From the Mahasivarathri Sathya Sai Baba (SSB) discourse on 21-02-2001
Analysis by Jorge Reyesvera - (using easily-available public astronomical data)
Published: 08-07-05
Even though able to recite poems and prose,
Without purity of heart, one will be ruined.
The word that conveys the Truth
Is this word of Sai.SSB pretends to "know about all scriptures" and he constantly "recites poems and prose" but there is major evidence that his heart is not "pure" and he will be ruined. Here he claims that he conveys the truth, so we may examine what he states and compare it with known scientific fact.
There are three Aakashams (dimensions or planes of existence): Bhutakasha
(the gross or physical aspect of the universe), Chitthakasha (the subtle
or mental aspect of the universe), and Chidakasha (the causal or finest
aspect of the universe). That which swallows Bhutakasha is Chitthakasha.
That which swallows Chitthakasha is Chidakasha.
This Bhutakasha is very vast. These mountains, these mounds, these
forests, these oceans, all of these are in Bhutakasha. This part of
Bhutakasha (earth) is a vast area. Its length is 800,000.
The earth has a geodal form but for practical issues it can be assumed to be a sphere. So he could mean either diameter, meridian, radius, length. But he doesn't even say to which measure he refers! Futile prattle.
There is no datum about the earth's dimension which fits '800,000'!. Check this from the following correct data about the earth-
- surface area: 196,935,000 sq miles - circumference: 24,901.5 miles - diameter: ca. 8,000 miles - weight ca. 6,585,600,000,000,000,000,000 tons.
However, due to our being 9 crore miles away, it is seen as small.
So how much is its dimension? Its dimension is 8,000 crore.
(Note: One crore is equal to ten million.)
Even such a vast sun as that also is a part of this Bhutakasha.
A bit awkward that SSB chooses to use the "mile" when in India the metric system has been adopted since long ago. May be he is just remembering something he saw or read and it was too hard to divide by 1.609 in order to give the figure in Km.
Some basic data about the sun (SSB is close in the distance to the earth but is vague or confused as to its dimension, but he does not give units of measurement in this nor explain us which parameter is measuring):The Sun (one of more than 100 billion stars in our galaxy alone) - age ca. 4.5 billion years - diameter: 1,390,000 km (810,000 Miles). mass: 1.989e30 kg: temperature: 5800 K (surface), 15,600,000 K (core) - distance from the earth: 150,000,000 Km (93,000,000 Miles). - The Sun contains more than 99.8% of the total mass of the solar system (Jupiter contains most of the rest). - The Sun is, at present, about 75% hydrogen and 25% helium by mass. - The Sun's magnetosphere (i.e. heliosphere) extends well beyond Pluto. - It will continue to radiate "peacefully" for another 5 billion years or so
many times bigger than the sun. Yet they are seen like decorations of
small, small diamonds. In only one second, in the time it takes just to
open the eyelids, the light from the stars makes a journey of 160,000
miles per second. Even when making a journey with such speed, the radiance
of these stars, the radiance of a few stars, has not reached the earth up
till this day. In what way will you be able to describe it, an 'earth'
- There are many more smaller stars than larger ones; the Sun is in the top 10% by mass. - The median size of stars in our galaxy is probably less than half the mass of the Sun. - The speed of light in vacuum is exactly 299 792 458 m/s (about 186,000 miles/s).
stars, these mounds, these oceans, these forests, all of them also are
small forms in Chittha. Therefore, Chitthakasha is many more times greater
than Bhutakasha. Then everything is contained in this Chidakasha.
However, you are feeling that the sun only gives radiance to everything.
Even the sun is without radiance. Sun is not giving his radiance to
anything. Even the radiance of this sun is from the Atma (Chidakasha).
Therefore, this Atma is greater than anything else.
No one can say that its vastness is this much or that much.
It seems that SSB really does not know what happens in the sun and oversimplifies with the word "radiance", then asserts that the "radiance" comes from the Atma! Here are some interesting scientific data about the Sun for the benefit of SSB and anyone who believes what he teaches:-Our planet Earth is part of a solar system which contains eight other planets. The Sun is a star and there are many others like it in the universe. The closest star to our own is called Proxima Centauri. Together with approximately houndreth billion other stars they make up the Milky Way. The Milky Way is one of about ten billion of similar galaxies in the visible universe. Galaxies cluster into groups; our group is labelled the Local Group and contains about 30 galaxies. Clusters of galaxies also cluster forming super-clusters. The main force holding all of these systems together is gravity.
The size of astronomical building blocks is very large and becomes difficult to comprehend with everyday units of measurement. Astronomers have created many more units of measurement for astronomical scaling. One of these units is called an Astronomical Unit (AU), the mean distance between the Earth and the Sun, 150 million kms. Instead of using larger units like the AU imagine that the distance between the Sun and Earth is the thickness of a sheet of paper, the distance to the nearest star is scaled to a stack of paper 24 m. high, that the diameter of the Milky Way would be represented by a stack 500 Km high, and that the nearest galaxy would be scaled to over the distance from the Equator to the North Pole. The edge of the known universe would then be about one-third of the way to the Sun.
That example shows how futile is to talk about the size of the universe in practical terms and what if it was the half or the third part of that size? SSB refers that as "Bhutakasha" and then he says that "chitakasha" is "many times greater" but fails to say how many.
However, in this world there are numerous forms. Even every single form is made up of atoms. These things are only combinations of atoms. Even the five elements are only made up of atoms. This Atma is even without atoms. This 'I' also does not have any atoms. Atma is without any form. Therefore it is not possible for any atom to enter into it at all.
In other discourses SSB asserts that even the mind has atoms!
So, what does 'Atma Darshan' (beholding the Self) mean? It is only a type of quality of radiance. In every single man, also in every cell, in every atom also, there is the nature of Atma. We begin with form and we are trying to dissolve the form. All the things that are in this universe are with forms. However, after some time, these forms merge in the 'Karana Swarupa,' causal form. There is no form at all in this causal. All things become without form. This means they merge in Atma. Hence, even man wanting to merge into Atma is trying to remove his form.
All the actions that are performed with this form only are Pravritti (the outer or external, worldly path), Bhutakasha. Chitthakasha is the form relating to feelings, that which contemplates inside.
All in the world are forms only. All are the combination of atoms. Therefore, where will the combination of these atoms be merged into? They will be merged in the causal form.
Why does SSB not explain in which units "radiance" is measured? His vagueness was seen earlier when he mentioned before as "radiance" from the Sun? He confuses the forms of objects and things. Not all things are objects, objects are material things and can adopt different "forms" as well as some things which are not objects.
form (noun)
1. a. The shape and structure of an object.
1. b. The body or outward appearance of a person or an animal considered separately from the face or head; figure.ob·ject (noun)
1. Something perceptible by one or more of the senses, especially by vision or touch; a material thing.
2. A focus of attention, feeling, thought, or action: an object of contempt.thing (noun)
1. An entity, an idea, or a quality perceived, known, or thought to have its own existence.
2. a. The real or concrete substance of an entity.
2 b. An entity existing in space and time.
2 c. An inanimate object.So what does SSB refer to when he says "forms merge" or "we are trying to dissolve the form"? There is confusion in this. Forms do not 'dissolve', but change. For example, a shadow constantly changes form and as we grow we change form. Further, the mass that makes material objects can be used to create other objects!.
Therefore, everything that we see today in the whole world is that with
forms. This Atma is not that which moves. It doesn't have motion.
Therefore, the Veda calls this:
Nirgunam, Niranjanam, Niraakaaram
Without attributes, without stain, formless...
(Sanskrit Sloka)Atma is infinite. Therefore how can you determine a form for the Atma,
which is infinite? It means Ananda, Bliss, which has no form. That is your
Atma. Bliss also has no form. That is also Atma only. That which is
without a form is the quality of Atma.
To recognize such a quality of Atma, numerous Rishis (sages) underwent
numerous attempts. At last they said:
Vedahametham Purusham Mahantham, Adithya Varnam Thamasa Paarasthath.
I know the Supreme Being, who shines with the effulgence of the sun and
who is beyond Thamas, the darkness of ignorance. (Sanskrit Sloka)"Oh people! You are undergoing numerous troubles regarding the Atma. Even the Veda is with a form."
This Atma Thathwa (quality of Atma) is beyond this. Atma is that which is the Kantha Swarupa, form of light rays. You can see it anywhere. To see it, there is no need to go to the forest. No need to do Tapas (austerity). No need to do sadhana. If this darkness that is covering the Anthah Karana is made distant, Atma will be manifest.
SSB does not specify which of the numerous problems people are "undergoing regarding the Atma"? But he has a problem himself, for he evidently can't make up his mind regarding the form of the Atma?
Nor does he explain what he means by "light rays".
Divinity In Bhutakasha: So the Divinity in human beings is so sacred. We are always trying to behold this with forms, with names, and with Parayana (daily reading of sacred texts). Therefore, we are succumbing to a lack of hope and a lack of enthusiasm, and we are finding ourselves unable to be without any Chintha (worries or thoughts). Therefore, first and foremost, the Divinity that is in Bhutakasha has to be recognized well. Every single atom is shining with such brilliance.
See, the stars are seen by us to be very small. They are so many times bigger than the sun. Their form is seen to be small due to their being so far away, The brilliance of the sun can be seen by us in a moment.
However, the radiance of the stars does not reach the earth even after a few hundred years. In the blinking of an eye, this radiance makes a journey of 160 thousand miles (per second). If the radiance like that of the stars hasn't even reached the earth today, you can imagine how radiant it is and how far it is!
So, Bhutakasha is not so small. It is very big. When we see the earth on maps, we feel that it is small. It isn't, it isn't! No one has the authority to determine its (Bhutakasha's) measurement or vastness.
We are finding ourselves unable to recognize the Divinity of a Bhutakasha like this. When human beings cannot recognize the humanness (or human values) inside himself, in what way can he recognize the Divinity? The first and foremost thing that every single human being should recognize is 'humanness' has to be recognized.
Another typical vague SSB generalization. It is certainly easy to find people who are not succumbing to a "lack of hope and lack of enthusiasm".. And it is very unlikely that anyone with lack of hope and lack of enthusiasm would be able to figure out what SSB here refers as "Divinity in Bhutakasha" anyhow. Nor can one figure what all that has to do with "humaness".And SSB keeps giving the wrong value (in miles) for the speed of light in vacuum and even in other mediums we can not find the figure given by SSB (about 257,000m/s) .
Medium Speed of Light
speed of light in a vacuum is 299 792 458 m/s
speed of light in air is 299 702 547 m/s
speed of light in ice 228 849 204 m/s
what is the speed of light in water 225 407 863 m/s
what is the speed of light in glass 199 861 638 m/s
Why is SSB so completely inaccurate? There are many stars close enough the earth for their light to tale much less than "hundreds of years to reach the earth" There are thousands of millions so far that its light takes millions of years to reach the earth. A few of the nearest known stars from the earth are:-
Common Name Scientific Name Distance (light years) Apparent Magnitude Absolute Magnitude Proxima Centauri V645Cen 4.2 11.05 (variable) 15.5 Rigil Kentaurus Alpha Cen A 4.3 -0.01 4.4 Alpha Centauri Alpha Cen B 4.3 1 .33 5.7 Barnard's Star LFT 1385 7.7 13.53 (var.) 16.7
Only when this Bhutakasha is recognized, it is possible for us to recognize the Chitthakasha. Chitthakasha is a small speck in Bhutakasha. In Chitthakasha, Chidakasha is seen to be even smaller. That Chidakasha only is called Atma. Other than that, there is no other way to say something else (to describe Chidakasha).
But SSB shows very clearly that he fails utterly to make sense! How can such words have any value? However, when his sentences are clear, they are often completely at odds with known, irrefutable facts about the cosmos. Yet he claims to be all-knowing, an universal teacher! If the above display of SSB's ignorance and reliance on his peculiar version of out-dated and myth-infested Vedic 'philosophy' - which is but primitive speculation about the nature of the cosmos - is not enough, consider SSB's yet greater - and even more comical - ignorance of physical magnetism , his preposterous anti-scientific explanations about his own 'magnetism' and his wholly incorrect ideas about atomic physics.