"A CRITICAL SITE ABOUT SAI BABA"

Misinformations and exaggerations (smoke in the eyes...?)

Very often the Sai Baba's devotees recognize themselves under the label of "seekers of Truth", as well as Sai Baba is defined "Master of Truth". Lets' see some demonstrations of this. Here are some excerpts from "informative" articles from the Esonet website, with comment; the titles of the articles are "Sai Baba", "Chi e' Sai Baba (Who is Sai Baba)" and "Sai Baba, the divine Avatar" (personal translations).

"Sai Baba is the greatest living Master. Universallly acknowledged as the Purnavatar of our times (i.e. the Divine Incarnation endowed with the full God's powers) ... his life's history is indeed full of unbelievable miracles... in front of which many scientists have surrendered."

 

"Sai Baba's extraordinary faculties have won the resistances of the most skeptical scholars, from the indian nuclear physicist Bhagavantam, who became one of his most ardent supporters, to the guru Sai Path, who went to challenge him and he was instead cured of an articluar paralysis, and two western scientists, Karl Osis and Erlendur Haraldsson. ... Among the convinced ones we find also the indian illusionist Eruch Fanibunda, who seeing Sai Baba at work has excluded any possibility of sleight-of-hand..."

"Universally acknowledged" means that most of the people, in any place, when questioned about "who is Sai Baba?" would have to give you the same answer. For example: if in your city you choose a sample of residents, and you ask them:

"who was Cristoforo Colombo?

"who was the Mahatma Gandhi?"

"who was Einstein?"

...and so on, they will give you more or less the same answers, because those are really universally acknowledged personalities. In the case of Sai Baba this is not true. The most part of world population ignores him, and wouldn't be able to answer the question "who is Sai Baba?"; he's well known only to his devotees and to those who are interested in eastern spirituality. Now, since this kind of articles is thought out right for that kind of audience, it's easy to make believe that Sai Baba is "universally acknowledged" personality.

As for the "countless scientists": by giving the informations in such way, it would seem that Sai Baba is a phenomenon who makes the science powerless, and who is certified as genuine by the science. In truth, Sai Baba has always escaped any examination, and the "countless scientists" are really the usual, few names that Sai Baba's propaganda and devotional literature are repeating from many years (Bhagavantam, Haraldsson, Osis, etc.); those people, in their being devotees or supporters of Sai Baba, behave as devotees anot as scientists. About this theme and the "unbelievable miracles", in addition to the content of this site (particularly this page) I suggest you to read "Sai Baba's miracles: an overview" by Dr. Dale Beyerstein, and also this page on the false materialization of the Seiko watch, which regards the famous Dr. Bhagavantam.

"He has millions of devotees around the world. His advent has been prophecied by many Saints and Prophets of the past. Mohammed, for example, describes his coming by pointing out more than 300 physical traits to help his recognition by the posterity. Baba matches the description even in the slightest detail (for more information see "La profezia di Maometto", by Giancarlo Rosati for Edizioni Milesi)."

Also the prophecies, or better the allegation that some prophecies concerned the "advent" ofSai Baba, are nothing but propaganda and fantasies. About the prophecies, you'll find interesting infromations at this page, and "Sai Baba's miracles: an overview".

As for the "prophecy of Mohammed", it's interesting to remark that the supposed collection of Mohammed speaks (the "Biharul-Anwar", "the Ocean of Light"), in which it would be contained the prophecy about Sai Baba, is unfindable. As a documentation of this prophecy, it is presented the book by Giancarlo Rosati (a Sai Baba's devotee) published by Edizioni Milesi, a publishing house which is exclusively devoted to the publishing of works on Sai Baba. Moreover, let's notice that the source material regarding the prophecy of Mohammed is not the above mentioned collection, "the Ocean of Light", but the book of of one Lowenberg, "The heart of Sai" (Sathya Sai Publications, Prashanti Nilayam, Puttaparti, India), which as we can see has been published by Sai Baba's publishing house in India. Sure enough we couldn't ask for anything more objective, fair and historically affordable...

 

"... Equally important are His social works, from the first totally free hospital of the world, to His Universities, which are worldwide acknowledged as absolutely the best ones, and where the education is as well totally free."

Apart from the free aspect of these services, about which there are doubts and testimonies telling the contrary, and apart from the suspects of organs racket against Sai Baba's hospital, the most astonishing thing here is the statement that  SB's universities are "worldwide acknowledged as absolutely the best ones"!!! But who has ever said so?!?!? Maybe we want to make believe that Sai Baba's universities are superior e.g. to Yale, Berkeley, Oxford, Cambridge, Caltech and MIT, and to all the really prestigious american and european universities? And this just because in his public speeches he says so? Where are his school's graduates, who according tho his "plans" would have had to become the present ruling class? And if they are present, in what are they better than any other graduates? Let's be serious, please... Here are a couple of articles, the first on the death of student and the second on Sai Baba's educational system, to help you build a more realistic idea of SB's "perfect" schools.

The truth is that in India, Sai Baba's authority has replaced the civil one, at the point that the Government authorities ask SB to build up the social services (schhols, hospital, etc.) in their place. The price to be payed, at least in the schools, is the submission to a steel central authority, based on the cult of Sai Baba's "divine" personality. Due to this steel hand, SB's school seem to be more efficient than the average indian statal schools. But theyare not at all Ma non sono affatto "worldwide acknowledged as absolutely the best ones". Now here is another series of allegations:

"Thousands of people witnessed and continue to witness the supernatural powers of Sathya Sai Baba, who without having ever studied knows all the Scriptures, of any religion. He talks with scholars, philosophers, physicians and scientists, showing his more-than-deep knowledge of all the sciences: physical, metaphysical and spiritual ones.

He answers the questions of the devotee before his questioning. He knows past, present and future of everybody. And he shows this on and on. He often appears, at the same time, in different places. He hears the help requests from devotees all around the world, and immediately he answers saving them from dangers or troubles. He has the power to manipulate the energy, and so to create items out of nothing, to change or dematerialize them, to heal incurable diseases and to act on natural forces and elements."

When reading Sai Baba's exciting descriptions, it seems that all is perfect and doubtless; obviously it isn't so, and there is plenty of material showing the opposite of the allegations from himself and from his devotees and supporters. A thorough reading of this site starting from here, and again of the book "Sai Baba's miracles: an overview", will show if and how these allegations are true.

 

"Sai Baba doesn't belong to any religion and he doesn't propagate any one. He has just born in an Hindu context, but his Mission trascends any religious institution..."

Sai Baba belongs to the Hindu religion, in particular to that school which goes under the name of "Advaita Vedanta", or non-dualism. His speeches and teachings, especially the most recent one, are totally shaped on indian culture and religion, the only ones which he knows properly. Even if sometimes he quotes from other cultures and sacred scriptures (and in doing so he often makes coarse mistakes), he finally brings everything back to the indian teachings. Here's a couple of examples of how he is "universal" and "non-Hindu", taken from two speeches which his devotees regard as milestones. These speeches are totally based on Hindu traditional concepts and elements:

"For the protection of the virtuous, for the destruction of evil-doers and for establishing righteousness on a firm footing, I incarnate from age to age... My main tasks are fostering of the Vedas (Hindu scriptures) and fostering of the devotees... I have to reveal to the people the worth of the Vedas, the Sastras and the spiritual texts which lay down the norms... IMy main task is the reestablishment of the Vedas and Sastras (spiritual scriptures), and revealing the knowledge about them to all people... I have come to instruct all in the essence of the Vedas, to shower on all this precious gift, to protect the ancient wisdom (sanathana dharma) and preserve it... "

(from the speech of 23 November 1968)

"Again how fortunate you are that you can witness all the countries of the world paying homage to India (Bharatha); you can hear adoration of Sathya Sai's name reverberating throughout the world... And again, you can witness very soon the restoration of the Ancient and Eternal Religion (Sanathana Dharma) to its genuine and natural status, the righteousness (dharma) laid down in the Vedas for the good of all the peoples of the world. The revival of vedic dharma is the Sai sankalpa (the resolve that Sai has) not only drawing people toward me, attracting them by the manifestation of my shakti (power) and samarthya (capacity). This is not a bhramathathwam (phenomenon of delusion)."

(from the speech of 17 May 1968, "The revelation")

It's enough to read some Sai Baba's speech to be aware that, to state that he's not Hindu, and that he doesn't work to propagate the Hindu religion, it's to say that the Pope is not Christian, or that the Dalai Lama is not Buddhist.

 

 

"Sai Baba doesn't ask for his own person's worshipping. He recommends to honour God in the form towards which one feels attracted, and in which one has estabilished by culture or education, and to follow the teachings and the cult and prayer modes of one's own religion..."

Here is an excerpt of a letter that Indulal Shah, one of the highest world leaders of the Sathya Sai  Organization, has addressed to the italian devotees:

"There's difference between a devotee and a devotee of Sathya Sai.

There's difference between a devotee of Sri Sathya Sai and a devotee of the Avatar Sathya Sai.

There's difference between a devotee of the Avatar Sathya Sai and a devotee of the Lord Sri Sathya Sai.

Every devotee has to pass through these threee phases. ... After all, the imagine of the Sai Organization depends on his devotees members, who have to loyally protect the Name adn the Imagine of our Lord... One of the most important challenges in front of us, is to adopt a vision about the 21st century and by Bhagawan's Grace. The Sai Avatar has lovely given us this vision in a declaration made by Himself. The vision we have been given is this: "The whole world itself will be transformed in the Sathya Sai Organization, and Sathya Sai will be installed in the hearts of everybody." The whole world will become a Sathya Sai famuily and truly we'll become brothers and sisters united by our love for Baba, who will be enclosed in every heart."

(from a letter from Indulal Shah to italian devotee, october 1999, personal translation)

And more: 

"Again how fortunate you are that you can witness all the countries of the world paying homage to India (Bharatha); you can hear adoration of Sathya Sai's name reverberating throughout the world... "

(from the speech of 17 May 1968, "The revelation")

It's absolutely evident that Sai Baba is object of worshipping and adoration, and that deepening the faith in him leads unavoidably to the worshipping of his person, and to the dependence from it. The devotees worship his pictures on the altars and sing in groups in front of them; in the Sai Baba's centers there's an empty arm-chair reserved to the "presence of the Master", at the feet of which everybody seat during the chants; almost all these chants contain the name of Sai Baba, who is worshipped as incarnation of all divine aspects (see below); and so on...

 

 

"Sai Baba is an international personality. All the world talks about him, and many political and religious leaders, scientists, scholars, western and eastern educators, go to Him to get advices related to their own social and spiritual behaviour."

Not "all the world", but the devotees of all the world, talk about Sai Baba; and they strain every nerve to talk about him and make him known, trying to give the impression that his forecastings regarding his own influence over the world's destinies have become true. But it isn't so. Obviously not even a single objective data is given about Sai Baba's world relevance, which is substantially equal to zero.

It's true that among his followers there are many influent indian personages, and many of them are followers for their own profit's sake: the personages like Sai Baba, in India, have a very wide popular following, and a great influence due to cultural-religious reasons; in brief, in India Sai Baba is a big center of local political and economical power. Outside India, instead, and particularly in the West, Sai Baba's following is much more reduced. There are no news of any public or relevant personality who has declared to be a follower of Sai Baba in the fulfilment of his/her public role, as well as there are no news of the alleged influence over international events, which Sai Baba would have practised through those persons.

Finally, apart from the usual names which the Sai propaganda proposes from years, there is no documentation about all those non si ha alcun riscontro di tutti questi "political and religious leaders, scientists, scholars..." receiving advices from Sai Baba; and nobody of them has ever declared that he/she has received a useful, fundamental, decisive advice pertaining his/her field of action. Of course, if you search for them among the devotees, you will find them... but this has not any value at all. A devotee will always support, even against the evidence of facts, that Sai Baba is really as he is described.

 

 

"Sai Baba is an educator. He has founded a free educational system (from the elementary  school to the universities)... Many personalities of the school sector, after having evaluated the Sathya Sai Education in Human Values system, have fully adopted it. The graduates from Sai Baba's Universities are required worldwide because, apart from the high scholastic preparation, the integrity of their lives is a prestigious warranty of correctitude an professionality."

Not even here, as it is convenient, is given any information, but just some generical allegation about the excellence of Sai Baba's educational system. It would be necessary some data, and answers related e.g. to these questions:

• Which "personalities of the school sector" have adopted Sai Baba's educational system? In what nations? At what level: local, experimental, or national, statal?

• Who, or what businesses, institution, etc., have asked for graduates from SB's schools? Some example of these graduates now employed all around the world, in key positions or in tasks that any other graduate wouldn't have been able to carry out?

• How it is possible, without any objective and factual data, to state that "apart from the high scholastic preparation, the integrity of their lives is a prestigious warranty of correctitude an professionality"? Has somebody perhaps verified that all Sai Baba's students match this statement, and that an average of their preparation and personal integrity is higher than that of other students from other, really prestigious universities? Or such statements are made just because Sai Baba's propaganda wants so?

 

 

"Sai Baba is a Master of Truth. His mission doesn't require any new cult or religion."

So Sai Baba doesn't require any new cult... and moreover as we have just seen before:

"Sai Baba doesn't ask for his own person's worshipping. He recommends to honour God in the form towards which one feels attracted, and in which one has estabilished by culture or education, and to follow the teachings and the cult and prayer modes of one's own religion..."

"Sai Baba doesn't belong to any religion and he doesn't propagate any one. He has just born in an Hindu context, but his Mission trascends any religious institution..."

Now, let's consider the following bhajans (devotional chants of worshipping), which I quote along with their related translation:

JAYA SAI HARE JAYA SAI HARE JAYA SAI BABA HARE

Glory to Rama and Sita, Krishna and Radha, and to the Lord Sai Baba.

SAI RAM HAMARA SAI RAM HAMARA

Oh Divine Lord, You are ours, we are Yours. You are ours, oh Sai Rama. Your Name was Sai of Shirdi, oh our Lord, incarnated Divinity. Hindu, Moslems, Sikhs, Christians and the devotees of every religion belong to You, oh Lord Sai, Divine Protector of the human kind.

PARAMA SHANTI PRIYA RAM

I bow to you, oh Lord Sai Baba, I bow to you, oh Lord of Shirdi; oh Lord of my soul, accept my surrender. My Lord, my guidance, my God, beloved Lord Rama, refuge of us all, You are our peace.

EKA BAR KSHAMA KARO SAI MERE BABA SRI SATHYA SAI

Oh my Baba, Lord Sathya Sai! You are the embodiment of compasion, of love and mercy. Help us another time to correct our mistakes. Oh Lord of Shirdi, You are the Lord of Dwaraka. O Lord of Parthi, you are in our minds.

Victory to the Lord of the Universe, the Lord Sathya Sai, who destroys the sorrow, the evil and the miseries of life and who defends and protect the devotees. Victory to the Lord of the Universe, Lord of Devas, Lord of Parthi. Oh gracious and charming one as the full moon! Oh propitious! Oh Lord Sai! You are the Indweller and the vital strength of all beings, the Divine fulfiller of those who surrendered to you, and you are the relative, the protector and the friend in the moments of anguish and disaster. Victory to the Lord of the Universe. Oh Lord Sai! You are Mother, Father, Sublime Master, Supreme Divinity and everything to us. Oh Lord of the Universe! You are the Original Sound and you are bent on the entangled snake. Oh Splendent One! Oh Lord of the Devas, Lord Sai. Your form is Pranava. We bow to you to accept the propritious wavering flame of light. Victory to You, oh Lord of the Universe, dwelling on the Mandara mountain, Lord Giridhari. Let's sing the name of the Lord Sathya Sai Narayana, whose form is Pranava. Victory to the Supreme Master and Lord Sathya Sai.

A premise: here is not in discussion the fact that somebody adores Sai Baba: everyone is free to adore what he/she likes. Here is under examination the propaganda allegation that "Sai Baba doesn't requires neither cult or worshipping of his own person, nor any change of religious habits".

The above quoted chants, coming from books of devotional songs used by Sai Baba's devotees, are just a very little example of the chants that any devotee of SB performs in the centers of the organization, or during the meeting of devotees. There's a huge quantity of these songs, most of which are directly addressed in adoration of Sai Baba as Supreme God and Lord. We can observe some things on this practice:

• the used language is sanskrit, which is the sacred language of Hinduism; there are some chants in the various national languages, but they are very few;

• the customs and ritualisms (little statues, idols, musical instruments, flower garlands, sacred pictures, etc) used during these sessions of chants, are from the most classical indian and Hindu tradition;

• the song invoke Sai Baba as God and Supreme Lord;

• particularliy the last quoted song, the "arathi", is a traditional Hindu homage offered by the ministers of cult to the Divinities;

• in the most part of cases, the cult forms coming from other religions (Allah, Jesus, etc.) are subordinated to Sai Baba, who remains always Supreme Master and Lord;

• the chant sessions are usually performed in front of a picture of Sai Baba adorned with flower garlands or other adornments, which is object of veneration;

• more generally, most of the devotees observe Hindu sacred days and festival, which are celebrated at Sai Baba's ashram, sometimes along with their own national festivals.

Now, if we consider that the most part of western devotees comes from the christian tradition, or from the agnosticism (in some case from the atheism), one can see how it is true that "Sai Baba doesn't requires neither cult or worshipping of his own person, nor any change of religious habits"... as a matter of fact, it exists a cult of Sai Baba's "divine person", and it is an indian and Hindu cult like Sai Baba, who is an indian, Hindu and nationalist religious leader, in spite of the allegation that he's "Universallly acknowledged as the Purnavatar of our times (i.e. the Divine Incarnation endowed with the full God's powers)... "