Dave's letter to Barbara

 

Dear Barbara

I am the former president of THE SATHYA SAI BABA CENTER OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS, from March, 1995 until April, 2000. I became a devotee of Sathya Sai Baba in May, 1981, and was completely certain that I would depart this life in the arms of the avatar. I was shocked to learn from several friends that their own beloved children had been sexually molested by Sai Baba in every conceivable way. The children believed they were serving divinity and said nothing to their parents because Baba told them to say nothing to anyone. Some of the exposures began in earnest last September, but were known to only a handful of American devotees, who were asked to remain silent until Baba was confronted. Baba dismissed these confrontations (there were other nationalities involved: British, Swedish, Dutch, French, German, as well as Indians) with: "Swami is purity itself!" Notable among the few who knew were Dr. Michael Goldstein, and Dr. William Harvey, both Central Coodinators of North America in the Sai organization. When neither of them did nothing to prevent the sexual molestations, homosexual acts of Baba, and pedophilia of Baba(from age 7 to age 30 he has had several thousand sexual acts on these mostly innocents) the stories began to come out. Several Regional Officers have resigned as well as several presidents (of Centers). I only learned of these things in February this year but not in any detail so I simply gave Baba the benefit of the doubt--and continued with my duties as president of the Center.

In early April I received from Faye and David Bailey in North Wales a document entitled THE FINDINGS. A few well-placed phone calls confirmed my worse nightmare. After doing emotional back flips for three days, I called a meeting of the office bearers of the Center. Two days later, at our regular Sunday devotional meeting, I spelled out the reasons for my resignation. I distributed a copy of THE FINDINGS to all committed Center members. After about two hours of reading the contents (41 pages), they all departed. About half have rejected Baba and the organization. The other half have chosen new officers and continue to adore Baba every Sunday.

I was as enamored with and excited by Sai Baba as anyone I know. I truly believed we had the Avatar of avatars. Since April I have heard many many stories of Baba's sexual predatory crimes. Other crimes of murder at the ashram in June, 1993, of four former students, executed by the police, who were trying to assassinate Baba because of his scurrilous sexual sins, were covered up. I have spoken to people who were there at the time and they say it was horrible: hundreds of bullet holes all over the mandir, buckets of blood on floors and walls, etc. And the best part: these former students were armed with knives and swords, had been cornered in Baba's room (he wasn't there), but were still executed. You know how it is, Barbara, dead men tell no tales! Baba did not want these students to tell anyone why they wanted to kill "God".

I read your book Barbara. I sure wish it could end up this way. But this Sai has tarnished himself and will extend to millions of devotees. I only ask that you investigate these charges, listen to the testimony of the many victims. It is all available to you, if you so desire.

Dave Lyons, former president of The Sathya Sai Baba Center of Greater New Orleans.