THE NAME, THE FAME, THE SHAME

 

 

Date: 12-31-02

By: Robert Priddy

From:

Website: http://www.saibaba-x.org.uk/

I have just been reminded that SB has said in a discourse "I will do anything, even sacrifice my name and fame, if it will lead one devotee towards liberation."

This statement could serve to explain everything for those who want to salvage some shreds of faith in SB's much-trumpeted unity and goodness. He has done terrible things for the sake of one or a few people and has blackened his own name for the rest of us and the whole future world.

But this is absurd beyond all belief, surely? Yet I have occasionally heard this repeated by a very close lady devotee whenever SB is caught out in some new lie or other deviousness. SB flattered that lady a great deal in his ashrams with apparent full success. (She also fears him).

Note how SB makes it evident that he values his name and fame above all else... so he's "even sacrifice my name and fame"! How transparently self-obsessed can a person get, I ask. But most people in the Sai movement takes it for granted!
SB has condemned himself with his own words time and again, such as when he said that name & fame are "as disgusting as spittle" (p. 147, Sanathana Sarathi May 1987), that world-fame for Sai by publicity is without value (p. 193, My Baba & I, Hislop) and has often ridiculed gurus who seek name and fame (for example p 75, Prema Vahini). If SB has no need to seek fame (see p. 64, Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 11 new ed.), why then does he allow his discourses to be broadcast on digital radio world-wide... or build massively-costly huge buildings in his name, some devoted entirely to spreading his name and fame?

If name and fame are "as spittle", what is so huge about this huge sacrifice of his name and fame SB would make? (Perhaps he means to sacrifice his fame and replace it with the infamy that now surrounds him!) The degree of audacious mendacity to which SB goes is almost astonishing, but yet more so is the literal acceptance of all he says on this and dozens of other matters by so many followers. How can any of the much-exaggerated good he does cancel or ameliorate the great infamy? Intelligent comment welcome!