Sathya Sai baba and the scriptures

As Sathya Sai Baba always refers to the Scriptures in his discourses, I find it interesting to compare his sayings and actual behaviour with what you can read about in the Bhagavad -Gita....

Sathya Sai Baba and Bhagavad-Gita: Is it time for modernization of the Scriptures?

I have been pondering a lot on why people insist to cling to Sai Baba, even after they repeatedly have heard of his molestations and his cheating.
At present, there are lots of information, that strongly contradict, that Sathya Sai is what he wants us to believe.
How is it possible, that his devotees can put up with all these disgusting and continuous disclosures?
To my great surprise I read that many of his old- time well- known devotees have been informed about his molestations of young boys, and still cling to Sai Baba.
Steven Hassan's "Mind Control Model" (in Combatting Cult Mind Control) fits very well in the description of the Sai Baba cult's brainwashing of the people it has in it's power.

It is also interesting, to read in the Bhagavad Gita with explanations from A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and compare the reading with Sathya Sai Baba's sayings and actual behaviour.
In Bhagavad- Gita you can find texts to cling to, for a distressed devotee, when the reality will be too tough to handle and the image of Sai Baba as God Himself is disrupted. (But only on condition that you don't choose to give any importance to the texts that contradict that Sai Baba will be the Kalki avatar)

In Bhagavad-gita 7.3 you can read:"Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth."
Sai Baba says:"No one can understand My Mystery. The best you can do is to get immersed in it; It is no use your arguing about pros and cons;"
In other words, there is no use, pondering over Sai Baba's actions, because they cannot be understood. Only He has the full control and knows what is for the best.
Murders, molestations, corruption, cheating and so on will from that kind of perspective, be rather uninteresting events, which will certainly be reassuring for a distressed devotee. But I suppose that this also requires, that you are very sure that Sai Baba really is what he claims to be: Krishna in disguise...

In Bhagavad-gita 7.14 you can read:
"This divine energy of Mine,... is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it."

(According to Swami Prabhupada, this can be interpreted as: The only way to get free from the strong grasp from the material world, is to surrender to the Lotus Feet of God)
"Only the ignorant will stick to Maya as Truth; " and "Maya dare not approach any one who has taken refuge in Me," Sai Baba says, which probably will make his devotees feel relieved.
If we only surrender to Him, everything will be revealed for us. But before that, we cannot think properly. It is a little surprising however, that nowadays there are lots of ex devotees, who surrendered to Sai Baba for many years, without getting this promised Enlightenment. But hopefully, they have been able to catch at least a small amount of what you can read about in Bhagavad-gita 18.6:
"O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode."

In Bhagavad-gita 7.25, you can read something interesting:"I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible."
Swami Prabhupada explains that there were just a few ones who understood that Krishna was the embodiment of God, when He was manifested on earth.
It was actually only the Pandavas and some others, who knew who He was. Here Sai Baba has much to learn! He doesn't seem to be as fastidious as Krishna. On the contrary Sai Baba has chosen to reveal himself for every Tom, Dick and Harry... And as a consequence of this, one devotee after the other has defected, at the smallest trial. Sai Baba also complains in the September edition of Sanathana Sarathi from this year:
"The devotees today stand in stark contrast to Prahlada. Their faith is so shaky that their mind is disturbed by the slightest trouble...."

Poor Sai Baba! It cannot be easy for him... perhaps after all he isn't Krishna in disguise? If he were, I suppose that he would have chosen his devotees, with a little more discrimination.

In Bhagavad-gita 8.11 you can read:"Persons who are learned in the Vedas, who utter omkara and who are great sages in the renounced order enter into Brahman. Desiring such perfection, one practices celibacy..."
We know that this is just to much to demand from Sai Baba. But as he is God Himself, perhaps he will not have to puzzle his mind with that sort of things? I suppose he is superior to Bhagavad-Gita...
But of course you will be a little confused, when at the same time he says: "My life is My message".
What does that mean, you may ask then... Perhaps it means that we don't have to bother too much about the old-fashioned Bhagavad-Gita... Perhaps we can just relax because Sai Baba is the one who is supposed to know....

In Bhagavad-gita 18.25 we can read:
"That action performed in illusion, in disregard of scriptural injunctions, and without concern for future bondage or for violence or distress caused to others is said to be in the mode of ignorance."
O dear, if Sai Baba would be just an ordinary mortal he would probably be uncomfortable with this... We can just hope for his sake, that the "action" wasn't performed in illusion and that Sai Baba had the full control of the situation.

In Bhagavad-gita 7.11 you can read:"I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O lord of the Bharatas [Arjuna]."
Swami Prabhupada explains that the strength of the powerful must be used to defend the weak, not to abuse people. And the only purpose of sexual intercourse, which must be performed in accordance with "dharma", is to breed children. Nothing else...
O gosh, here Sai Baba must be very uncomfortable! We never heard of that sort of miracles! What we know is that Sai Baba is able to lay golden eggs... but breeding children?

At last we can read in Bhagavad-gita 18.42:"Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness, these are the natural qualities by which the brahmanas work."
Here Sai Baba would have failed on every point! Regarding "Peacefulness, self-control and austerity", we can read in the book "Other than You refuge there is none", (ANYATHÃ SARANAM NASTHI) by Smt Vijaya Kumari:
"Swami shows as much intense affection as anger. The slightest oversight with regard to arrangements for his meals would provoke Him into a fit of anger. Sometimes He would fling His plate at the wall opposite Him with such force that it would rebound and come back to Him."

Regarding" purity and austerity"we are already informed. And with regard to "honesty" there is quite a lot to ponder on. When it come's to knowledge and wisdom, there is a good deal to wish for, regarding the intellectual level in Sai Baba:s discourses... and of course Sai Baba doesn't need any religion, when he is God himself.
Perhaps it is time for Sai Baba to rewrite Bhagavad-gita, to make it a little more modern and up to date with his inclinations and actual behaviour?

Åsa Samsioe, Sweden Email: asa.samsioe@leksand.mail.telia.com Date: 11-23-02