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Sathya Sai Baba (born Sathya Narayana Raju on November 23 1926 -or later than 1927- with the family name of "Ratnakaram" ) is a South Indian Guru often described as a Godman and a miracle worker . According to the Sathya Sai Organisation, there are an estimated 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centers in 130 countries world-wide . The number of Sathya Sai Baba adherents is estimated between 6 million to 100 million . Several hundred books and media articles have been published about Sathya Sai Baba.
Sathya Narayana Raju was born into a poor agrarian family in the remote village of Puttaparthi located in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. In the 1940s he proclaimed to be the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba and subsequently took the Fakir's name. Sathya Sai Baba claims that he is the second in a series of three Avatars (incarnations) of Shiva Shakti (the future incarnation being Prema Sai Baba ). He claims that he is an embodiment of love with divine attributes such as omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence. .
Sathya Sai Baba teaches the unity of all major world religions and says that they all lead to God. He preaches a foundation of five basic human values: Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love and Non-Violence. Sathya Sai Baba's followers report many, sometimes spectacular, miracles of various kinds which they attribute to him. He is observed to allegedly manifest vibuthi (holy ash) and small objects (rings, necklaces and watches) daily. Sathya Sai Baba explained the phenomenon of manifestation as an act of divine creation, but refused to have his materializations investigated under experimental conditions because he felt that the approach used by critics was improper . Critics claim that these materializations are done by sleight of hand.
The most vehement criticisms since the year 2000 are the allegations made by former devotees of inappropriate sexual relations with young men and boys . In the India Today magazine (dated December 2000) no complaints had been filed against the Guru, by any alleged victim, in India . It was also reported, in this same India Today magazine, that the coterie that surrounds Baba dismissed the allegations by denouncing them as "Anti-Hindu" attacks made by foreigners . According to Mick Brown, due to the public disclosure of allegations, there was a rash of defections from Western countries and Sweden . In face of the allegations, the Sathya Sai Central Trust is still the largest recipient of foreign donations (as recently as 2001 ) and Bill Aitken and Michelle Goldberg both expressed the opinion that the allegations have not seemed to impact the Guru's following .
Sathya Sai Baba's followers and the organizations he founded are involved in many service projects around the world. He is providing free education through his schools, free healthcare through two state-of-the-art hospitals in Puttaparthi and Bangalore and two water projects serving thousands in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Puttaparthi, where Baba was born and still lives, was originally a small village where one can now find an extensive University complex, a World-Religions Museum (Chaitanya Jyoti), a Planetarium, a railway station, an airport and more. High ranking Indian politicians, like the current President Dr. Abdul Kalam, Manmohan Singh (Former finance minister and current Prime Minister), and Atal Vajpayee (Former Prime minister) have been official guests at the ashram in Puttaparthi. Some quarters of the Indian government consider Sai Baba to be a "national treasure" .
History and origins
 | It has been suggested that History and origins of the Sathya Sai Baba movement be merged into this article. (Discuss) |
See Main article History and origins of the Sathya Sai Baba movement
Sathya Narayana was born into a poor agrarian family in the remote village of Puttaparthi, located in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, India, as the son of Pedda Venkappa Raju and mother Eshwar Amma. According to professor Narayana Kasturi in his book Easwaramma, who also wrote Sathya Sai Baba's authorized biography, Sathya was born and conceived through a Virgin birth. After recovering from an unexplained illness in his teens the young Sathya claimed to be the reincarnation of the Fakir Shirdi Sai Baba in the 1940s. According to his own assertion and the biography by Kasturi (which the British journalist Mick Brown of the The Telegraph called a hagiography), he stopped going to school in the town of Uravakonda on October 20, 1940 to start his mission. However, he is listed in the 1942 school record of the nearby village Bukkapatnam. Though the exact year on which he started his mission full-time is uncertain, it is a fact that in the 1940s he took the fakir's name. Kasturi's biography mentions several miracles by and signs of divinity of the young Sathya. According to Howard Murphet, in his book Sai Baba Man of Miracles (see picture) , the young Sathya was a vegetarian and was known for his aversion to animal cruelty and compassion for the poor, disabled and elderly. According to Kasturi and to Sathya Sai Baba himself, the young Sathya composed bhajans spontaneously (even as young as 8 years of age) and was talented in drama, dance, music and poetry. In a discourse in 1963 he claimed to be a reincarnation of Shiva and Shakti in 1963. . In the same discourse SSB said that Shirdi Sai Baba was an incarnation of Shiva and that his future reincarnation Prema Sai Baba would be a reincarnation of Shakti. In contrast, Kasturi’s biography/hagiography stated that Shirdi Sai Baba was to be Shakti incarnated and that Prema Sai Baba was to be an incarnation of Shiva.
In the late 1960s he attracted Western spiritual seekers and became increasingly popular. One of those spiritual seekers was the Hollywood screenwriter Arnold Schulman, who wrote in his 1971 book called Baba that "For any episode of Baba's childhood, there are countless contrasting versions and, at this point, the author discovered that it was no longer possible to separate the facts from the legend." According to Schulman, contrasting versions about Baba's childhood may be due to the fact that he needed interpreters to interperet other interpreters (as in the case of his interview with Baba's sister). Schulman concluded that what the translators said may well have been quite different from what was actually said
Sathya Sai Baba had several sisters, one older brother, the late Seshama Raju, and one younger brother, the late R. V. Janaki Ramaiah.
Beliefs and practices
| It has been suggested that Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation be merged into this article. (Discuss) |
- Main article Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation
Miracles and ashrams
Sathya Sai Baba resides much of the time in his main ashram called Prashanthi Nilayam (abode of peace) at Puttaparthi. In the hot summer Baba leaves for his other ashram called Brindavan in Whitefield (sometimes called Kadugodi), a town on the outskirts of Bangalore. He regularly visits Kodaikanal. He has left India only once for a visit to North East Africa in 1968.
He is a prolific orator about religious topics in his native language Telugu and he is regarded by some as an excellent speaker. Apart from his claim to be Shirdi Sai Baba, Satya Sai Baba also asserts that he is an Avatar of God, a reincarnation of Lord Rama, of Sri Krishna, the Kalki purna avatar (full divine incarnation), Lord Shiva, and Shakti. But he also says that everybody else is God and that the difference is that he is aware of this and others are not. He says that he is omniscient, omnipotent, and able to create matter from mere thought. He also stresses he is free from desires. Sai Baba claims to be pure, divine love.
Sathya Sai Baba can be seen in person performing what followers believe to be miracles daily in the form of materializations of small objects, for example food, jewelry such as bracelets, rings, watches and especially vibhuti (holy ash) and "kum kum" (the red-colored powder used by Hindus to make the ritual mark between the eyebrows). He says that he can heal diseases of his devotees sometimes by his spiritual power and sometimes by taking on the disease himself. . There is anecdotal evidence that supports this claim. Followers attribute many miracles to him which they claim have witnessed in his presence. There are international claims, from Sathya Sai Baba's followers and neutral observers, that vibuthi, kumkum, turmeric powder, holy water, brass statues of deities, sugar candy, fruits, herbs, amrita (a fragrant, nectar-like honey), gems and coloured string spontaneously manifest on the altars and pictures of Sathya Sai Baba in the privacy of their own homes.
The Icelandic psychology professor Erlendur Haraldsson wrote that he did not get Sathya Sai Baba's permission to study him under controlled circumstances but investigated and documented the guru's alleged miracles and manifestations by interviewing witnesses first-hand and compiling results from a questionnaire given to a sampling of 29 people, including 7 former followers. According to the people that Haraldsson interviewed, and the results to his questionnaire, many extraordinary miracles were attributed to Sathya Sai Baba such as levitation (both indoors and outdoors), bilocation, physical disappearances, changing granite into sugar candy, changing water into another drink, changing water into gasoline, producing objects on demand, changing the color of his gown into a different color while wearing it, multiplying food, healings, visions, dreams, making different fruits appear on any tree hanging from actual stems, controlling the weather, physically transforming into various deities and physically emitting brilliant light. These people also claimed that Sathya Sai Baba materialized many substances from his hand such as vibuthi, lost objects, statues, photographs, Indian pastries (both hot and cold), food (hot, cold, solid and fluid), out of season fruits, new banknotes, pendants, necklaces, watches and rings . Haraldsson wrote that the biggest materialized object that he saw was a mangalasutra necklace, 32 inches long, 16 inches long on each side . Haraldsson wrote that some miracles attributed or performed by the Baba resemble the ones described in the New Testament, but also with some differences. According to Haraldsson, although healings certainly figure into Sai Baba's reputation, his impression is that healings do not play a prominent role in SSB's activities as in those of Jesus
One important practice in his ashrams is darshan (spiritual sight). During darshan Sathya Sai Baba walks among his followers. He may listen to a few chosen persons, accept letters, or materialize and distribute vibhuti (sacred ash of Lord Shiva). Sathya Sai Baba claims that his darshan has spiritual benefits for those who attend it and this is consistent with Hindu beliefs regarding spiritual preceptors. Usually people wait hours to get a good place for darshan. Sathya Sai Baba sometimes invites people for a group interview with him in a room in the 'ashram's mandir' (Hindu temple). Sathya Sai Baba says he performs these miracles to attract people and then to transform them spiritually. He also makes assurances of divine protection to his devotees. Followers report help from Sai Baba in difficult or dangerous situations as well as in dreams. Followers consider it a great privilege to get such an interview. Sometimes a person from this group is invited for a private interview. When asked about the divinity of Sathya Sai Baba, many of his followers readily attest to it by accounting anecdotes about the numerous miraculous occurrences and strange coincidences they have experienced.
Teachings
Sathya Sai Baba preaches love and the unity of all world religions and asserts that people who follow him do not need to give up their original religion. His teachings are sometimes seen as completely syncretic (uniting all religions) and sometimes as Hindu. He teaches among others a rather traditional form of Hinduism that has come from many sects and movements including advaita, occasionally drawing from other religions like Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam and Christianity. One of the Christian influences can be felt in the institution of regular Sunday School sessions for devotees. He says that he has come to restore faith in, and encourage the practice of the teachings in the Vedas. Several books and discourses by him, such as the book Ramakatha Rasavahini teach the literal interpretation of Hindu mythology and advocate the practice of Hindu Dharma.
Across the globe local Sathya Sai Baba groups assemble to sing bhajans (Hindu devotional songs), study Sathya Sai Baba's teachings, do collective community service (called seva), and teach Education in Human Values (Sai Sunday School). Baba's movement is not missionary and Baba discouraged publicity for him in a public discourse in 1968. Bhajans are sung at nearly every meeting with the names of the traditional Hindu deities as well as saints and prophets of other religions occasionally replaced by Baba's name.
The Sathya Sai organisation advocates the five basic human values. These values are sathya (truth), dharma (right conduct, living in accord with natural law), ahimsa (non-violence), prema (love for God and all his creatures) and shanti (peace).
Other primary teachings are:
- Service and charity (seva) to others.
- Love for all creatures and objects
- Put a ceiling (limit) on one's desires.
- Everything that has been created is maya (illusion), only God is real.
- Every creature and object is God in form, though most do not experience this as their reality.
- Vegetarianism
- Detachement from the material world
- Meditation - Baba teaches four techniques, repetition of the name of God, visualising the form of God, sitting in silence and jyoti (Light meditation).
- Inclusive acceptance of all religions as paths to realizing the One (God).
- Importance of bhakti (devotion) to God
- Developing virtues and eschewing vices of character
- japa and other sadhana (spiritual exercise) to foster devotion.
Dominic Kennedy, a journalist from The Times, described his teachings in 2001 as "a collection of banal truisms and platitudes."
Organizations
Sathya Sai Baba is the figurehead to a number of educational institutions and charitable hospitals, most notably the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and the Sri Sathya Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, located within or near the main ashrams and Anantapur town. These organizations provide free education and free health care to the public. They are private, non profit institutions and their admission criteria are not published, admissions being decided on individual merits as decided by Sai Baba or his executives. Many of the patients are devotees from India and abroad.
The trust organization has made large contributions to drinking water projects for the whole of the Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh and Chennai.
His Educare (formerly called Education in Human Values) programme seeks to found schools in all countries with the explicit goal to educate children in the five human values and spirituality. Schools have already been founded in Toronto, Zambia, Australia, the United States, and several in India. A highly successful pre-school in New Zealand has been studied as a model for public New Zealand schools to follow .
All the local Sai Samithis (Sathya Sai Baba groups) are part of a hierarchical structure called the Sathya Sai Organisation. The chairman of the organisation is Michael Goldstein of the USA. The logo of the Sathya Sai organization is a stylized lotus flower with the text of the five human values, highly influenced by not only Hinduism but also Jainism and Buddhism, in its petals. This text version has replaced the old logo with the symbols of the 5 or 6 world religions in the petals.
The Sri Sathya Sai central trust was founded in 1972 and is mainly involved in charities such as the Rayalaseema water project. The trust has tax exempt status and is a major recipient of donations from abroad though Baba and his organizations never solicit donations. All donations and expenditures are recorded which are documented by the bank holding the sums .
The Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust is the official publisher of the Sathya Sai Organisation. It publishes the international monthly magazine called Sanathana Sarathi. In various nations similar publication trusts maintain in their own native language.
Opposition, controversy, and allegations
See also
- Nārāyana Kasturi - Links and info about Sathya Sai Baba's biographer.
References and Footnotes
- Nagel, Alexandra (note: Nagel is a critical former follower) Een mysterieuze ontmoeting... :Sai Baba en mentalist Wolf Messing/A mysterious meeting... :Sai Baba and mentalist Wolf Messing published in Tijdschrift voor Parapsychologie/Journal for parapsychology 368, vol. 72 nr 4, Dec. 2005, pp. 14-17 (Dutch language): "Sai Baba was in 1927 one year old - or not yet born (a discussion exist about his birth year.)" Dutch original: "Sai Baba was in 1927 één jaar oud - of nog niet eens geboren (er bestaat discussie over zijn geboortejaar.)"
- Haraldsson, Erlendur PhD Miracles are my visiting cards - An investigative inquiry on Sathya Sai Baba, an Indian mystic with the gift of foresight believed to perform modern miracles (1997 revised and updated edition published by Sai Towers, Prashanti Nilayam, India) ISBN 81-86822-32-1
- Reference 1: Woodhead, Linda & Fletcher Paul. Religion in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformation. Routledge (UK), ISBN 0415217849: "By far the most famous Godman of today is Sathya Sai Baba" (p. 29);
Reference 2 Lochtefeld, James G. Ph.D. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism Vol. I ISBN 082393179-x, New York Rosen 2002: From the entry godman, "One contemporary example of such a godman is Sathya Sai Baba" - Hummel, Reinhart German article published in Materialdienst der EZW, 47 Jahrgang, 1 February 1984, Translation by Linda W. Duddy and is reprinted by their permission, available online on the website of the Dialog Center, a Christian Anti-Cult Site: " Sai Baba has an unrivaled reputation as a miracle worker. He »materializes« watches, talismans, sweets, flowers, crucifixes, books, photographs, and, above all, holy ashes (vibhuti) with a wave of the hand. Miraculous cures with help from the ashes, or from Baba himself as the surgeon, and even the resurrecting of the dead are attributed to him."
- Sathya Sai Org: Numbers to Sai Centers and Names of Countries
- Reference 1: Adherents estimate of 10 million;
Reference 2: Brown, Mick; Divine Downfall in The Telegraph UK Newspaper (28 Oct. 2000): "The guru Sai Baba has left India only once, yet his devotees across the world are estimated at up to 50 million.";
Reference 3: Nagel, Alexandra "De Sai Paradox", 1994, nr. 29. published by the Free University Amsterdam, (1994): "Beyerstein (1992:3) estimates the amount at 6 million; Riti & Theodore (1993:31) at 30 million, Sluizer (1993:19) is talking about 70 million and Van Dijk's (1993:30) estimate is "between 50 and 100 million.'" - Reference 1: Gurupournima Day, 6 July 1963, Sathya Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Speaks III 5, 19., Available online: "After the ritual was over, they were so pleased that they conferred even more boons on the sage. Shiva said that they would take human form and be born in the Bharadwaja lineage, thrice: Shiva alone as Shirdi Sai Baba, Shiva and Shakthi together at Puttaparthy as Sathya Sai Baba, and Shakthi alone as Prema Sai, later. "
Reference 2: The Extended Interview given by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba to the Senior Editor, Sri R.K. Karanjia of Blitz News Magazine in September of 1976, Available online: "The previous Avathar, Shirdi Baba, laid the base for secular integration and gave mankind the message duty is work. The mission of the present Avathar is to make everybody realize that the same God or divinity resides in everyone. People should respect, love and help each other irrespective of color or creed. Thus all work can become a way of worship. Finally, Prema Sai, the third Avathar will promote the evangel news that not only does God reside in everybody, but everybody is God. That will be the final wisdom which will enable every man and woman to go to God. The three Avathars carry the triple message of work, worship and wisdom." - SSB as quote in Narayana Kasturi's authorized biography Sathyam Sivam Sundaram Vol 3 page 315: "I am all deities in one. You may endeavour your best for thousands of years and have all mankind with you in your search. But you cannot understand My Reality." page 136
"God can do anything. He has all power in the palm of His Hand. My Body, like all other bodies, is a temporary habitation; but, My Power is eternal, all-pervasive, ever-dominant." Christmas Day Discourse, Bombay 1970. page 305 "In his speech at the Patel Stadium in Bombay, Sathya Sai Baba said, " I know all that happens to all because I am everyone. This current is in every bulb I illumine every consciousness. I am the inner motivator in each one of you." - The Extended Interview given by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba to the Senior Editor, Sri R.K. Karanjia of Blitz News Magazine in September of 1976, Available online: "However, as I have said again and again, those who want to understand Me are welcome here. It is the spirit of the investigation that is important. Foreign parapsychologists have come here and examined Me in such a positive and constructive spirit. You have seen their reports. They do not write letters or make public demands. Narasimhiah's approach was improper; that is why I rejected it. If it were not so, he would have been welcome."
- Reference 1: Goldberg, Michelle, Untouchable? (25 July 2001) in salon.com available online: "All this helps explain why there has never been any official action against Sai Baba in India, despite the dozens of ex-believers who insist that his claims to divinity mask a wholly human craving for the bodies of the ashram's young men and boys. The stories are endless, and endlessly alike, concerning mostly boys and men from their midteens to their mid-20s."
Reference 2: Velde, Koert van der in Trouw newspaper Downfall 6 Sept. 2000 Dutch original Ondergang
Reference 3: UNESCO press release issued on 15 September 2000, "Furthermore, the Organization is deeply concerned about widely-reported allegations of sexual abuse involving youths and children that have been levelled at the leader of the movement in question, Sathya Sai Baba." available online
Reference 4: Brown, Mick Divine Downfall article in The Telegraph UK Newspaper (28 Oct. 2000): "In April, Glen Meloy - a retired management consultant and a prominent Californian devotee of some 26 years standing - received a letter from an American woman who had read The Findings on the Internet. Her 15-year-old son, she said, had also been abused. Included in the letter was a four-page statement from the boy himself alleging multiple sexual abuse." - Reference 1: India Today December 04, 2000 A God Accused "As of now, there are no complaints that have been filed in India...Controversy could well be Sai Baba's middle name. He has been dogged by various kinds of allegations in the past-though none of them has ever been proven."
Reference 2: Goldberg, Michelle, Untouchable? (25 July 2001) in salon.com available online: "All this helps explain why there has never been any official action against Sai Baba in India, despite the dozens of ex-believers who insist that his claims to divinity mask a wholly human craving for the bodies of the ashram's young men and boys." - India Today December 04, 2000 A God Accused
- Brown, Mick Divine Downfall article in The Telegraph UK Newspaper UK (28 Oct. 2000): "There has been a rash of defections from Sai Baba groups throughout the West. In Sweden the central group has closed down, and so too has a school based on the Human Education Values programme devised by educationalists at the Puttaparthi college."
- George Iype Sathya Sai Trust Gets Most Foreign Donations article on Rediff.com (August 16, 2003)
- Reference 1: Aitken, Bill, Miracle of Welfare (November 27 2005) Available online: "To add to the chagrin of these voluble detractors, who have criticised his career in print and on the Internet with malicious intensity for at least a generation, is the ongoing booming growth of his mission. The more they rail against the saint, the greater, it seems, is the number of people who flock to have his darshan...Even negative assessments of the Sai movement have to concede that its growth has been phenomenal and that, remarkably, there has been no missionary effort involved. It has increased by spontaneous identification, where individuals have been drawn to the persona and teachings of the Sai saints, a voluntary outpouring of faith that has occurred in an amazingly short period."
Reference 2: Goldberg, Michelle, Untouchable? (25 July 2001) in salon.com available online: "Given all this, one might suspect that Sai Baba's following would be in decline. Yet when one looks around Puttaparthi, there seem to be enough bright-eyed converts to replace every defector, enough denial to obscure even the most well documented allegations and, perhaps most of all, enough fierce belief to trump ordinary moral judgments." - Sri Sathya Sai Baba - A Living Legend - An Embodiment Of Love For All Mankind, Letter from A.B. Vajpayee (the then Prime Minister of India), Available online
- http://www.sathyasai.org/discour/1963/d630706.htm Shiva Shakthi] Gurupournima Day, 6 July 1963, (Sathya Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Speaks III 5, 19.)
- Schulman, Arnold Baba 1971, pp. 122-124, ISBN 670-14343-x
- Sathya Sai Baba's younger brother dies article on 18 Oct. 2003 in The Times of India retrieved March 2006
- Sathya Sai Baba's brother dies article on 18 Oct. 2003 in The Hindu retrieved March 2006
- Interview with Sai Baba in the magazine Blitz 1976
- Public discourse by Sathya Sai Baba on 29 June 1963
- Reference 1: Nair, Yogas, "Raisins, ash raise eyebrows", The Post April 19, 2006, available online: "Golden raisins falling out of a Lord Hanuman statue, sweet honey oozing from his chest and grey ash scattered on Sai Baba pictures. These were some of the mysterious sights that greeted a Phoenix crystal healer and businesswoman when she arrived at her clothing factory on the morning of Hanuman Jayanthi (Hanuman's birthday) on Thursday...She said the picture of Sai Baba had also "shed tears" which 'tasted salty'. 'I was overwhelmed by everything that was happening. However, I accepted it as a blessing and reaffirmed my faith in God.' She said during auspicious days such as Ganesha Pooja and Shivarathri, kungoo (scared red ash), turmeric, sugar candy and coloured strings, appeared on deities of Lord Ganesha and Shiva...I visited Govender at her factory yesterday (Tuesday) and was greeted by mounds of unscented ashes around Baba's photographs. Honey was "oozing" out of a Hanuman statue and raisins appeared scattered around it. A deity of Lord Shiva also appeared to materialise a blue crystal."
Reference 2: Brown Mick, The Spiritual Tourist, Ch: The Miracle In North London, pp. 29-30, 1998 ISBN 158234034X
"I had no idea what to make of the pictures. To have applied the vibuthi to the glass would have been possible, perhaps, although I could not imagine how. The vibuthi was too evenly distributed to have been applied with a brush or sponge. The pictures did not seem to me to have been tampered with in any way. Rather, the vibuthi seemed to have grown on the surface of the glass, just as Mr. Patel said it had. Even if placing vibuthi on the glass might have just about been possible, to have placed it between the picture and the frame, as was the case with some of the portriats, seemed to me to be too complicated and troublesome. It seemed preposterous to imagine Mr Patel and his family bent over frames and sheets of glass, fiddling with ash and screwdrivers. Anyway, why would anyone contrive such a spectacle? There was no apparent profit or gain to be had from it for Mr Patel. A large sign near the pictures urged visitors not to give money, but to 'leave only your troubles'".
"What other motive could he have had? It had, if anything, caused him considerable personal inconvience. His house was no longer his own. He entertained a constant stream of visitors and enquiries; he was required to maintain the shrine in proper order. He had long ago abandoned any thoughts of installing a snooker-table as he had originally planned. Besides, Mr Patel did not strike me as a man capable of deceit. His manner was humble, self-effacing, patently sincere. 'I am deeply blessed,' he said. Even questioning his account of the miracle I felt mean-spirited, a prisoner of rationalist thought. Perhaps it was better simply to accept it for what Mr Patel said it was, for what it seemed to be - the sparkle of holy ash enlivening the dreary suburb of Wealdstone. I walked away from Mr Patel's house with my head reeling, Austin at my side. His face still wore the same absorbed half-smile I had noticed when he was sitting in the ante-room."
"'So what did you think?' I asked."
"He walked along in silence for some moments, mulling it over. 'Well, if it's not a miracle,' he said at last, 'it's a wonderful fairy tale.'"
"I told friends about the vibuthi-covered portriats; they looked at me in a bemused, eyebrow-arching sort of way. It couldn't be true, because such things simply don't happen, do they? But then they hadn't seen it, and I had."
"The phenomenon of vibuthi appearing on photographs was not confined to Mr. Patel's house. I began to hear accounts of similar manifestations at houses and temples in Leicaster, in New York, Canada, Australia and, of course, in India. Shortly after the article appeared I received another telephone call, from someone I had nver met, inviting me to another house, also in North London, where vibuthi was said to be manifesting in even greater quantities than at Mr. Patel's."
"As soon as I stepped inside I was assailed by the familiar sweet smell of vibuthi...The vibuthi was everywhere as material evidence. Its profusion was staggering; its sweet smell penetrated every corner of the house."
Reference 3: Pillay, Prinella Divine blessing: It's a miracle, says family March 17, 2004 in the newspaper Post South Africa available online
"In what is being described as a divine blessing, a staunch Sai Baba-devoted Isipingo family is experiencing what they say are miracles in their home - with the formation of ashes and kungum around their prayer place and walls, and the appearance of candy and honey dripping freely from the eyes of a Sai Baba statue. Widowed Rani Naicker, 50, a factory worker of Egret Crescent, Lotus Park, who shares a rented home with her three children, factory workers Sagren, 21, and Kumaran, 24, unemployed Nicole, 25, and her (Nicole's) three-year-old daughter Shenay, said they were blessed a day after the kavady festival in February, when Sagren noticed ashes forming on the top of a poster which featured Sai Baba's head. Since then, the family claims, there has been an overflow of ashes, kungum, turmeric powder, sugar candy and pink sweets, including the continuous dripping of sweet honey from a statue. These have mysteriously materialised. Ashes have also formed on several pictures of Sai Baba, Shridi Baba, Mother Mary and on the frame of a picture of Naicker's late husband, Manny Naicker."
"Reference 4" "House of Miracles", Sunday 24 Mar 2002, Durban news, Sunday Times available online
Devotees and tourists seeking cures for ailments and help with domestic problems have been flocking to a Durban home said to be blessed by the miracles of Sai Baba.
Kay Pillay, 59, owner of the home in Silverglen, Chatsworth, said the miracles began 11 years ago when honey started forming on a framed picture of Sai Baba.
"We knew it was the miracle of Baba, because we heard of it happening elsewhere. Soon we saw ash on the walls, kungu (coloured powder), turmeric powder, holy water, brass statues of deities, sugar candy, dates, prunes, cloves and coloured string representing the different deities," said Pillay. He said brass figurines representing deities appeared on auspicious religious days.
...Visitors can see honey dripping across a framed picture of Sai Baba, and two red velvet-covered throne-like chairs with a little stool from which ashen footprints lead to a burning lamp. On the floor are offerings of sweetmeats by devotees.
Pillay said every Wednesday and Saturday Baba's footprints are washed from the carpet and everything is cleaned. The following day, the powder and footprints reappear. - Haraldsson, Erlendur PhD Miracles are my visiting cards - An investigative inquiry on Sathya Sai Baba, an Indian mystic with the gift of foresight believed to perform modern miracles (1997 revised and updated edition published by Sai Towers, India) ISBN 81-86822-32-1; Chapters 7-20.
- Haraldsson, Erlendur PhD Miracles are my visiting cards - An investigative inquiry on Sathya Sai Baba, an Indian mystic with the gift of foresight believed to perform modern miracles (1997 revised and updated edition published by Sai Towers, India) ISBN 81-86822-32-1 pp. 43: "Immediately thereafter Sai Baba waved his hand again for two or three seconds, the palm turned down, and then quickly closed it. His arm was approximately horizontal to the ground, which was not a position favourable for allowing an object to fall from his sleeve. We observed at close range as Sai Baba loosened the grip on his fist so that he could hold the large, bulky necklace that appeared in his hand. It was a mangalasutra, a traditional piece of jewelry for a woman given at her wedding. It was 32 inches long, 16 inches each side, and it contained nine kinds of stones arranged in nine groups, each group interspaced by a gold bead. Attached to it was a picture of Sai Baba set in a golden rosette frame an inch and a half in diameter...The necklace was too large to be hidden in a man's fist, particularly Baba's small hand. Its sudden appearance left those present amazed."
- Haraldsson, Erlendur PhD Miracles are my visiting cards - An investigative inquiry on Sathya Sai Baba, an Indian mystic with the gift of foresight believed to perform modern miracles (1997 revised and updated edition published by Sai Towers, Prashanti Nilayam, India) ISBN 81-86822-32-1 pages 231, 239-241
- Knott, Kim Dr. South Asian Religions in Britain page 766, Table 22.1 Principal Sectarian movements in Britain and their primary characteristics in the Handbook of Living Religions edited by John R. Hinnels (1997), second edition, ISBN 0140514805
- Public discourse by Sathya Sai Baba on November 23, 1968 (also published in Samuel Sandweiss 1972 book Sai Baba: The Holy man and the psychiatrist Part II Coming Home) available online on the website of the Sathya Sai organisation: "The Lord has no intention to publicize Himself. I do not need publicity, nor does any other Avatar of the Lord. Avatars need no advertisement"
- Kennedy, Dominic The Times (England), Aug. 27, 2001 ”Suicide, sex and the guru” available online
”Sai Baba's teachings, however, are a collection of banal truisms and platitudes. The most famous utterances he has made in a six decade-long career as a living god are Help ever, hurt never and Love all, serve all. Few are likely to argue with such a simplistic and universal moral code. He broadens his appeal further by allowing devotees to continue practising their own religion while paying homage to him.”
Sathya Sai Baba's Presence in Popular Culture
Sathya Sai Baba's name is mentioned on the popular incense Nag Champa.
Bibliography
Books By Sathya Sai Baba
Online Resource: Sathya Sai Speaks Series
Online Resource: Vahini Series Written By Sathya Sai Baba
Selected Books By Followers
- Baskin, Diana "Divine Memories of Sathya Sai Baba" (1990) ISBN 1878599003
- Goldthwait, John "Purifying the Heart" (2002) ISBN 81-7208-339-4
- Guillemin, Madeleine "Who Is In The Driving Seat?" (2000) ISBN 0-9583617-0-3
- Hislop, John "My Baba And I" ISBN 81-7208-050-6
- Kasturi, Narayana "Sathyam Sivam Sundaram" Part I (first published in 1961), II, III, IV Available Online (zip file, 787 kb)
- Krystal, Phyllis "The Ultimate Experience" ISBN 81-7208-038-7
- Mazzoleni Don Mario "A Catholic Priest Encounters Sai Baba" (1994)ISBN 0962983519
- Murphet, Howard "Man of Miracles" (1971) ISBN 0333-91770-7
- Padmanaban, Ranganathan "Love Is My Form" Sai Towers (2000) ISBN 81-86822-76-3
- Sandweiss, Samuel H. "The Holy Man ... And The Psychiatrist" (1975) ISBN 0-9600958-1-0
- Sandweiss, Samuel H "Spirit And The Mind" (1985) ISBN 81-7208-056-5
- Thomas, Joy "Life is a Game – Play it" ISBN 81-7208-175-8
- Schulman, Arnold "Baba" (1971) Out of print. ISBN 670-14343-x
- (Note: Hundreds of English books have been written by followers) Directory Of Books About Sathya Sai Baba on SaiBabaLinks.org
Books by skeptics and critics
- Beyerstein, Dale "Sai Baba's miracles: an overview", Published by Basava Premanand, Podanur, India, (1994)
- Brooke, Tal "Lord of the Air", first published in 1976 with a revised edition was released in 1990. Revised and renamed "Avatar of the Night" (1999) ISBN 193004500x
- Brooke, Tal "Riders of the Cosmic Circuit" (1986) ISBN 0745912176
- Premanand, Basava "The Murders in Sai Baba's bedroom" (2001)
- Priddy, Robert "The End of the Dream", published and edited by Basava Premanand, Podanur, India, (2004)
- Shepherd, Kevin R.D. "Investigating the Sai Baba Movement: A Clarification of Misrepresented Saints and Opportunism" (2005) ISBN 0952508931
Other Books
- Brown, Mick "The Spiritual Tourist" Bloomsbury Publishing (1998) ISBN 1-58234-034-X
- Haraldsson, Erlendur PhD "Miracles are my visiting cards - An investigative inquiry on Sathya Sai Baba, an Indian mystic with the gift of foresight believed to perform modern miracles" (first published in 1987, 1997 revised and updated edition) ISBN 81-86822-32-1
External links
Official Sathya Sai Baba Websites
- The Official International Web Site of the Sri Sathya Sai Organization
- The Official Website of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam, India
- The Official Website of the Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam, India
- The Official Website of Radio Sai Global Harmony - the digital radio channel from Prasanthi Nilayam, India
- The Official Website of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (Deemed university), Prasanthi Nilayam, India
- The Official Website of Sai Cast - Streaming Videos Of Sathya Sai Baba, Prashanti Nilayam, India
Websites of critical former followers, skeptics and other critics
- Concerned former Dutch devotees of Sathya Sai Baba Extensive website that contains opinions and videos of alleged materializations, webmaster Reinier van der Sandt.
- Robert Priddy's extensive website about the Sathya Sai Baba and the Sathya Sai organisation
- Brian Steel's website about Sathya Sai Baba
- Allegations concerning Sathya Sai Baba Multi-lingual, critical website of ex-followers, webmaster Lionel Fernandez.
- Sai Baba Exposé: revealing hidden facts about India's biggest guru and his worldwide cult Conny Larsson's English section on the Scandinavian website of critical former followers.
Websites of Devotees and Proponents That Address Allegations
- SaiSathyaSai.com A comprehensive, Pro-Sai website by Gerald Joe Moreno that examines the allegations made by ex-followers, skeptics and critics of Sathya Sai Baba, with extensive links to Pro/Anti Sai Sites.
- A Clear View A Pro-Sai website by Ram Das Awle that gives a devotee's interpretation to the allegations made against Sathya Sai Baba.
- The Sai Critic A Pro-Sai website that discusses the controversy surrounding Sathya Sai Baba.
Other Websites
- Get the latest news and updates live from Puttaparthi
- Anti-Sai Baba Deceptions? Article on the disagreement and antagonism between apologists and critics on the website of M. Alan Kazlev.
- Love is my form Biographical overview of the early years from the book Love is my Form.
- Sai Baba (pdf file) Leaflet dispersed by INFORM (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements), which is based at the London School of Economics. INFORM in an independent charity that is funded by Mainstream Churches. Their Patrons and Governers are Bishops, Priests or members of Orthodox Churches: About INFORM (pdf file).
Media Articles
- Extensive Updates about Sai Baba in the media
- The Extended Interview given by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba to a Senior Editor Blitz by Sri R.K. Karanjia (September 1976)
- A Memorable Patient (pdf file) An article published in the British Medical Journal about a Doctor's experience with a miraculous cure of one of his patients who claimed Sathya Sai Baba cured him. (September 22000)
- Divine Downfall Mick Brown's article about the sexual abuse allegations in The Telegraph newspaper UK (October 282000)
- Free Hi-Tech Health Care In India The Island (Sri Lankan Newspaper) by Dr. A. N. Sataya (November 152000)
- Test of Faith front page article in India Today (December 42000)
- Sai Baba Comes Down Heavy On His Detractors The Times Of India (December 272000)
- Untouchable? Michelle Golberg's major article in salon.com online magazine (July 252001)
- Medicare Miracle The Week India (August 262001)
- Three die after putting faith in guru The Times by Dominic Kennedy (August 272001)
- 'I sought peace and couldn't find it' The Times by Dominic Kennedy (August 272001)
- Suicide, sex and the guru The Times by Dominic Kennedy (August 272001)
- Sai Baba could be put on UK blacklist The Hindustan Times (August 272001)
- A Friend In India To All The World article in the New York Times by Keith Bradsher (December 12001)
- Sri Sathya Sai Baba - A Living Legend - An Embodiment Of Love For All Mankind In response to the allegations against Sathya Sai Baba: Letter from A.B. Vajpayee (the then Prime Minister of India), P.N. Bhagawati, Ranganath Mishra, Najma Heptulla and Shivraj V. Patil (December 12001)
- Sathya Sai School: A Decade Of Quality Education The Times of Zambia by Dennison Chisunka (December 242001)
- A Living Phenomenon The Hindu by V. N. Vedanta Desikan (July 312001)
- "I lost the desire to live" article by Bettina Vilmun, translated from the Danish daily national newspaper B.T. (tabloid) (January 312002)
- In Love With India: Dana Gillespie Hindustan Times by Alka Rastogi (December 262002)
- Sri Sathya Sai 80th Year Of Advent A collection of various articles about Sathya Sai baba on the The Hindu news website. (November 232005)
- Miracle of Welfare The Week's article about Sathya Sai Baba and the controversy surrounding the Guru. (November 272005)
- Sigh Baba article in the Mumbai Mirror Followers of Shirdi Sai Baba in the Ahmednagar district filed a suit, in the court of Rahata, to restrain people from claiming others are a reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba. The case is still pending. (January 112006)
- Selfless Seva New India Press by Hiramalini Seshadri (January 282006)
- Raisins, ash raise eyebrows Post (in South Africa) by Yogas Nair (April 192006)
