Sathya Sai Baba (born Sathya Narayana Raju on November 23 1926 or later than 1927 — with the family name of "Ratnakaram") is a controversial South Indian guru often described as a Godman and a miracle worker.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]} According to the Sathya Sai Organization, there are an estimated 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centers in 130 countries world-wide.^[8] The number of Sathya Sai Baba adherents is estimated between 6 million to 100 million.^[9][10][11]

History and origins

Sathya Sai Baba was born Sathyanarayana Raju to Peddavenkappa Raju and Easwaramma, a poor agrarian family in the remote village of Puttaparthi, located in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. Since he was born after the Sri Sathyanarayana puja, he was named after the deity. It was said that instruments played on their own accord in his household when he was born ^[12].

An official biography in several volumes was written by professor Narayana Kasturi. The British Daily Telegraph called the biography a hagiography.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). Easwaramma claimed that she found out she was pregnant after dreaming of the Hindu God Sathyanarayana and after a huge sphere of blue light rolled towards her, merged into her and made her faint.^[13]

The Australian journalist and follower Howard Murphet wrote in his 1971 book that Sathya Sai Baba attended the Higher Elementary School at Bukkapatnam during his 8th year.^[14] He had special talents for drama, music, poetry and acting, wrote songs for the village opera at the age of eight. After that Sai Baba joined the high school at Uravakonda, according to Kasturi's biography. Kasturi further wrote in his biography on March 8, 1940 in Uravakonda around evening, Sathya Sai Baba started behaving as if a black scorpion had stung his foot. Uravakonda means "serpent-hill" and the place was known for serpents and scorpions. However, nobody found the scorpion, according to Kasturi. One night, Kasturi continues, after this strange event Sai Baba entered a state similar to coma, which his devotees call the state of "leaving his body". Kasturi further wrote that after he got out of this state he started behaving in a way that worried his parents - he didn't want to eat, he would often keep silent for a long time, recite ancient Shlokas or elaborate on holy Hindu scriptures. Due to his family's pressure Sai Baba went back to Uravakonda High school in June. ^{[citation needed]} According to Kasturi, on October 20th 1940, in his 14th year Sai Baba threw away his books, and announced that he was leaving. His words were "My devotees are calling me. I have my work,". Then he spent the next three days mostly under a tree in the garden of an excise inspector and many people gathered around him. He taught them bhajans. According to Kasturi, in his 15th year, he was visited by the Rani of Chincholi. Her late husband, the Raja, had been a very ardent devotee of Shirdi Baba. Sathya Sai Baba is listed in the 1942 school record of the nearby village Bukkapatnam.^[15]In 1944, because of increasing followers, the "old Mandir" was built on the edge of the village. ^[16]

Kasturi's biography mentions several miracles by and signs of divinity of the young Sathya. Howard Murphet writes in his 1971 book that the young Sathya was a vegetarian and was known for his aversion to animal cruelty and compassion for the poor, disabled and elderly.^[17]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.^[18]In the same discourse Sathya Sai Baba said that Shirdi Sai Baba was an incarnation of Shiva and that his future reincarnation Prema Sai Baba would be a reincarnation of Shakti and repeated this claim in 1976.^[19] In contrast, Kasturi’s biography or hagiography of Sathya Sai Baba stated that Shirdi Sai Baba was Shakti incarnated and that Prema Sai Baba was to be an incarnation of Shiva.^[20] The biography further states that Prema Sai Baba will be born in Mysore state^[20] According to Donald Taylor in a 1987 article titled "Charismatic authority in the Sathya Sai Baba movement”, Sathya Sai Baba's 1963 declaration that he would be reincarnated as Prema Sai Baba was Sathya Sai Baba's strategy to defuse the problem about his succession and thus continue to have all the authority in his hand.^[21]

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 interpret 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.^[22]

SSB had several sisters, one older brother, the late Seshama Raju, and one younger brother, the late R. V. Janaki Ramaiah.^[23][24]

In 2003 SSB had an accident that injured his hip, according to the official of the Sathya Sai Organization, Michael Goldstein. As of 2005, SSB sometimes uses a wheelchair.^[25]

In 1960 SSB said that he would be in this mortal human form for 59 years more.^[26]. In contrast, he told the American follower John S. Hislop, according to Hislop's 1978 book, that "This body will live to age 96, and will remain young." ^[27]According to a 1984 book, SSB said that "In this body I will not become old or infirm as in my old body."^[28]

Sai Baba keeps a female elephant called Sai Geetha.

Beliefs and practices

Main article: Sathya Sai Baba movement

Ashrams and mandirs

Puttaparthi, where Sathya Sai Baba was born and still lives, was originally a small village where one can now find an extensive University complex, Chaitanya Jyoti (a World-Religions Museum that has won several international awards for design ^[29]), a spiritual museum, a Planetarium, a railway station, a hill-view stadium, an administrative building, an airport, an indoor sports stadium and more ^[30]. High ranking Indian politicians, like the current President Dr. Abdul Kalam and Atal Vajpayee (Former Prime minister) have been official guests at the ashram in Puttaparthi ^[31][32]. On Sathya Sai Baba's 80th birthday celebrations it was reported that well over a million people attended, as well as 13,000 delegates from India and 180 countries abroad. ^[33]

Sathya Sai Baba resides much of the time in his main ashram called Prashanthi Nilayam (abode of highest peace) at Puttaparthi. In the hot summer Baba leaves for his other ashram called Brindavan in Kadugodi, Whitefield, a town on the outskirts of Bangalore. Occasionally, he visits his Sai Shruti ashram in Kodaikanal ^[34]. He left India only once for a visit to North East Africa in 1968 ^[35].

Sathya Sai Baba established three primary mandirs in India. The first center, established in Mumbai, is referred to as either "Dharmakshetra" or "Sathyam". The second center, established in Hyderabad, is referred to as "Shivam". The third center, established in Chennai, is referred to as "Sundaram". ^[36]

The daily program at Sathya Sai Baba's ashrams usually begins with the chanting of om and a morning prayer. This is followed by Veda Parayan (chanting of the Vedas), nagasankirtan (morning devotional songs) and twice daily bhajans and darshan. During darshan Sathya Sai Baba walks among his followers and may interact with people, accept letters, materialize and distribute vibhuti (sacred ash) or call groups or individuals for interviews. Interviews are chosen solely by the guru's discretion. Followers consider it a great privilege to get an interview and sometimes a single person, group or family will be invited for a private interview. Sathya Sai Baba claims that his darshan has spiritual benefits, which is a common belief among Hindus regarding saints and gurus.

Miracles

In some books, magazines, filmed interviews and articles, Sathya Sai Baba's followers report incredible miracles and healings of various kinds that they attribute to him. Sathya Sai Baba is said to sometimes take on the illnesses of devotees on himself.^[37] Daily, he is observed to allegedly manifest vibuthi (holy ash), food and small objects such as rings, necklaces and watches.^{[citation needed]}

In devotee's houses all around the world, there are international claims from observers, journalists and devotees that vibuthi, kumkum, turmeric powder, holy water, siva lingams, statues of deities (brass and gold), sugar candy, fruits, herbs, amrita (a fragrant, nectar-like honey), gems, colored string, writings in ash and various other substances spontaneously manifest and materialize on the walls, furniture, pictures and altars of Sathya Sai Baba.^{[38][39][40][41][42]}

It has also been reported that Frank Baranowski, who specialized in kirilian photography, analyzed Sathya Sai Baba's aura and concluded that Baba was not a human being but a divine personality because his aura was unlike anyone he had seen before using a kirlian camera. Whereas auras normally emanate about 6 inches from the body, Baranowski claimed that Sathya Sai Baba's aura was so extensive, it appeared to extend beyond the horizon and contained silver and gold bands that he had not observed before.^[43]

The Icelandic psychology professor Erlendur Haraldsson wrote that although he did not get Sathya Sai Baba's permission to study him under controlled circumstances, he investigated and documented the guru's alleged miracles and manifestations through first-hand interviews with devotees and ex-devotees. Haraldsson's research yielded many extraordinary testimonies. Some of the miracles attributed to Sathya Sai Baba included 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.^[3]

These devotees and ex-devotees also claimed that they witnessed Sathya Sai Baba materialize 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. ^[3] Haraldsson wrote that the largest materialized object that he saw was a mangalsutra necklace, 32 inches long, 16 inches long on each side.^[44] 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.^[45]

Sathya Sai Baba explained the phenomenon of manifestation as an act of divine creation, but refused to have his materializations investigated under experimental conditions. Critics claim that these materializations are done by sleight of hand and question his claims to perform miracles and other paranormal feats. In April 1976, Dr. H. Narasimhaiah, a physicist, rationalist and then vice chancellor of Bangalore University, founded and chaired a committee "to rationally and scientifically investigate miracles and other verifiable supersitions". Haraldsson stated that Narasimhiah wrote Sathya Sai Baba a polite letter and two subsequent letters that were widely publicized in which he publicly challenged Baba to perform his miracles under controlled conditions.^[46] Sathya Sai Baba said he ignored Narasimhiah's challenge because he felt his approach was improper.^[19] In a Blitz interview, the journalist Karanjia asked Sai Baba if he would like to comment on The Narasimhiah Committee controversy to which Sai Baba replied, "How can science which is bound to a physical and materialist outlook investigate transcendental phenomena beyond its scope, reach or comprehension? This is a fallacy on the face of it. One belongs to the material and the other to a spiritual plane. Science must confine its inquiry only to things belonging to the human senses, while spiritualism transcends the senses. If you want to understand the nature of spiritual power you can do so only through the path of spirituality and not science. What science has been able to unravel is merely a fraction of the cosmic phenomena; it tends, however, to exaggerate its contribution." According to Erlendur Haraldsson, the formal challenge from the committee came to a dead end because the negative attitude of the committee was obvious and perhaps because of all the fanfare involved. Narasimhaiah stated that he considered the fact that Sathya Sai Baba ignored his letters as one among several indications that his miracles are fraudulent.^[47] As a result of this episode, a public debate raged for several months in Indian newspapers.^[48] Narasimhaiah's committee was dissolved in August of 1977.

According to a 1994 article written by Alexandra Nagel, a critic of the guru, the 1992 work of the Canadian skeptic, Dale Beyerstein convincingly negated supernatural stories of all kinds circulating about SSB.^[11]In the 1995 TV documentary "Guru Busters", by UK's Channel 4, Sathya Sai Baba was accused of faking his materializations and a videotape was supplied alleging fraud. The same videotape was mentioned in the Deccan Chronicle, on November 23 1992, on a front page headline "DD Tape Unveils Baba Magic". Erlendur Haraldsson stated that he and his associates carried out a careful analysis of the videotape shown in the "Guru Busters" documentary and mentioned by the Deccan Chronicle. Haraldsson stated that the videotape's quality and resolution left much to be desired and limited the inferences that could be drawn from it. Haraldsson claimed that Dr. Wiseman took the video to a company that specialized in corporate fraud, and which possessed some of the world's best equipment designed to enhance poor quality videotapes. According to Haraldsson, after the videotape was enhanced using a three-fold process, the resulting tape contained no firm evidence of fraud. The same company analyzed several still frames from the videotape, enhanced and enlarged them and the images still did not reveal any further information.^[49] The "Guru Busters" documentary also reported that Sathya Sai Baba's followers comprise much of India's intellectual elite, including T.N. Seshan and that professors from national research institutions who are experts in engineering, aeronautics and geology gather to worship a man they believe has supernatural powers.

The magazine India Today published in December 2000 a cover story about the Baba and the allegations of fake miracles quoting the magician P. C. Sorcar, Jr. who considered the Baba a fraud. ^[50] Basava Premanand, a skeptic and amateur magician, asserted that he has been investigating Sathya Sai Baba since 1968 and believes the guru to be a cheater and charlatan. Premanand also displayed, in the 2004 BBC documentary Secret Swami, that he could duplicate some of the same acts that SSB presents as miracles; such as materializations by sleight of hand and the production of a lingam from his mouth. The BBC documentary reported that even some of Sathya Sai Baba's critics believe that he has genuine paranormal powers.^[51]

The British journalist Mick Brown discussed, in his 1998 book "The Spiritual Tourist" that SSB's claim of resurrecting the American Walter Cowan in 1971 was probably untrue. ^[52] His opinion was based on the letters from attending doctors, provided in the Indian Skeptic magazine (published by Premanand). ^{[53][54] [55]} In this same book, Mick Brown also related his experiences with manifestations of vibuthi, from Sathya Sai Baba's pictures in houses in London, and felt that these miraculous manifestations were not fraudulent or the result of trickery.^[56] Brown wrote with regards to SSB's claims of omniscience, that "skeptics have produced documentation clearly showing discrepancies between Baba's reading of historical events and biblical prophecies and the established accounts." ^[57]

Teachings

Sathya Sai Baba is a prolific orator about religious topics in his native language Telugu and he is regarded by some as an excellent speaker. He asserted that he is an Avatar of God in whom all names and forms ascribed by man to God are manifest ^[58]. He also says that everybody else is God and that the difference is that he is aware of this and others have yet to realize it. ^[19]. He further claims to be that he is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and able to create matter from mere thought ^[19]. He also stresses he and humans should always free from desires and states that desires bring mental pain (depression, anger jealousy etc). ^[19]

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 followers view his teachings as syncretic (uniting all religions), but one scholar has said that his message remains fundamentally Hindu. [1] 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.

Apart from teaching the unity and equality of all the religions Sathya Sai Baba places particular emphasis on the role of women (especially mothers) in society. He has stated that mothers build society. That is why he teaches respect for parents, especially for the mother. He also said that the level of a nation depends on their respect for women. ^[59]

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^[60] and Baba discouraged publicity for him in a public discourse in 1968.^[61] 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.

Based on Sathya Sai Baba's teachings, his organization 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 shantih (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
• Detachment from the material world
• Meditation - Baba teaches four techniques, repetition of the name of God, visualizing 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.
• Reverence for parents, teachers and elders

Sathya Sai Baba's teachings are said^{[citation needed]} to be realized by observing the following four principles^{[citation needed]}:

• There is only one Caste, the Caste of Humanity;
• There is only one Religion, the Religion of Love;
• There is only one Language, the Language of the Heart;
• There is only One God and He is Omnipresent

Prominent Indian newspapers regularly cite Sathya Sai Baba's teachings and publish segments to his discourses ^[62].

Organizations

Sathya Sai Baba is the figurehead to a number of free educational institutions, charitable organizations and service projects that are spread over 10,000 centers in 166 countries around the world ^[63].

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning in Prashanti Nilayam is the only college in India to have received an "A++" rating by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (an autonomous body established by the University Grants Commission) ^{[64] [65]}. Besides this institute, there is also an Institute of Music and an Institute of Higher Learning in Anantapur, which is a women's college ^[66].

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences in Puttaparthi (also known as the Super Specialty Hospital) is a 220 bed facility providing advanced surgical and medical care free of cost to the public. It is situated 6 kilometers from the guru's ashram and was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao on November 22 1991 and was designed by the Prince of Wales's architectural adviser, Keith Critchlow ^[67] The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences in Bangalore is a 333 bed facility with advanced operation theatres, ICUs and CCUs meant to benefit the poor.^[68] The hospital was inaugurated on January 19 2001 by the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee ^[69]. Other eminent participants were Abdul Kalam, Michael Nobel (son of Alfred Nobel), Noah Samara and Anji Reddy ^[70]. The hospital has served 250,000 patients, free of cost, from January 2001 to April 2004 ^[71].

The Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital was opened in Whitefield, Bangalore, in 1977 by Sathya Sai Baba to provide free care to poor local villagers. Since that time, the general hospital has grown to a 35,000 sq ft building that provides complex surgeries, food and medicines free of cost. The hospital has, since its inception, treated over 2 million cases ^[72].

The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust runs several general hospitals, two super specialty hospitals, dispensaries, eye hospitals and mobile dispensaries and conducts medical camps in rural and slum areas in India ^[63]. The Trust has also funded several major drinking water projects. The first drinking water project, completed in 1996, supplies water to 1.2 million people in 730-800 villages in the drought-prone Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh ^{[73] [74]}. The second drinking water project, completed in 2004, supplies water to Chennai (formerly known as Madras) through a rebuilt waterway named "Sathya Sai Ganga Canal" ^{[75] [76]}. The third drinking water project, expected to be completed in April 2006, would supply water from the Godavari River to half a million people living in five hundred villages in East and West Godavari Districts ^[77]. Other completed water projects include the Medak District Project benefiting 450,000 people in 179 villages and the Mahbubnagar District Project benefitting 350,000 people in 141 villages ^[74].

His Educare (formerly called Education in Human Values) program seeks to found schools in all countries with the explicit goal to educate children in the five human values and spirituality. According to the Sai Educare site (authorized by the Sathya Sai Organization), schools have been founded in 33 countries world-wide ^[78].

All the local Sai Samithis (Sathya Sai Baba groups) are part of a hierarchical structure called the Sathya Sai Organization. The chairman of the organization is Michael Goldstein of the U.S. 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 Books and Publications Trust is the official publisher of the Sathya Sai Organization. It publishes the international monthly magazine called Sanathana Sarathi in English and Telugu. According to their website, they shelve over a thousand books and provide Sai-related literature in 40 languages. The book trust also supplies CDs, DVDs and audio tapes. In various nations, similar publication trusts are maintained in their own native language.

On November 23 2001, the digital radio network "Radio Sai Global Harmony" was launched through the World Space Organization, USA. Dr. Michael Nobel (son of Alfred Nobel and one of the patrons for the radio network) said that the radio network would spread Sathya Sai Baba's message of global harmony and peace ^[79].

Opposition, controversy, and allegations

On June 6, 1993 four people who were armed with knives were killed after they had intruded in Sai Baba's bedroom. The intruders had killed two aides of Sai Baba. The incident was widely published in the Indian press. SSB claimed in his 1993 Guru Poornima discourse on July 3 that jealousy among his followers was behind the incident, without giving a detailed explanation of the events.^[80] The former Secretary of the Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh, V.P.B. Nair who came from of a police background expressed in the BBC documentary his opinion that the four assailants in 1993 had unnecessarily and illegally been shot by the police. Both Premanand and Nair wanted the case to be re-opened and believed that it had been silenced to prevent revelations about illegal practices by Sathya Sai Baba and his organizations.

The debates about Sathya Sai Baba were fueled by a document published in 2000 called "The Findings",^[81] written by David and Faye Bailey (former followers who together wrote three books on Sathya Sai Baba ^[82]), in which they described their disillusionment with the guru.^[10] According to an article in Salon.com in the year 2001, a great part of the Findings contains testimonies of sexual harassment and sexual abuse.^[81] Apart from that, Faye wrote, in The Findings, that an unnamed college student requested David's help to stop SSB from sexually abusing other students.^[81] The Findings contain allegations of fakery, claims that SSB does not heal sick people and allegations of financial irregularities with charity projects, such as the Super Specialty Hospital and water project.^[10] David Bailey previously wrote, in his two books about SSB, that he personally witnessed manifestations, healings, miracles and was saved from a car accident by Sathya Sai Baba.^[83]

Sexual abuse allegations

The Divine Downfall article alleges that Sathya Sai Baba rubbed oil on the genitals of a young male devotee.^[10] The testimonies of sexual abuse of young men were shown in TV documentaries, including "Seduced by Sai Baba" by Denmark's national television, and documentary film "Secret Swami" by BBC. The TV documentary "Seduced By Sai Baba", produced by Denmark's national television and radio broadcaster Danish radio aired in Denmark, Australia and Norway.

Al Rahm, a father of one of the young men who claimed to have been sexually abused by Sathya Sai Baba, said in 2004 that he had spoken with the Dr. Michael Goldstein, the highest leader in the USA about the alleged sexual abuse. ^[51]According to Rahm, Dr. Goldstein responded by saying that he hated the idea of having wasted 25 years of his life and that he accepted SSB's statement "Swami is pure" as the truth. ^[51]Dr. Goldstein further stated that he did not support an investigation of the sexual abuse allegations, although he felt that Sathya Sai Baba was not above the law. He said that it was against his "heart and conscience" to believe the allegations because he had personally observed Baba interact with students very frequently, in very informal circumstances, and he had never seen anything inappropriate, ominous or anything indicative of fear or apprehension.^[51] Isaac Tigrett, a prominent follower and co-founder of the Hard Rock Café, stated in the BBC documentary that his admiration for the Baba will not change even if the charges of pedophilia and murder were proved beyond all doubt.^[51]. In this same documentary, Khushwant Singh stated that Sathya Sai Baba's popularity could not be ascribed to any type of publicity campaign. Singh compared Sathya Sai Baba to Mahatma Gandhi, in that Gandhi never had any publicity but became nationally known through word of mouth ^[51] According to the BBC reporter Tanya Datta, a lot of sexual abuse victims have undergone a genital oiling by Sathya Sai Baba that they believe is part of Hinduism. Singh reacted to this by saying that this genital oiling is not part of Indian tradition. ^[51]

According to the journalist Michelle Goldberg of Salon.com the fact that the Baba has high ranking Indian politicians as his supporters and the charity works done by the various organizations associated with the Baba help to explain why he has not been brought into a court of law in India. The Indian consulate website states that crime victims must file charges with the police. In an article that was published in the India Today magazine in December 2000, it was stated that no complaints had been filed against Sathya Sai Baba by any alleged victim, in India. The magazine stated they are in possession of an affidavit signed by Jens Sethi (an ex-devotee) and reported that he filed a complaint with the police in Munich. ^[84][81]

Dominic Kennedy, a journalist from The Times, described his teachings in 2001 as "a collection of banal truisms and platitudes."^[85]. Kennedy Dominic reported in August 2001 that three men had died after placing hope in Sathya Sai Baba. According to the Times articles Michael Pender, an HIV infected man who overdosed on drugs more than once, complained to a friend that he had been repeatedly sexually molested by the guru. Pender apparently committed suicide in a hostel for the homeless in North London. Aran Edwards, a British national, was described as "quite an ill person, mentally unstable and needed orthodox help", by David Bailey. Edwards was encouraged to write letters to the guru to help solve his "psychological problems". Edwards had never traveled to see the guru firsthand. David Bailey said that he eventually told Edwards, "Wake up. He doesn't even read these letters." Edwards was so distraught about the situation, he decided to commit suicide. Edwards was found hanging from a staircase in his home in Cardiff, London. Andrew Richardson, another British national, hurled himself off a bank building in Bangalore, India. Two letters were found on his body in which he said he was in a deep depression. He expressed a desire to see Sai Baba and Mother Teresa.^[86]

SSB did not give a detailed public rebuttal to the accusations of sexual abuse. In his Christmas 2000 discourse SSB said that people disseminate false negative stories about him because they have been bribed.^[87]One follower states on his website that the acts that can be interpreted as sexually intended are in fact done by SSB in order to awaken a flow of kundalini power to the energy centers in the human body. ^[81] Koert van der Velde, a reporter for Dutch newspaper Trouw, claimed in a critical article that Sathya Sai Baba forbade people to look at the internet ^[88]. In the years 1999 and 2000 SSB has repeatedly belittled the internet and discouraged its use.^[89][90]

There are a couple of claims that Sathya Sai Baba can change into a woman instantaneously. For example, in a Dutch article entitled "De Wonderdoener", Keith Ord claimed that he personally experienced Sathya Sai Baba literally transform his genitals from male to female. Keith Ord said that Baba was not a hermaphrodite but, from one moment to the next, completely changed from male to female, with the corresponding genitals of each. Keith Ord felt this gender transformation was a type of miracle and expressed the opinion that Sai Baba lives on another level than mere mortals.^[91] Alexandra Nagel, in a 1994 Dutch article also related the story of Tal Brooke, as taken from his book Avatar of the night, in which Brooke related an account from a man named "Patrick" who alleged that Baba had a vagina and that he had coital sex with the guru.^[11][92][93] She further stated in that article that this alleged sex change may be related to Baba's claim to be the incarnation of both the male and female aspects of God, Shiva and Shakti respectively.

In 2003, Dutch journalist Sacha Kester, in an article about spiritual seekers and gurus, criticized Sathya Sai Baba as an example of a guru who is a swindler. She further wrote that devotees who after years of devotion see through his deception suffer from indescribable sorrow, that he faked materializations by taking objects out of his chair, that followers who make large donations are given preferential treatment, that he advises people not to take their medicines, and expressed belief in the allegations of sexual abuse by him of young boys. ^[94]

The Guardian and DNA stated that, although Sathya Sai Baba has not been charged over old allegations of sexual abuse, a travel warning was issued by the US State Department about reports of "unconfirmed inappropriate sexual behavior by a prominent local religious leader", which officials later confirmed was a reference to Sai Baba.^[95][96] The Guardian further expressed concerns over a contingent of 200 youths travelling to the Baba's ashram in order to gain their Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

According to The Telegraph, Glen Meloy (an ex-devotee) organized a campaign that concentrated on "e-bombing" allegations against Sathya Sai Baba to various agencies and officials. The Telegraph stated that the most conspicuous success of Meloy's campaign came when, in September 2000, UNESCO withdrew its participation in an educational conference at Puttaparthi, expressing "deep concern" about the allegations of sexual abuse. The Telegraph also stated that despite all the allegations made against Sathya Sai Baba over the years, he has never been charged with any crime, sexual or otherwise ^[10].

Stances by devotees and proponents

In an official letter released to the general public, in December 2001, A.B. Vajpayee (then Prime Minister of India), P.N. Bhagawati (Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India), Ranganath Mishra (Chair Person, National Human Rights Commissioner of India and Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India), Najma Heptulla (President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union; UNDP Distinguished Human Development Ambassador) and Shivraj V. Patil (Member of Parliament, India; Formerly of the Lok Sabda & Union Minister) all signed a letter that called the allegations against Sathya Sai Baba "wild, reckless and concocted allegations made by certain vested interests" and that they "unequivocally condemned" the allegations as "baseless and malicious".^[97]

Bill Aitken (a Sai Devotee, described in his own words in an article in The Week as an expert in comparative religion and author of the book "Sri Sathya Sai Baba: A life") stated that Sathya Sai Baba's reputation has only increased despite negative stories being published against the Guru, by rationalists, critics and skeptics, for at least a generation. Aitken contended that critics are so distemperate in their dislike that their vituperation comes across as near comical. Aitken also expressed the opinion that the BBC is ultimately governed by the Anglican establishment and does not criticize public icons like the Queen, who happens to be the head of the Anglican church. Aitken felt that the Church of England can have no objection to programs that weaken perceived threats, such as the Sai Movement. Aitken also expressed the opinion that the more detractors rail against Sathya Sai Baba, it seems even greater numbers of people flock to see him ^[98].

In an interview with an Asian Voice correspondent, Mr Ashok Bhagani, a trustee of the Sai Organization in the UK, said that he believed the allegations in the Secret Swami BBC documentary were completely without facts, baseless and have never been proved. Mr Bhagani also stated that when devotees are selected by Baba for a private interview, there is always someone else present in the room, and this is especially the case when women and children meet him.^{[unreliable source?][99]} Navin Patel, a biochemistry student at the Sathya Sai Arts College in Bangalore during the 1970s, told Asian Voice that he visited Baba's ashram many times and studied at Baba's college long enough to know the allegations are untrue. Patel claimed the Secret Swami BBC documentary was very misleading and was based on only two westerners who had their own monetary agendas. Patel expressed the opinion that western journalists were bashing Baba collectively.^{[unreliable source?][99]}

The secretary of the Puttaparthi ashram, K. Chakravarthi, refused to comment on the accusations. Anil Kumar, Sathya Sai Baba's principal translator, believes that the controversy is part of Baba's divine plan and said that every great religious teacher has had to face criticism in his/her lifetime. Kumar said that allegations have been leveled at Sai Baba since childhood, but with every criticism Baba becomes more and more triumphant.^[10]

Thorbjørn Meyer, in a letter to the DR, called the allegations undocumented and untrue. In the Seduced documentary, Peter Pruzan stated that he believed Sathya Sai Baba is not a pedophile nor does he perform conjuring tricks. Pruzan claimed that he personally experienced Sathya Sai Baba's "wholly extraordinary powers" both in Baba's presence as well as in Denmark.^[100]

Sathya Sai Baba in popular culture

Sathya Sai Baba's name is mentioned on a popular fragrance brand made by Shrinivas Sugandhalaya Co. The Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa fragrance has been used in agarbatti incense, soap, oils, candles, sachets and perfumes.

See also

• Backward-caste Hindu Saints

Notes and references

Further reading

Books by Sathya Sai Baba

• Online Resource: Sathya Sai Speaks Series
• Online Resource: Vahini Series Written By Sathya Sai Baba

Other

• Antonov, Vladimir PhD "Sathya Sai — the Christ of Our Days", 'Zolotoy Vek', Saint Petersburg, 1997
• Baskin, Diana "Divine Memories of Sathya Sai Baba" (1990) ISBN 1-878599-00-3
• 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 1-930045-00-X
• Brooke, Tal "Riders of the Cosmic Circuit" (1986) ISBN 0-7459-1217-6
• Brown, Mick "The Spiritual Tourist" Bloomsbury Publishing (1998) ISBN 1-58234-034-X
• 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
• 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
• Hislop, John "My Baba And I" ISBN 81-7208-050-6
• Kasturi, Narayana "Sathyam Sivam Sundaram" Volume I (first published in 1961) Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust, ISBN 81-7208-127-8, 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 0-9629835-1-9
• Murphet, Howard "Man of Miracles" (1971) ISBN 0-333-91770-7
• Padmanaban, Ranganathan "Love Is My Form" Sai Towers (2000) ISBN 81-86822-76-3
• 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)
• Priddy, Robert "Source of the Dream" Weiser Books (1998) ISBN 1-57863-028-2
• Sandweiss, Samuel H "Spirit And The Mind" (1985) ISBN 81-7208-056-5
• Sandweiss, Samuel H. "The Holy Man ... And The Psychiatrist" (1975) ISBN 0-9600958-1-0
• Schulman, Arnold "Baba" (1971) Out of print. ISBN 0-670-14343-X.
• Shepherd, Kevin R.D. "Investigating the Sai Baba Movement: A Clarification of Misrepresented Saints and Opportunism" (2005) ISBN 0-9525089-3-1
• Steel, Brian The Powers of Sathya Sai Baba (1999) ISBN 81-7646-080-X
• Steel, Brian The Satya Sai Baba Compendium: A Guide to the First Seventy Years (Paperback) Weiser Books (February, 1997) ISBN 0-87728-884-4
• Thomas, Joy "Life is a Game – Play it" ISBN 81-7208-175-8

External links

Official Sathya Sai Baba websites

• The Official Website of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam, India
• The Official International Web Site of the Sri Sathya Sai Organization
• The Official Website of the Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam, India
• The Official Website of Sai Cast - Streaming Videos Of Sathya Sai Baba, Prashanti Nilayam, India
• The Official Website of Radio Sai Global Harmony - the digital radio channel from Prasanthi Nilayam, India

Other websites

• 1008 Pearls of Sayings of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
• Love is my form Biographical overview of the early years from the book Love is my Form.