DAMAGE-CONTAINMENT FOR SWAMI'S ALL-SEEING EYE(S)?
The following was posted on the large Sai web (June, 2003)
http://geocities.com/manojap1000/darshan2.htm (Note: Put your sunglasses on or try:
http://www.vedamu.org/forum/PARENTS.asp instead...)
"One day, nine years ago, after having a head bath, I wanted to dry My hair. One of the American doctors had lovingly presented a hair-drier to Me. When I was trying to use the same, the power supply was cut off. It was restored when I was having a close look at the drier. Consequently, a sudden gust of hot air ripped through My eye damaging the retina. I was least perturbed. One eye is sufficient to see this wide world.
Dr. Hemanth Murthy (ophthalmic surgeon) pleaded with Me to undergo an eye operation as well, along with the hip surgery. The damaged retina, which was removed from My eye, was as dark as charcoal. Since then I am able to see clearly with both My eyes "
"Dr.Hemanth Murthy (ophthalmic surgeon) pleaded with Me to undergo an eye operation as well, along with the hip surgery. The damaged retina, which was removed from My eye, was as dark as charcoal."
It is very unlikely that the retina, which is protected by the cornea and the lens, could be damaged by a quick blast of hot air from a hair dryer (it could hardly "rip through the eye"). So we can probably put this report down as inaccurate, as is of course very typical of so many reports on Sathya Sai.
A 'sanitised version' of SSB discourses always appears in Sanathana Sarathi. As has been documented as often happens, Sanathana Sarathi reported differently... that SSB said it was the lens that was damaged:
"One day, some nine years ago, I was trying to dry My hair with a hair dryer presented to Me by an American doctor. (Note: and he never accepts anything from anyone!!) I am not accustomed to using modern gadgets. When I was trying to use the same, the electricity went off. While I was having a close look at the dryer to know why it was not working, electricity was restored. Consequently, a sudden gust of hot air blew into My left eye and damaged the eye lens. But I was least perturbed. I thought, one eye is sufficient to see this wide world. Sahasra Seersha Purusha Sahasraksha Pad (God has a thousand heads, eyes and feet)."
"When I was in the hospital for hip surgery, Dr. Hemanth Murthy (opthalmic surgeon) prayed to me to undergo and eye operation as well.He performed the operation and replaced the lens. Since then I am able to see clearly with both My eyes. (loud prolonged applause)"(Discourse, 5 July 2003)The cornea could have been damaged and the lens (protected by the cornea) could just possibly have been affected. In Sanathana Sarathi for July 2003, SSB is reported saying he had a lens replaced, which would mean he did not suffer retinal damage.
We can also surmise that SSB may have simply had an operation for an advanced stage of cataract, which is blurring of vision and, if untreated, leads to blindness. Cataract which affects the lens can result from a former trauma and old age. Medical textbooks state that traumatic cataract can follow bruising or penetrative injury. Glass-blower cataract comes of long exposure to excessive light and radiant heat (eg. in the glass-blowing and iron-smelting industries). Cataract can also result from diabetes. In senile cataract opacity develops very slowly as a degenerative process in later life.
Replacement of the lens is a standard treatment precisely for cataract. Cataract is undoubtedly an illness, not just the result of an accident. In SSB's case it would most likely have grown worse over the period of nine years. This amounts to physical ill-health, which he always says he never has. But now he admitsof ill health:-
"For the past one month, all of you could not have Swami's Darshan. What is the reason? The reason is the ill health of this body. I have neither taken upon Myself the illness of anybody nor has it emerged from this body. Today I am revealing the truth to you."
But SSB reveals little and, it seems, not the actual facts, which is not surprising in view of his constant claims of always being in perfect health because he is so pure, selfless, patient etc. etc. resulting in perfect bodily health (i.e. no roga!). He said, perhaps rather injudiciously, on June 2nd this year in his discourse:
"Doubt is like a cataract that blurs our vision. A person with cataract in his eyes cannot see his own wife and children even if they are standing by his side. Similarly, one with doubts cannot see God. You have to undergo ‘cataract’ operation to have vision of God.”
How could he then admit to having had a cataract himself? It would be that much too patently revealing!
His servitors evidently want to confuse the issue and so cover over the facts. Their typical secrecy and the "official reason" (i.e. a cover-up lie) about what had happened is evident from the posting from http://geocities.com/manojap1000/darshan.htm"On 4th early morning darshan was cancelled. The official reason given for the cancellation of the morning darshan was the central trust meeting. It is learned that in spite of phycical injury to his leg he attended the central trust meeting in the morning of 4th june. All the central trust members had come for the meeting.
By afternoon the message has spread and hords of anxious of devotees came to whitefield. The officials informed that there is only slight injury and darshan is temporary suspended.
It is learned that swami will give darshan only after he has willed his injury to heal and when that happens only he knows."As in Sanathana, the 'Kingdom of Sai' website also reported SSB as saying:
"This eye has not seen the world for the last 9 years (Swami indicated His left eye). Now I am able to see very clearly."
The "all-knowing avatar" whose name is "truth" and who claims to be "all-seeing" and to know the past, present and future of everyone and everything has previously stated:-
“Doctors know that in the eye there are billions of cells which react to light rays. If any of these cells are affected, the vision is affected….” And “I am 70 years now. I can see even an ant that is far away. It is physical power. What is the reason? Diet control..” (Sanathana Sarathi, July 1995, page 171-2 also Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 28 - p. 186).
"I do not suffer form any kind of disease because there is no trace of greed in Me. That is why I am always healthy..." (Sanathana Sarathi September 2002, page 257f) 186)
“Purity, patience and perseverance. With these three you are bound to acquire good health and bliss. You may believe it or not. But the truth is that these three are responsible for my health (Arogya) and bliss (Ananda)” (Sanathana Sarathi July 1995, p. 173)
In November 1998, my great friend V.K. Narasimhan, the editor of Sanathana Sarathi, who confided in me regularly about his personal matters, told me that SSB had just told him that he he was in 100% good health. He also told VKN that once, in the 80s, his elephant Sai Geetha had pierced one of his eyes with a hair on her trunk, which are as sharp as needles. This had caused him much pain at the time and a bloodshot eye, he told VKN, but he said that it had healed up naturally without medication. I had seen that he had a blood-red eye for some weeks early in 1985, and also again some years later. Narasimhan had suffered a successful operation to one eye in 1992 which became infected by Prashanthi's germ-laden dust. Directly, SSB applied vibuti on the veranda but this failed to cure the infection... so VKN lost his vision totally within a day or so. All this was well known to staff and insider residents of the ashrams. Despite that, SSB insisted that he continue editing Sanathana Sarathi, though he told me several times that he wanted to compose a book on the question of avatarhood instead. Considering his own eye problem, he would certainly have discussed any eye problem SSB might have had at that time, as he exchanged news with him and was close beside him for hours daily from then on until he fell ill and was hospitalised and died in March 2000.
In short, since one simply cannot rely on what SSB says about his own condition, what can anyone rely on him for?
By Robert Priddy