Britt Marie Andén's letter to Shirley

Pike

 

Dear Shirley Pike

My name is Britt Marie Andén and I am just now visiting Conny Larsson and I got to see a faxed letter from you about resigning as president in the Sai organisation. I was myself the national president in Sweden for two periods (4 years) and I also 1995 started a Sai school in Sweden. It was a public school named Gimle School, based on the EHV program integrated in the national Swedish curriculum. We where very open about Sai Baba as the founder of the EHV program. I also had the "privilege" to receive directives in personal interviews with Sai Baba.

Last summer at my visit to and on the way back home from the ashram I got to know from a Swedish young man (21) about what had happened in all his interviews. I had been with Sai Baba since 1986 and had been granted many interviews, also with my three children, two sons and one daughter as well as my old mother. My sons where 6 and 14 at their first visit. Three years ago my eldest son, at that time 23, was kissed and hugged by Sai Baba in a personal interview. My son got very confused and we talked about it and tried to understand that it was a divine action. He also tried to discuss it with some very involved experienced male members within the international Saiorganisation. But he got no clarifying response. Last summer when I became informed in detail what happened to the Swedish young man who told me, I immediately became very clear that this information would change my whole situation regarding Sai Baba. I was at that time no more an office bearer of the Sai organisation, not even a member as I had been so fully occupied with the school and to develop ways of getting the EHV program broader into the Swedish schoolsystem and society. The interest was growing as a result from the Gimle School.

I do not here go into details of what I was told, but it became very clear to me that Sai Baba was himself sexually involved and also lost his control and misusing his powerposition and that he did sexually abuse young men. The Swedish young man stayed in my family for some days to get over his first chock and reactions. It was of course a shock also for me, and my family and all who were associated with me and my engagement with Sai Baba and his mission, especially the EHV mission, when I found out these dark sides of my so dear Master. It was confusing to me how to handle my own life situation of being a representative in Sweden of ?his?!!! EHV program and giving lectures and workshops within this program. But my deepest shock was to find out that many many of old devotees knew about this sexual activity of Sai Baba and accepted it as a divine activity, or denied it as imagination in these boys /young men. I was first hand informed by this Swedish man and as well my son, even though the situation with my son never developed to a point where we even imagined the fact that now is clear, as he refused because he felt directly from within that something was wrong and he did not felt to be even kissed by Sai Baba. He never had a personal interview after that happening. I also know personally another young man who many years ago had the surprising experience of being kissed by Sai Baba and touched on his penis with oil and vibuthi. We talked very much about this and we were sure that it was for a divine purpose, to direct correctly the sexual energy of this young man. At that time none of us could imagine the slightest that Sai Baba himself would involve in sexual reactions. I also talked about this incident with one of my most respected seniors in the Saiorganisation and got to know that Sai Baba had been approached about the matter and said that it was only for healing. Thus I understood that these situations sometimes happened but I never heard until summer 1999 about the kind of situations that I after that have heard of in plenty which cannot in any way be accepted as good for the young men and boys.

I listened for hours and hours to the one which last summer was abused. I am a mother of sons around the same age and know their trust and devotion and this young man was in the same way in trust and devotion. He had been in the ashram even in January last year when I was there so I was familiar with all the attention he got from Sai Baba as well as all admiration from the other Swedish people there. I very intimate and direct met his suffering, confusion and all the reactions when he within himself understood what it was about. I am also a close friend of Conny Larsson in Sweden and have been for hours and hours listening to him after he became outspoken about his own experiences. I also have met both David and Faye and their devotion during the years with Sai Baba and talked to them after they left. The same with Al Ram and his wife. There are many other sources from where I have received information that confirm the situation with Sai Baba which is impossible to understand and complete impossible to align with a divine and dharmic living example for humans; elders, parents, teachers, school-pupils as well as the general younger generation etc.

Your clear and outspoken letter is very valuable in this situation. Unfortunately many lines were not readable for me because of some failure with the fax-procedure to Conny Larsson. I would appreciate deeply to receive a copy to my personal email address. It is healing for those young men to find out that there are elders they can trust. My son and the other young man have had several experiences in meetings with elder saidevotees/saiorgofficebearers, which they said could have been disastrous for them if they would not have had someone like me, Conny and others who trust their stories. Not to be trusted when they open themselves to tell their so difficult experiences and be told that it is imagination or all divine can make them suicide. As the young Swedish man told me; It is the worst thing that can happen in ones life, to be young and have met the full Divine incarnation and in full dedication, surrendering and trust in his divinity find oneself involved in being sexually abused by ?God?, and on top of this the horror of being one of those that by being honest and outspoken have to dismay and shock so many people who have their hope, lives and dedication in Sai Baba and his mission. So these young boys/men have besides own suffering the feeling of causing others to suffer if they are true to themselves. What a difficult situation that occurred in their lives out of their genuine thirst for truth and their trust in the divine guiding from Sai Baba, and in many cases out of trust in their parents and /or other elder people around Sai Baba.

My youngest son was always dear to Sai Baba and got a lot of attention during the years. While he was a pupil in Gimle School some other boys from the school followed us to Sai Baba. I am very thankful that nothing happened to them or my youngest son and that I myself today am not in the situation of denying. Many years ago my youngest son in an interview looked behind the curtain into the inner interview room when Sai Baba was there alone with an Indian boy whom we assumed was a student. My son told me very pussled that he saw Sai Baba and the student kissing mouth to mouth. I think my son was eleven only at that time. I told him not to be naughty and look in behind the curtains where it was private and that it was something divine that happened of course. I could not in my wildest fantasy imagine what today is very clear. I also know personally another young man who many years ago had the surprising experience of being kissed by Sai Baba and touched on his penis with oil and vibuthi. We talked very much about this and we were sure that it was for a divine purpose, to direct correctly the sexual energy of this young man. At that time none of us could imagine the slightest that Sai Baba himself would involve in sexual reactions. I also talked about this incident with one of my most respected seniors in the Saiorganisation and got to know that Sai Baba had been approached about the matter and said that it was only for healing. Thus I understood that these situations sometimes happened but I never heard until summer 1999 about the kind of situations that I after that have heard of in plenty which cannot in any way be accepted as good for the young men and boys.

Your letter is an important contribution to truth and human respect, so touching in its dignity and honesty.

Please send me a copy of your letter and again thanks for your sanity. You are more than welcome to stay in touch with me, My telephone number is +46 521 697 60. We can support each other as well as the young ones on our way to live an honest divine life on earth. It is not just to leave Sai Baba; it is to start a new life. I am very happy for my spiritual experiences and how I manage to live today. I lived for four years in a Sai Baba community with about 30 people and sometimes many more with guests and visitors. So my life with Sai Baba has been very intense. And I could never imagine a life without him as my closest friend. It is now almost a year since I had to change my life-situation. The school does not longer exist and I have found new ways for my spiritual growth in co-operation with others as well as engagement in society for the divine purpose. I am deep within even more blissful and life is for sure a divine adventure,

With love and reverence

Britt Marie Andén