sacrificing people who really want only one thing: an encounter with God. But, given the present evidence, how long – we ask ourselves –  will it take to break down their hopes and expectations under the weight of the accusations?

Georg Schmid, 2000

The above is translated/abstracted from the German text at:  http://www.relinfo.ch/sai/streit.html

Public Petition for Official Investigations of Sathya Sai Baba and his Worldwide Organization
View ex-follower signatures

Truth and rejecting doubts about Sathya Sai Baba

When serious doubts emerge, doubts that will not disappear and can only be ignored with difficulty, they too can grow as the facts go on bolstering them, whether one likes it or not. But if, when confronted face on and investigated, one’s doubt prove unjustified as mere unsubstantial rumours with no one to testify to them, they would dissipate and fall away. This does not happen with the allegations about Sathya Sai Baba , rather quite to the contrary.

‘The truth’ must to my mind not fly in the face of worldly facts, for truth surely cannot be entirely foreign to them?  If it is meaningful to speak (which is highly questionable) of an overall, eternal truth  surely these can’t be ENTIRELY foreign to or in contradiction of worldly facts? If it is so, then it seems pointless even to talk about it, for it is beyond any understanding or genuine meaning. So-called ‘transcendental’ or ‘eternal’ truth – whatever that may be other than mere words – must have meaningful relations to ‘worldly realities’ (i.e. facts) and what exists here and now, or it is worth no  further consideration. Gurus like Sathya Sai Baba who ask for ‘blind belief’ (especially as to their claims about themselves) are, in my opinion, a potential danger to civilised society and human values, especially when they break promises, practice fraud, clever deception and thus abuse people’s faith.

Sathya Sai Baba followers ignore all their emerging doubts as long as they can. If the should be discussed at all, they are soon rejected out of hand and supplanted by increasingly unlikely rationalizing to quell the anxiety no doubt caused by the thought of having made a massive mistake in one’s life. To confront those facts that undermine their indoctrination and largely self-programmed belief system – and do so as fully as possible before jumping to a conclusion  – requires an unusually high tolerance of mental and emotional uncertainty. They live with half-truths, but – as the proverb rightly has it – ‘a half-truth is often worse than a lie’. It would often call for a stable personality with resources and some interpersonal support system to enable regeneration of one’s well-being and self-confidence so one can and redirect life goals. One finds that nearly everyone who remains in the Sai movement cuts off contact, for they are too uncomfortable with anyone who calls these beliefs into question. This is psychological denial, it is also a result of negative mind control.

An example which illustrates much the above excellently is that given in his recent damning testimony against Sathya Sai Baba by Bas Engelbarts of Holland – Click here

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PLEASE SEE THE SAI PETITION AND DECIDE WHETHER TO SIGN IT

Convincing 1’st hand sex abuse testimony by young man

Author: Said (Afshin) Khorramshahgol

Email: shagols@itdc.koreanair.com Tue May 27 09:45:33 1997

Publisher: The NEURAL SURFER

Hello Professor Lane, as we had talked, I am giving you a thorough account of my experiences with Sai Baba. I hope that this will be of interest to people and will help them to understand what Baba is all about. Thank you for giving me the chance to write this essay.

I first got to know of Sai Baba in 1985 or 1986 through my brother. His friend had given him a book on Sai Baba which had a picture of Baba on the cover. I asked my brother who this person is and he explained to me what he so far knew about him. Being born a Moslem I rejected Baba from the very beginning because I couldn’t believe that another person – another human form if you want to be philosophical about it – could be God.

It wasn’t until 1990 or 1991 that I started to believe in Baba. At that time in my life I was very confused about life and the purpose of my existence. Many unanswered questions were in my mind and I was very confused and unhappy. Having heard of the “miracles” of Sai Baba through my brother who WAS A DEVOTEE OF SAI BABA, I thought to myself that if Baba can do such miracles, then he must know more about life, the world, the purpose of life, etc. I then started taking Sai Baba seriously. I started reading about him and also his teachings. Now that I look back, in all my confusion and mental torment, I was so desperate to believe in some philosophy that I jumped to believe in Baba and his philosophy. Also, I came to believe that Sai Baba is God by reasoning that he MUST BE A HOLY PERSON, and so he couldn’t lie. If he can’t tell a lie, then he is God because he says so. When I came to this conclusion, I felt as though I was in heaven. Could you imagine a day when God or a Messenger of God comes to earth and you get to be with him, close to him, see him, talk to him, etc? Could you imagine being next to the Messenger of God and believe full heartedly that He will save you? Could there be a better situation and feeling? That is how I felt and that’s how people feel when they first come to Sai Baba or any other person who says they are a Messenger or are divine or are in contact with God. At the beginning of my following Baba, I felt in seven heaven for months. I couldn’t get enough of looking at his pictures, meditating, reading his teachings and living life in accordance with his teachings, etc. I was totally being absorbed by him and his philosophy. Looking at other Sai devotees – followers – I found out that this is true for all devotees, that all who come to Baba, are in ecstasy first few months and later become very mentally distressed individuals. I am sure the current Sai devotees would dispute this but I have seen it over and over again. When I was feeling mentally distressed for reasons that I will soon explain, I would tell anyone and everyone that meeting Sai Baba was the best thing that happened to me and that I had never been happier. It wasn’t until much after that I realized that I was fooling myself to the point that I totally ignored and thought that there was no pain. Upon my studies on psychology, I realized that humans tend to do that. They tend to pretend something is true, to the point that it looks more and more as reality to them while others can see those short comings in them. I have seen many short comings in Sai devotees which they claim are not there.

So, I was very happy to have come to know of Sai Baba, of God. I put his teachings into practice fully. Slowly, I started to wear out. Baba’s teachings are very hard and I couldn’t keep up with them. For example it was hard to try to remember God at all times, especially when you have to concentrate on your daily tasks and God at the same time. I started feeling guilty for not being able to live up to Baba’s teachings and I would tell myself that I should be ashamed of myself for not doing what God wants me to do. Who or what kind of person gets to know God first hand and have the good chance to know him, while many billions of people don’t know him, and still not follow his teachings? I was failing on many instances, such as remembering God, being celibate, not listening to the desires of the body, the senses, the mind, etc. I had a very hard time remembering God and not falling to temptations. I was 19 or 20 and my hormones were exploding. Everytime I met Baba, he would tell me to control my sexuality and so on and I wasn’t able to. When the hormones were going full swing I would try to ignore my “bad” thoughts by trying to remember God. 99.99999% of time I would fail. I would play with myself – I didn’t have any girlfriends or even girls as friends with whom I could possibly start a relationship; having girls around could arise temptations and would be very bad for spirituality, so I thought. So, I would play with myself and when doing so I would feel very guilty and when finished I would feel a thousand times more guilty. I would scorn myself to many things like being disobedient to God, not having enough faith, not having enough will power, not loving God – Sai Baba – full heartedly, etc. You might be asking me why I am emphasizing guilt. As a result of all of this I became very depressed and also I had a lot of paranoia. I came to the point that from the pain, my chest felt like had opened and I could feel every cell in my chest blowing from the pain as if they were boiling water. At the same time I was very paranoid about things. After years of telling myself that I was stupid and not good enough, I had somehow come to the belief that I was crazy. I would interpret every sentence ten different ways.

And I was very confused as to which of the ten was the right meaning.

Can you imagine thinking you are crazy and interpret things as such? Could you imagine doubting every single thought you have? Could you imagine thinking to yourself if your understanding of every single thing is correct? It gives such pain that I cannot explain, and I am not only making it big, but since you haven’t felt it, it is small. I had to choose between the face value and the ten other meanings which I had come up with. And what did Baba do or how did Baba direct me at my times of need? Well, in all my interviews he would scorn me for not being strong enough, he would tell me to just do, never try, just do. He told me that I was very weak. If he knew anything about my situation, he would tell me something to bring my spirits up, instead of daring to tell me things to further break me down. When he told me I was weak, I would be harder on myself when I fell again. I would tell horrible things to myself, such things as “It is no wonder you are stupid…”, “Baba has read you nicely, you are so stupid.”, etc. This kind of self-bashing had become a trend of thought which I still fight.

The simplest thing Baba could do was to tell me to not feel guilty. But instead he was satisfying his own DESIRES in the private interviews with me.

As a result of all this depression and paranoia, I slowly got away from practicing the teachings of Sai Baba. Everytime I would try to do what he said, I would feel more depressed and paranoid. Of course, it was very hard to do so, as I still believed in the divinity of Baba and his teachings. What gave me a real push was a movie which my brother – another brother who is a non-devotee of Baba – gave me regarding Sai Baba. The movie was filmed by a Korean research group which visited Baba. They caught him cheating on the “materialization” of a necklace.

The picture was so clear and it sent me into shock. However, it took me over six months to come to deal with the movie. During this six months, everytime a thought of the movie came to my mind I would push it away and destroy it as was a trend of my mind by then. All “negative” thoughts or thoughts that are obstacles to my “faith” were to be destroyed immediately and replaced with “good” thoughts. So, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that the movie showed, I had a hard time dealing with it until over six months later. Any thought that Baba might be cheating or might not be God made my stomach so very much upset and my mind so very disturbed. But eventually I had to deal with the problem. When I had finally dealt with the movie, then it was time to look for any reasons which Baba would do such a thing. This had also become a trend of mind, which is very much prevalent within the Sai devotees. In any situation, Sai devotees, would start to logic by saying “Baba is God, therefore he is fully pure”. Then all else was put into perspective based on that. After a while this sentence is passed and you make all decisions based on this sentence subconsciously. I made up some reasons as to why Baba would cheat on that particular materialization. Of course, I thought that Baba was cheating on that particular materialization. Another idea which is very prevalent within Sai devotees is that if something goes wrong regarding anything is a result of Baba’s will. He wanted it to happen so and it most probably is a test of faith. But then if that is the case, then what would justify a problem and what is a test of faith? I had to deal with this question also. I am sorry for taking you through so many ideas but I am purposely doing so to show you the level of mind control which is imposed on EVERY Sai devotee. How can such thinking be anything spiritual? Of course, to every Sai devotee, this is the way to Salvation since they are in the middle of it and they have full faith in the teachings which bring about such thoughts and mind control. I was going through so much mental decision-making and you would be surprised why I would do such a thing in the face of so many other experiences which I had with Baba. I will explain those experiences now.

I visited Sai Baba three times, on three straight summers. Once I stayed there one and half months, another time I stayed two and half months and the last time I was there for three and half. My first two trips I had seven interviews and a total of seven private interviews, with just me and Baba in the private interview room. Baba had materialized a gold ring with three stones which he told me were diamonds. The ring did not fit the finger on which Baba had placed it but I left it there regardless, as that was the finger Baba had chosen to put it on. Here I would like to mention that of the four rings which Baba has “materialized” for my family and myself, none of them fit correctly. In all the books regarding the “miracles” of Sai Baba, you will read that ALL such rings fit the person perfectly. I have never read a book were it was told that almost all rings fit perfectly. And also, later I found out that the stones were not diamonds. The stones after a while got black and two of the three fell out. I took this to mean that Baba is angry at me for not being good, for not practicing his teachings as well as I COULD, for trying and not doing.

Another thing that was interesting was that Baba would not be able to tell things correctly. In one instance I was told by him that the night before I had fever. I didn’t, neither was I in any kind of heat. Perhaps he wanted me to, but I wasn’t. I just let it go, destroyed it right there and then, that very instant. No doubts were allowed.

In my first private interview, Baba did a ceremony which is supposed to be sacred in Hinduism and is done to all the followers by their gurus. This practice involves the guru putting oil on his hand and pushing his hand upward between the front testicle and the back area. That area is supposed to be a special area which is very important to spiritual practice of the devotee. This action is supposed to awaken this area, which is supposedly full of energy, which will then play an important role in the thought of the devotees. In my case, it was more of the opposite and my thoughts were never changed for the better. I was getting worst as time passed.

In every private interview after that Baba would ask me to put down my pants while he massaged my testicle. I would reason that Baba perhaps is passing some energy to that area. Perhaps I had damaged that area or something in that area by playing with myself. I had found reasons in order to destroy any doubts that might come to mind. In one occasion, Baba was not just massaging it, he was trying to give me a hard on. The thought that he is doing so came to my mind then, but of course I destroyed it. Now, as an ex-devotee, I am able to see and think about what he was doing, rather than destroy it. At this interview, as he was pushing his hand back and forth on my testicle, I was telling him about many different things on my mind. Of course, I was so sure that he is doing the best thing for me that I was thinking of something else. I was telling him about the problems in my country of Iran, how the people are suffering, the problems of my family and my own problems. He couldn’t get me hard so all of a sudden with anger and an angry face he threw my thing up against my stomach and with an angry face he turned his back to me. I thought he is probably angry at me because I should have more faith in him, he already knows all my problems, everything in my mind, and he will help me in whatever way he can. Actually, he was angry that I didn’t get hard and so when he turned towards me he told me to put my pants up again. This was the only occasion which he kept some distance between me and him while he was playing with me. Every other time, he would hug me and do it. My question to those who believe that Baba’s intentions in playing with me was pure is that if Baba says not a blade of grass moves without his will, then why does he have to touch me in that way to perform whatever pure intention or will he had in mind? Or is it that when he was playing with me, he was being good to me by giving me the privilege of being close to him and interact with him? For those who are not following, Sai followers believe that Baba knows all our inner thoughts and the reason why he talks to us is because he is trying to talk to us for our own enjoyment. He really doesn’t have to talk at all or ask us questions regarding our lives since he is the All-knowing. He does so for our sake, so that we can talk to him and interact with him. Could it be that Sai Baba was playing with me in order to satisfy my needs to interact with him? And what kind of satisfaction did he – or do you – think I would get from that kind of interaction?

In almost all of such interviews, Baba would breathe harder and sometimes he would make noises too. Something I forgot to tell you about the private interview above was that while I was telling Baba about these problems, his face was getting uneasy while he constantly, the whole time was looking down at my testicle. His eyebrows got twisted and his face got more and more upset as he was trying to play with me. I wonder why? He sometimes would tell me that I was weak there, there was too much being wasted from there, etc. Why then did he touch it? Was he fixing things? Why did he have to fix things by touching and rubbing and going back and forth?

In one interview, he stood up while I was kneeling on my knees. With his right hand, he took my head and put it against his stomach. With his left hand he took my right hand and put it against his testicle. He rubbed my hand there for a short while and this time he was making loud noises of… I tried to look up to his face to see it, but he pushed my head hard against his stomach and did not allow me to look up. So, I didn’t try again. While he took my hand there, I felt his testicle, although I didn’t grab it, I just let him direct my hand and do whatever he wants. At the same time, I would touch him by the outside part of my hand. As I said before, he was making loud voices while he was doing that. This took about two minutes before he let go of me and my hand and said “This is God”!!! Whatever!!! It was his way of putting a controlled mind to think and find many answers to what that whole situation was all about. It was his way of covering the sick idea of having me touch him, and also covering his loud, wild voices. Anyhow, those of you who have a clear and logical mind understand me.

I had these experiences and still it took me over six months to deal with the movie that I mentioned before. After dealing with this movie, I went to look over some of the movies which we had about Baba. These movies are movies which are prevalent within Sai devotees. The very first movie which I watched is called “God lives in India”. In that movie they showed about four or five instances which Baba cheats the “materialization” of ash – ash is supposedly holy and is supposedly being created by Baba from thin air. One of these instances is a very close, clear shot which shows Baba take something with his right hand from underneath of some letters in his left hand while bending over a bit to talk to someone. He then takes the letters by his right hand and cleans his left hand. Then he takes the letters from the right hand and immediately starts to motion his right hand in circular motion which is a “sign” that he is going to create something out of thin air. This shot is a close-up and very clear. After seeing this first movie, I knew the truth and didn’t watch any other movies. I am sure if the other movies have segments that show Baba’s actions twenty seconds prior to each “creation” of ash or whatever, you can see him cheating.

More recently, there was a movie on cable TV here in the US which showed Baba CHEAT on materialization of a ring or necklace, I don’t remember. There was much argument about it on the internet newsgroups. Bon Giovanni, a Sai devotee, defended his opinion of what the movie showed by saying each person saw a different thing. What everyone, including Bon agree on is that Baba does some weird thing with his hand under a plate before he brings down his hand and starts to circle his hand. Sai devotees have their own way of thinking and so their own reasons and answers. It will be impossible to convince these people on anything. The more you use your reasons to find something or some way to prove your points, the more they will use their twisted reasoning to counter attack your ideas. Their counter attack is 99% illogical since they are used to twisting things around. Besides what good is a logical path which starts with “Baba is God…”? Baba is God, therefore, he couldn’t have cheated on that movie, therefore, everyone sees a different thing when they see that movie. They don’t think that what kind of motion is Baba making? Why is he making that motion? Why is he making it under the plate? Why the need of that motion? Etc.

So, I am looking forward to getting a lot of illogical responses to this essay. I welcome them and look forward to disproving any illogical ideas. I hope that their responses and my replies will give all of you a hint of how brainwashed the Sai devotees are and what a sorry state of mind they have. Hopefully, those Sai devotees who still have some reason left can benefit substantially from this and can overcome all mind control tricks that have been imposed on them. And, hopefully, all those who are considering Sai Baba, would have the luck to see these postings and can benefit from them too. I really hope so.

I would like to give an example of how illogical Sai devotees can be.

The following are excerpts from

http://psg.com/~ted/bcskeptics/sbmir/db-book.html.

It’s a great site at getting some information on Sai Baba’s real personality. This is a quotation from John Hislop’s book on Sai Baba. He was one of Sai Baba’s closest followers and passed on a few years ago, still a devotee. You will find the following amusing.

“We can get a sense of Sai Baba’s diagnostic `ability’ from the following account which happened to John Hislop.

110 – Sai Baba’s Misdiagnosis of John Hislop’s Medical Condition:

‘While asleep in Brindavan in the month of October, 1978, without any prior warning to me, the prostate suddenly closed off the urethra. What happened then was agonizing, but nevertheless most comical. When Baba came down from his apartment, about 8 a.m., I told him that the urethra was closed and that already the bladder was very swollen. He smiled, said not to worry, and gave me vibhuti [“holy” ash]. About 11 a.m., he returned from inspecting some new construction and as he came to the veranda, both Dr. Goldstein and I approached him saying that my condition seemed to be serious. Baba came up to me, looked in my eyes, patted me on the head and said not to worry, it was just the heat. Then at 4 p.m., when Baba usually came down after rest, I did not wait, but sent a note upstairs that the situation was steadily getting worse and that now severe pains were moving back and forth throughout my body.

Baba came down immediately. In the group of devotees waiting for him, there were, as usual, several physicians, including Dr. Goldstein from California. Without any discussion, Baba told the doctors to take me at once to the hospital and operate if necessary.

Now the comedy quickened. We got into several cars and went to Baba’s hospital for women in Whitefield. The Medical Officer-in-Charge, Dr. Mrs. C. Rajeswari, made an examination room available, and the assembled doctors tried some 20 or more times to insert various sizes of catheters into the bladder, but with total failure.

By now I was in agony, although I bit my tongue and kept silent. It was the immediate decision of the doctors that an emergency opening would have to be made through the wall of the abdomen…

At Bangalore, the job was botched by the resident surgeons; heavy infection set in, and in three days Baba ordered me back to Brindavan…Baba arranged for the operation at the Whitefield hospital…The care was magnificent…The entire inside of my abdominal cavity was filled with virulent infection, and the tissues were so rotted that standard operating procedures could not be used…

Why the big comedy in the whole affair? It took me some time to figure it out…Why the deadly complications at the Bangalore hospital?…Finally, at the time of another visit, I told Baba that I had figured the matter out. My conclusion was that I had come to the end of my natural life, Baba had let me go down to the final step, and at the last moment, he had reversed my natural death by giving me rebirth.

Baba smiled and confirmed that what I said was true; he had given me new life. After returning home to Mexico in January, some continuing complications arose which took me into a Mexican hospital and then an American hospital. Baba sent word to not worry, that these were just rebirth pains.'[!?!?!?!??!?!]

John Hislop, My Baba & I, pp. 49-51.”

I have always enjoyed reading this passage and still do enjoy it. Great comedy indeed!

One thing that I forgot to say is that on my last trip to India, there were about 20 American and Indian American college students which came to attend Baba’s summer classes which mainly concentrate on spirituality. Some of these students considered themselves devotees, others had come to see and judge Baba for themselves. In an interview Baba “materialized” a ring or something else for either all of those students or majority of them. At least half of those students say that they saw Baba CHEAT. They reported that they saw Baba take and put things from the sides or back – I don’t remember which one they said – of the chair that he was seating on. When I say the sides or the back I mean the sides of the cushion of the chair or the backside of the cushion. These students were firm in what they saw. After this interview, some four days later, Baba was out giving darshan – walking around, sometimes stopping to talk to some individuals, sometimes choosing individuals or groups of individuals for an interview. He stopped in front of the American students which were sitting in an area that was designated to them. He made the circular motion, and supposedly created some ash and threw it on one of the student’s face.

During this time, his back was to me. When he turned around I saw his face was very angry. He was pissed! As usual, as you know why, I didn’t give importance to this. Later, one of the boys in the American group, with whom I had become very close told me that this student who was thrown ash to face and eyes was very vocal about what they had seen in the interview room, namely, Baba taking things from the chair on which he sat on. Now, if Baba’s life is his message as he says so, then is it right that we act in this way when someone criticizes us? I am sure I’ll get a few reasons as to why Baba did such a thing. Or at best, I might get something like Baba’s intentions are not known to us and that I can’t say why he did that. I’ll be looking forward to reading the reasons.

I welcome all comments and suggestions to my e-mail:

shagols@itdc.koreanair.com

Before I go, I urge all who are interested in Baba to see the movies that I mentioned and also to get to know Sai Baba devotees very personally. Be as close as you can to them as if they are your best friends. Study them and see if they have changed as a result of knowing Baba. I am sure you will come to the conclusion that although they are doing more service, their personality is kind of deceiving and hypocritical, since they proclaim one thing and act another. Another thing I would like to say is that all of the ex-devotees of Sai Baba that I know have realized that life was a misery to them while they were following Baba. Do not be fooled by the devotees that say they have peace of mind. I have seen many who proclaim better state of mind but really are very nervous people.

Thank you for your time and patience through my long and complicated story.

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Email from Said (Afshin) Khorramshahgol to Professor Lane

From shagols@itdc.koreanair.com

Sat Aug 30 14:12:31 1997

Hello Professor Lane. I am responding to a recent post. I feel that  there are too many generalizations in this gentleman’s post and it has  to be cleared. Thanks David’s post are placed in two opening and closing parenthesis.

((Dear Mr. Lane: I would like to make a few comments addressing the various question  brought forth by the postings on your web site about Shri Sathya Sai Baba. Ordinarily I would not write this email, since I believe it is virtually impossible  to change somebody’s mind once he is convinced of something and it is often pointless to go back and forth with arguments and counter-arguments. However, since you graciously post dissenting views along with your own at your site, my mail may help others who read your postings and have not already made up their minds. So I would appreciate it very much if you could post this (if you find it worthy) along with other postings in your ‘Sai Baba debates’.))

On the same token, since its hard to change someone’s mind, I am not  going to try to do so, I’ll just try to clear the misconceptions. ((Let me state at the outset that I am not a ‘rabid’ Sai devotee (if you  can call these gentle folk that). I do have faith in his avatarhood and I  have visited his ashram (for 4 days) while I was in India for other reasons. I am not a member of any Sai group and have not attended any of their  meetings, bhajans etc. My explanations about the nature of Sai Baba is offered  without any ‘proof’, these explanations you can read and accept if you find reasonable, reject if not.)) Four days is a very short time to give an opinion about Sai Baba.

Furthermore, you are not associating with the Organization and their events. What do you know about Sai Baba? How did you come to believe  that he is an avatar? ((- Is he the head of a cult ? Yes and No. It is a cult in the sense it has a charismatic leader (but so did Christianity i.e.Jesus). It is not a cult in the sense there is nothing  to join, no dues to be paid, no specific rules to be followed (except may be when you stay at the ashram and even these are very reasonable), no courses to be attended (or paid for) and no initiations to be taken (or paid for).))

Very clearly you haven’t been attending the meetings of Sai Baba’s Organization. Baba clearly asks people to follow nine codes of conduct at all times. There are some activities costing in hundreds of dollars  which are printed in the quarterly magazine of Sai Organization of  America. And wouldn’t you agree that if a cult starts somewhere and the leader decides that – for publicity – he will not ask for money, then the fact that he is not asking for money is good publicity for him and will bring him many followers and most probably money too.

When Sai   Baba doesn’t ask for money, people think that he is not interested in  money. When people see that he is doing some charity work, people give  them some money thinking that since he is not interested in money, he  will spend it wisely. Do you disagree? So, just because Baba doesn’t  ask for money, it doesn’t mean that he is not interested in it. And  just because there is no initiation involved – meaning no one will be  turned away – works to Baba’s benefit, don’t you agree? By the way, I  have seen Baba’s authorities throw out – upon arrival — a 19 or 20 year old hippie boy because of his looks. Don’t you think that this person could have benefited from God Baba’s mission here on earth?

Why does  Baba not let some stay in his ashram and at the same time say that all  are welcome to him and that all are his children? ((The ashram is probably the cheapest place to take a vacation (room  rate as I recall, is less than $2) and nobody will bother you if you don’t bother  them.)) Two dollars is a lot of money for Indian. He is ripping them off. If  he wanted to raise the rent to $10, only the wealthy of India would be able to visit Baba and that’s not good for publicity, is it? ((You don’t even have to attend any of the activities. Nobody will pay you any attention, and definitely no attempt is made to indoctrinate or ‘brain-wash’ you.)) How do you know that no attempt is made to brain wash you? You were only there for 4 days and you don’t go to the Organization’s meetings. How can you be sure? Baba is the ultimate mind expert and politician. The same way that he doesn’t ask for money just to get people’s money,  he uses psychology to get your mind.

Read my previous posting on how  Baba ignores people so that people desire to talk to him more. ((- Does he rub vibhuti on boys genitals (or to use Mr. Lane’s elegant  phrase – rub their woodys) ? Apparently, according to the two postings on your site, he does. He also rubs vibuti on devotees foreheads, throat and chest (read a non-devotee’s experience in ‘Empire of the Soul’ by Paul W. Roberts). Serious students  of Indian philosophy (or even casual ones) will recognize that these are  the locations of energy centers in the body, the so-called chakras (I know,  I know Mr. Lane, nobody has seen these chakras and ‘proven’ their existence, but humour me for now). The lowest ‘muladahara’ or the root chakra is just behind the testicles in the male. This is the seat of our animal nature – survival and procreation (i.e. sex. The second chakra below the navel is also related to sex). Apparently these two individuals had some problem in this area.)) You are making a great mistake here. First of all, Baba rubs “oil” in  an area “behind” the testicles of boys. I got the same treatment.

He rubs the oil behind the testicle and doesn’t do anything with the testicle. This ritual has been a part of Hinduism for God knows how  long. It has nothing to do with rubbing something on the dick. Secondly, the dick is not a chakra area either. Third, why did Baba  have to touch my dick? Fourth, why did Baba have to hug me while doing so? Fifth, why did he make sexual noises? Sixth, why did he breath  harder? Seventh, why did he make me touch his private area? Eighth, why did he make sexual sounds while directing me to touch him? I think  if you put two and two together you will see that most probably he is  GAY. ((But what about the fact that they felt molested ? We can understand  this using an analogy: Doctors (practicing western medicine) will often examine)) Excuse me to cut in. I studied philosophy and took some 5 or 6 classes on logic. Your analogy is a fallacy. You try to compare Baba with a doctor as if for sure Baba has pure intentions while touching us. Are you sure his intentions where pure? If yes, please answer my questions above, like, why did he make sexual noises? ((their patients while they (the patients) are completely disrobed. During this, they may (mock horror!) even stick their fingers into various orifices. It is not uncommon for high-strung or emotionally immature patients (usually women) to accuse the doctor of molesting them.))

Thanks Dave, thanks a lot. First say we are “emotionally immature   patients” then compare or connect us to women. Why not compare Sai Baba  to a Catholic Priest who molests boys instead of making a Doctor out of  him? (( These individuals are not lying, they truly feel they have been taken  advantage of (No doubt the kind Mr. Lane would give them all a sympathetic hearing). Of course, there are also some doctors who do take advantage of their patients. So it is not surprising that a few persons would misinterpret Sai Baba’s actions.)) Considering the fact that you saw him for only 4 days and most probably  didn’t have a private interview, you must be the one misinterpreting  Baba. (( But for a person with literally millions of followers, Sai Baba has very few disaffected ex-devotees (hundreds of students have graduated from his school). )) If you read Jed’s accounts you will see that some of his students accuse  him of molesting them or their classmates. However, since the whole  family are devotees, out of respect – Indian tradition – they are not  coming out to the open. But they will. Read Tal Brook’s book “Lord of  the Air” or contact Mr. Premananda of Indian Skeptics for books on  people who have come out.

((Vibhuti, by the way, is ash left over after burning incense – nothing  to do with cow dung. Hindus (over 600 million of them) have been putting vibhuti from their temples on their foreheads for thousands of years, long   before there was a Sai Baba. I don’t mean to accuse anyone of ethnic   insensitivity, but I would have expected better from someone who teaches at the   university level.)) One thing is for sure, Baba is not creating this ash from nowhere! He  has been cut in two movies, with at least 5 shots of him cheating on  creating vibuthi. There goes his claim that he is creating them from  nowhere through his will. Don’t you agree that if that is the case, then he is lying? ((- Does he teach anything strange or weird ? Sai Baba has not ‘written’ any books but there are many books available of his discourses. His basic message seems to be to encourage his followers to be of service to others. Nobody has pointed out anything remotely objectionable in his teachings (Mr. Lane, surely his message should  merit some mention in your opinion of him, or are all your lectures at the university based on gossip and innuendo rather than serious study ?). ))

Wrong again, Sai Baba has written a few books. The reason why Professor  Lane has not brought up his teachings is because he is too smart for  that. After years of seeing evangelists taking people’s money by ONLY  talking, he will not fall for an Indian with an afro. Baba himself says  that talk is cheap, so we are looking at his character through his  actions, namely molestation, cheating, lying, etc. ((- Is Sai Baba Omnipresent ? Not exactly, he is not present everywhere at once. But his consciousness can be present in several places at once. So you can call him (or to use a  new age phrase, invoke his presence) so that he can be aware of your current situation (especially if you are a devotee and have a unique connection to him). He does keep close tabs on everyone and everything at his ashram)) Wait a minute, if you accept that Sai Baba is an avatar, then you must  accept that he is omnipresent. After all, an avatar is God in human   form. Bon would argue that our understanding of omnipresent is wrong,  that it doesn’t mean knowing everything. But all religions say that God  knows everything. In my opinion, if God doesn’t know everything, he is  imperfect, agree? I remember that as a devotee, I had to change my  ideas of omnipresence and omniscience because I found some short comings  in Baba. In order to not lose faith in him, I changed my ideas. 20 ((- Is he Omniscient ? Again not exactly, all the knowledge of this world and its past, is not present in his brain.)) In Sai Baba’s monthly magazine, Sanathana Sarathi, there was an essay  that discussed how Baba fulfills the prophecies of Prophet Mohammed  regarding the chosen one that will come to save the world.

One of the  sayings of the Prophet as was printed in Baba’s magazine – with his permission of course – was that all the knowledge of the world, past,  present and future will be in the chosen one’s head. So I figure Baba claims to be omniscient, omnipresent, etc. don’t you agree? (( However, he can access this information (about past history as well, from the hall of records – another eastern myth). He  can read your mind and so has access to your memory. He may even be misled by any false memory you have or by incorrect information from a person who  believes it to be true, unless he bothers to check it with other sources. All  this does require some effort on his part, though perhaps insignificant for him.))

So, he is not an avatar and he is lying to everyone by saying he is. In  my opinion, he is a black magician. He himself believes in black  magicians because once he told a story that involved a black magician Don’t you agree that if he is not God, but he claims to be God then he might be a black magician. He might be able to do great magical things, but I know for a fact that he fails at times. So, don’t you agree that  he might be a black magician in that case? ((- Is he Omnipotent ? No. As the Hindus say, even Brahma has to work within the Laws of Karma  and so does Sai Baba.)) Baba says otherwise.

He says that he can do anything. He says that if  he wants he can turn the sky to earth and the earth to sky. He says that however, he has to respect the Laws of Karma and not show his power. That is the only limitation the law of karma supposedly has on  avatars. It’s not that the law of karma will block the powers of God or  avatar. It can’t, it’s just that the avatar will not disturb it. So, if   you see a short coming in Baba, it’s not because of the law of karma.  If he wrongly tells of your past, then he is imperfect. (( He may be able to delay or accelerate your karma or help you face it, but not eliminate it or change it. (This may explain why he  can give a rich man a gold ring, only of sentimental value to him; but not   to a poor person – it would just add to his karmic burden). )) Instead of giving expensive jewelry to the rich, I suggest that he give a dose of love. After all, his devotees claim that once in a while Baba  gives them this dose of love or emotions of love that makes them feel  very good – as a devotee I had some myself, but now think that it was  all a play of my own mind and that Baba had nothing to do with it.   Wouldn’t that be better in order to change the rich person’s mind and  capture his heart? ((- Does he have supernatural powers ? As the theosophist says, there are no supernatural acts, only natural  ones we do not yet understand. Or as Jesus said, “even greater things than these  [the miracles I have done] will you do”.

He is capable of producing items seemingly out of thin air. He claims he does this by his ‘sankalpa’ (act  of will). There are many anecdotes of this as well as a few reports of  fraud (many more of the former). Unfortunately, many people are fooled by magicians. And even more  unfortunate is that Baba does not allow cameras of any kind in his compound anymore. So, you cannot catch him cheating on tape anymore. However, I have seen him cheat on three different movies. Just because many people claim to his miracles, does not make him a miracle man. Look at “God Lives In India” and tell me if you believe the millions who believe that he is doing miracles or the few who believe he is a cheat. (( But I prefer to ignore them both, these are mainly to attract people who look for miracles rather the message. Again these acts require some effort on his part. (Note that none of his ‘miracles’ true or false require any payment))) You are truly fooling yourself Dave. If the guy says that he is performing miracles due to his will, and if he gets caught cheating, then he was lying to everyone. Why can’t you compare Baba to the  Evangelists for a minute just to see if they compare. I am not asking  you to compare him to the Evangelists for ever, just do it and compare and then think about Baba as you want. Honestly, isn’t he doing exactly  the same thing? Everything is the same between them except that Baba  doesn’t ask for money, which in my opinion is a new, more pure “looking” way of Evangelism. ((- If not by miracles, why am I impressed ? As I said earlier, his message is simple and beautiful (almost naive for  this material world). Also, when you are in his presence (I did not have a  private interview so was at least 25 feet from him), a curious peacefulness  comes over you (not excitement at all).

This feeling wears off, if you visit  him daily on consecutive days. I have been told that this is because your consciousness is already at a higher level as the days pass.)) God help us if higher consciousness means that I will become like Bon  and so many Baba devotees that I have seen. Or does the feeling wear   off because you get used to being around Baba – God, superhuman, someone   special? ((- Is he God ? I am afraid not (sorry to disappoint Sai devotees). But he is pretty  close, I believe he is an Avatar. His position on earth is explained in my  webpage (http://members.aol.com/dngude/worldorg.htm) – this site will no doubt, establish my credentials as a certifiable ‘kook’). – Will following him make you happier ? Perhaps, but very likely not. For the following reasons:

1. If your former friends do not like your new association with an  Indian Guru, you feel socially isolated. If your own family resents it then you  are in real trouble.

2. After you have been on the spiritual path for a few years, all your repressed emotions, anger, resentment, repressed sexuality comes to the fore. These inner demons have to be conquered before you can progress much further.

3. When you come into contact with an Avatar, your personal karma is often accelerated (perhaps because you can tolerate more pain with his help). However, following him can put you on the Path for eventual self-realization, so all this may be worth it. All the information above is my current understanding of the ‘truth’. It  is offered ‘as is’ without any warranties. Fallibility is the human condition whatever the Pope may think.))

Thanks for being honest about your opinions. Thanks for accepting that  they are opinions after all. Bon on the other hand would tell us his opinions as if fact and scorch us saying we have too many opinions. Unfortunately, he used to throw out my fact – three movies – as movies  not having any value like Independence Day. I appreciate your honesty. ((As for the two individuals: I am sorry that they feel violated or  molested. >From their postings, they appear disturbed persons. I urge seeking a qualified therapist and undergoing counseling (I have my Ann Landers hat  on now). There is always the danger of psychological breakdown or worse.)) Unfortunately, I haven’t had the luxury of a therapist. I’ll do so AS  SOON AS I make some more money. ((Thank you Mr. Lane for your indulgence. Regards, 20 Dave (dngude@aol.com)))

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Letter to David Bailey

From : IRAN / USA

Source : Afshin Khorramshahgol – correspondence to David and Faye Bailey

Subject : MY ACCOUNT RE SAI BABA

Dear Faye and David, Hello.

Here is a brief account of my experiences with Sai Baba. I apologise for the graphic language of this message, but it is the only way to share my experiences.

I travelled to India three times, from 1991 to 1993. On my first visit to India I was already a devotee of Sai Baba and believed he was God. I had a total of seven private interviews in the first two trips. In the first private interview Sai Baba asked me to undo my pants and drop my underwear. Since I believed he was God I did as he asked. He had already ‘materialised’ oil and he applied it in the area between my penis and anus.

I was told after the interview by some devotees, that this act is done by gurus to their disciples to open a chakra, or source of spiritual energy in the body of the disciple. However I am not sure if this is what in fact Sai Baba had done.

My research since, has not found this initiation ceremony in any Hindu books or scriptures, or among Hindu followers of other gurus.

In every private interview after the ‘initiation’ private interview, Sai Baba asked me to drop my pants and underwear, and he would rub my penis. Once he was rubbing it so hard it was obvious to me that he wanted me to get an erection.

I was busy talking to him about my problems, the problems of my country Iran, and my family’s problems, and I was asking him for his blessing for all of them.

I was not interested in sex or anything, especially with a guy, and so my penis did not grow, now matter how hard Sai Baba tried. Finally, he gave up and threw my penis up and turned away with a very angry face and mumbled something. When he turned back to me, he told me to put my pants on again and the private interview was over.

You may ask why I didn’t stop Sai Baba doing what he was doing if it was so obvious to me that he wanted me to get an erection?

Due to my being brainwashed, I thought I had to throw out this thought as it was another obstacle on my way to reach God. According to Sai Baba, all bad thoughts have to be thrown out immediately and replace with good, pure thoughts – and so I threw out the idea of Sai Baba trying to give me an erection, even though I knew he was.

In another interview, Sai Baba asked me to kneel in front of him while he was standing. He took my head with his right hand and pushed it hard into his stomach. He then took my other hand with his left hand and tried to rub it against his penis.

I did not grab his penis. I just let him direct my hand to his penis, using the outside of my hand, not the palm of my hand. While he was rubbing my hand on his penis, he was moaning sexually.

In the middle of this act, I tried to look up to see his face as I wanted to see his emotions, He didn’t let me. He pushed my head into his stomach harder, and this made me stop my desire to see his face altogether. He finally gave up, realising that I was not interested in grabbing his penis, since I wasn’t willing to use my palm to touch him.

Even this incident didn’t shake my faith in him. That’s how strong is the brainwashing in Sai baba’s organisation.

In all the private interviews that I had with Sai Baba, he would also hug or kiss me, or ask me to kiss him. I had come to reason with myself that he was touching my penis because he was probably healing me of some disease or handicap. I reasoned to myself that Sai Baba asked me to kiss him, or kissed me because he loved me, and kissing on the cheeks is all right – kissing on the cheeks between men is okay in my country.

It was not until I saw a movie that shows Sai Baba cheating, that my faith in him started to crumble. It was only after I left Sai Baba (six months after seeing that movie) that I realised his real intentions in those private interviews.

I am willing to testify in any court of law or in any gathering about the above experiences.

I have been very active on the internet for the past six years and I have saved numerous people from falling into Sai Baba’s evil trap.

Regards,

Afshin

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PLEASE SEE THE SAI PETITION AND DECIDE WHETHER TO SIGN IT

V.K. Narasimhan on the 1993 Sathya Sai Baba murders

It is not without some misgivings that I report on these matters, but I am impelled by my duty that certain facts should be recorded accurately and truthfully. I was grateful to Sathya Sai Baba for some form of physical healing many years ago, and had various paranormal experiences relating to him. Unlike the majority of Sai followers, however, that does not mean I must gag myself regarding many important extremely negative facts I know to be true about Sai Baba, his ashrams and apologist followers. What VKN confided to me had sometimes caused me doubts. He told me of experiences and facts known only to insiders at the ashram which he could not speak openly about, not least due to his own and others’ security. Despite all that, I trusted so much in Sai Baba that I was determined to rationalise everything nicely to make it all fit the Procrustean bed of his claims about himself, his work and ‘mission’. I wrote many articles on Narasimhan’s request for Sanathana Sarathi also to clear up such doubts. Despite my trust and dearest hopes, I came to learn the details of many covered-up incidents, including some of the gravest kinds of criminal behaviour – not least from V.K. Narasimhan.

The most important piece of information I ever received from Narasimhan was also the most shattering. Had Narasimhan – in whose integrity I had full faith – not been willing to give me a frank account of what happened, I might well still have believed that Sai Baba, his brother, the ashram and the Sathya Sai Central Trust were entirely innocent of anything illegal. But I am now certain they were not! I guarantee on my honour that what follows is as true and accurately stated as I can make it. When I asked Narasimhan in January 1996 in private what had occurred during the murder episode back in June 1993, he said of Sai Baba’s top officials, “they did a terrible thing”, using those very words. He told how those involved included top Prashanthi Nilayam ashram officials and Central Trust members, and particularly Sai Baba’s younger brother, Janakiramiah. The police, once they finally arrived on the scene, were blackmailed by these people into shooting the four intruders and claiming it was in self-defense. Narasimhan, whose word I just cannot doubt on this, attested the above to me as indubitable fact. Though he was not personally present to the killings, having been asleep in his apartment, he conferred with insiders as soon as he arrived on the scene. Sai Baba’s younger brother, Jankiramaiah was a multi-millionaire property owner and entrepreneur who was promoted by Sai Baba virtually to control the Sathya Sai Central Trust directly after the murders incident. Janakiramiah had already openly claimed to the press repeatedly and insistently that the intruders had intended to assassinate his elder brother (despite Sai Baba’s own published denial that there was any attempt on his life)! VKN further recounted to me a later conversation at which he had been presentwhen Janakiramiah discussed the incident with “a very high official in the Indian Government”, who it later became clear was the Home Minister, S.B. Chavan.  Chavan had congratulated Janakiramiah on having had the four intruders shot by the police and one of them commented “Dead men tell no tales“, whereupon they actually laughed together. Narasimhan was deeply shocked. When one considers his position at that time, it is easy to see how powerless he was to stand up and announce what he knew. His life would almost certainly have been in danger.

V.K.N also told me how the ashram/Central Trust authorities had a lever with which to blackmail the police to execute by shooting the four youths who had in a mutual struggle knifed to death Baba’s two attendants. The blackmail was based on information they had of the police corruption. I happened to know independently of the incident used as leverage – the police allowed two brothers who had slashed a devotee lady from Switzerland to death to steal her money, in return for that hidden money – some Rs. 80 thousand.  After years of being unable to accept what the facts implied about Sai Baba himself – my view of everything around Sai Baba eventually collapsed. It obviously destroyed any faith in Baba’s alleged universal benevolence, even though he may have given no explicit murder instructions himself (as some have however attested) but just let things happen. Armed only with knives, the youths could have been disarmed one by one before they were allowed to exit the room or, at least only shot to disable them if they threatened the police.

After V.K Narasimhan’s wife died, Sai Baba called him for something or other practically every day and he spent many long hours close by Sathya Sai Baba and invariably was prominent in festivals, in occasional interviews, and rode about with him in cars etc. It is significant that a person so often with Sai Baba held the opinions he did, and voiced them even though privately. Meanwhile, I am taking full responsibility for making this information common knowledge, both about the amazing abilities and activities of Sai Baba told me by VKN and about the doubtful and darker sides of what has gone on very close to him. Especially after VKN’s wife died, he became virtually dependent on living in the ashram for he had grown into the way of life there after 20 years in frequent association with SB. Since he gave up his house and resided in the ashram, VKN had virtually – if gradually – fallen more and more under the charm, but also the power, of SB. While all devotees do this to a considerable extent, those coming from abroad can more easily break out if the need should arise, as is seen in the fall away of prominent foreign devotees after the 1999 revelations, and by the fact that very few prominent Indian followers revoke SB, and certainly not in public.

I recount many details about VKN’s evidence elsewhere, click here.

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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Selfhood and self-confidence in Sai Baba’s teaching

Self confidence versus denial of selfhood: Due to the use of a very ambiguous word – ‘ego’ – which is held in most Eastern-influenced ‘spiritual ways’  to be the cause of virtually all the ills of humankind, people subject themselves to doctrines which can only undermine true self-confidence. The human ego can refer to the what results from the development of an independent, secure and self-sufficient personality or contrariwise to the unmitigated selfishness of people who put their desires and interests before almost all else. True self-confidence belongs to the well-rounded and balanced personality or ego-identity and not at all to the selfish egomaniac. Preaching about the need to ‘kill the ego’ or ‘surrender of the self’ is well-known from many religious movements – due to the misunderstanding about what ‘ego’ means. If the word refers only to the possessive and self-seeking “me and mine” aspect of a person, to try to help people limit and contain this is acceptable. However, this goal is all too often connected to the subjugation of people under authoritarian gurus, church or other spiritual organizations and cults. One aim in preaching ‘surrender of the ego’ is the humbling of people – such as before a supposed perfect God, or – what is yet worse – ‘holy’ representatives of this or that deity in the form of gurus, swamis and priesthoods of all kinds. This submission to authority figures as superior figures is also a form of dependency – a ‘spiritual crutch’ – and involves the gradual loss of self-determination and a creeping inward self-depreciation or inferiority which are very difficult for its victims to recognise. It usually comes along with living mostly within a belief community or limited circle of more or less like-minded people, trying to follow strictly moralistic ideals and overly self-denying precepts.

“A particular form of seduction that the group participates in with those flirting with joining is similar to sexual conquest. The group pours an enormous amount of focused energy and attention into potential recruits until they surrender to the group’s authority, which of course has the guru and his belief system at its center. When someone does surrender, everyone celebrates the new bonding. This is a bit like a new marriage, and for the recruit, it is the honeymoon phase. This lasts as long as it does, and then the focus of the group shifts elsewhere. (This also happens in romantic love, for after the conquest the wooer’s interest and focus often move somewhere else.) When the honeymoon is over, the new converts must shift roles – from being the wooed to being the wooer.” (from ‘The Guru Papers’ by Joel Kramer and Diane Alstead  p.79)

Those who experience a conversion to a divinity, sect, doctrine, guru and so on often seem to get a surge of self-confidence, one which may last for years until the lifestyle and beliefs become habitual and worn. This is often seen in keen missionaries and promulgators of their faith. The apparent self-confidence is however based not least on the strength of belief in a kind of superiority derived from having joined the community of the saved, the holy, or perhaps the prospective saints. This is hardly the result of a secure and balanced personality, it is rather pseudo-self-confidence which is frequently recognisable in signs that it is an adopted role rather than an expression of genuine insight and knowledge. Such people usually come across as too over-emphatically convinced, too masterful, patronizing or otherwise semi-fanatical in their opinions and approaches to other people.

The monastic type of detachment from worldly things may be less troublesome to more elderly persons who have already lived themselves out in an engaged and active life in the world with broad experience, for they are often less affected by the desires and life-seeking tendencies that are only natural and indeed necessary to real health and personal security in younger persons. But for anyone whose life’s meridian is not well passed and who is not psychologically very robust, the Sathya Sai Baba doctrine will in most cases hinder personal growth (IF it is possible for one to adhere to it to any large extent). A main reason for this lies in the feeling of impotence instilled by Sathya Sai Baba’s constant talking-down of people as imperfect (sometimes he calls people worse than dogs, or cawing crows etc.)… and his corresponding admonitions to focus all ones thoughts and desires on him alone. He teaches that everything stems from him, the creator of the universe from whom only good things come! Yet he also says, conflicting as usual, “everything that happens comes from God”, think about that!. His insistence on the super-importance of concentration on repeating his name, inwardly worshipping his form (and his person in actual practice at endless darshan sessions etc.) works effectively as an opiate that dulls personal reflection and living self-awareness, which is the true basis of genuine self-confidence and personality growth.

Modern psychology has developed and tested against experience many conceptual devices for tracing the multiplicity of personality traits, the growth of the ego and the influences operative on emotional and mental conditions of all kinds.  Sai Baba hardly ever refers to any of these discoveries and is very evidently not conversant with their theories or terminologies.  Though claiming to be in complete touch with the psyche of anyone, knowing it in and out,  his discourses repeatedly demonstrate that he suffers from many of the most common fallacies about nature of the human mind and psyche,  and this shines through even his words have been heavily edited and sanitized as far as reasonable by editors who are rather more knowledgeable.

In brief,  one may say that his teachings on psychic development and spiritual behaviour rely wholly on Indian religious tradition and are primitively fundamentalist, set in black-and-white terms with an iconography and ideology of  ‘gods versus demons’, a world view applied ad lib to the present almost without nuance or proper factual basis.  He almost always speaks in the most sweeping terms and is prone to almost hair-raising over-generalisation about the nature of people, governments, world conditions and on any number of issues.  The degree of exaggeration and factual inaccuracy is quite extraordinary for a supposedly intelligent teacher!

Sathya Sai Baba’s recipe for  anti-living: I have shown something of how Sathya Sai Baba’s directions for living are so demandingly puritanical and unrealistically idealistic that most of his followers seem to end up living a virtual non-life.  There is much more in his recipe to break down not only the objectionable egoism of morally primitive persons, but the entire personality structure of a democratic and effective civil citizen. One can meet many such cases (especially foreigners) who reside at the ashrams but are doing no work, no ‘active service’. Often they are virtually just existing in limbo, coping only with the constant daily problems of subsistence there, and waiting for grace and blessings to fall into their laps. Some have said this to me quite openly!

If you manage to get rid of most or all of your personal desires,  as Sai Baba insists everyone should immediately or – failing that – as soon as possible, then existence loses much of its meaning (let alone charm) and the desire to live is itself seriously weakened in the process. It is hardly surprising that constant Sai devotees, esp. single foreign ladies at the ashram,  tend to be suicidal.   One such a suicide took place while we were visiting in 1990 (covered up by the PN officials immediately).This resulted in the ashram accommodation office not allowing any woman  to have an apartment on her own.  Various other suicides of disappointed devotees are documented elsewhere, including one involving most members of a large Indian family. There are numerous reports of suicides, of which not more than a handful have reached the press in any country. The ashram authorities enforce immediate damage limitation precautions as soon as anything untoward happens there and very short shrift is given to anyone who persists in inquiries. In this respect, the Sai Baba ashrams are indistinguishable from totalitarian mini-states.

One Sai Baba follower, Mr. Kanheia Jee , a retired Indian army major who had become more or less socially and mentally trapped for 30 years and more as Head of the Administration at Vidyagiri in Prashanti Nilayam together with his leading Seva Dal worker and wife (Mrs. Caveri),  put it very succinctly:  “If you try to do even half of what Baba says you should,  you’ll go stark raving mad!” Looked at in sane social terms, these attitudes develop the basis for despotism and repression,  ignorance and weakening of the individual human spirit to stand up for what is right and true.  There is no more ingenious way of taking away people’s freedom than teaching them that they cannot control their fates except by prayer to him,  that only God is free and decides all in his inscrutable way.  It is despicable!  Thus making people obey and censor themselves entirely so as to give up more and more autonomy and all normal rights,  while it works as the subtlest known means of gaining power, fame and wealth by Sai Baba and his men.

Manipulating vulnerable consciousness: Though his extremely puritan moralism and demands for massive self-denial, Sai Baba develops a ‘vulnerable consciousness’ in many people, particularly those who are vulnerable from before for reasons of repressive childhoods, social discrimination, personality problems etc. His doctrines lay much weight on ideas which are nothing short of self-destructive, though they go under the emotively acceptable label ‘removal or destruction of the ego’ . Even while he outwardly says some positive,  supportive things about how to relate to oneself,  they are mostly tied up with expectations of a (better)  life in the hereafter.  Meanwhile,  he asserts all kinds of things which mainly bring a person down, cause them to feel low self-esteem or reduced worth…  the typical self-denigration spread by all fundamentalist sin-oriented religion and sects.

Projecting one’s whole autonomy onto Sathya Sai Baba …  the enthusiasm wears off after the famous ‘honeymoon‘ period is past. Such phenomena are well known…

See more on disempowerment in worshipping gurus and cult entrapment here:

Sathya Sai Baba Sex Abuse and Cover-up – the facts

Hundreds of former followers of Sathya Sai Baba – from India and abroad – have related their negative experiences with him  and have protested at his immunity from prosecution. There is much official and documented evidence on the www. Sai Baba is protected from prosecution by India’s politicians and judges who had for years invested their prestige in supporting him before the sex and murder facts became widely known. (They have many other interests in him – like votes, money). For example, it is illegal by Indian law to proclaim one is God Incarnate, but Sai Baba does this constantly without prosecution.

He makes many provably false claims and ‘prophesies’ and countless errors in his published words. He preaches the literal truth of fantastic events in scriptures like Bhagavatha, Ramayana etc. His claims of total purity and non-violence, total adherence to truth, are belied by his close involvement in the suppression of all investigation of the murders of his devotees in his own bedroom apartment. Some of his fraudulent materializations and other miracles claimed for him have been thoroughly exposed, both by witnesses and in revealing video clips. The Sathya Sai Organization is an authoritarian cult using every means they dare to cover up his actions and their members’ involvement in denying them. He and they preach only about all the good he has supposedly done, ignoring those who tell how he has ruined their families and even their lives. Many young men have testified to being sexually abused by him, sometimes in particularly vile ways.

See the history of the massive sex abuse allegations against Sathya Sai Baba 

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Information on the Public Petition for Official Investigations of Sathya Sai Baba and His Worldwide Organization
See also Devotee attacks on the Sai petition and petitioners