MYSTIC SAINTS OF INDIA:SATHYA SAI BABA

MYSTIC SAINTS OF INDIA

SATHYA SAI BABA


Sathya Sai Baba was born Sathyanarayana Raju to Pedavenkappa 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.

According to professor Narayana Kasturi (Sathya Sai Baba's official biographer), in his book Easwaramma - The Chosen Mother, Sathya was conceived through a Virgin birth, which was supported by Easwaramma's claim that she found out she was pregnant after a huge sphere of blue light rolled towards her, merged into her and made her faint.

According to Kasturi's biography , on March 8th, 1940 Sai Baba started behaving as if a black scorpion had stung his foot. However, nobody found the scorpion, according to Kasturi. Kasturi further wrote that for one night after this strange event Sai Baba entered a state similar to coma, which his devotees call the state of "leaving his body". Kasturi continues by writing 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. Finally, according to Kasturi's biography, on May 23rd, 1940 the young Sathya claimed to be the reincarnation of the fakir Shirdi Sai Baba and subsequently took the fakir's name.

According to his own assertion and the biography by Kasturi 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, 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 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 and repeated this claim in 1976.

Miracles

Sathya Sai Baba's followers report many, sometimes spectacular, miracles of various kinds that they attribute to him. Daily, he is observed to allegedly manifest vibuthi (holy ash), food and small objects such as rings, necklaces and watches. Sathya Sai Baba explained the phenomenon of manifestation as an act of divine creation.

In books, magazines and articles, there are numerous reports that Sathya Sai Baba can heal diseases and will sometimes take on the illnesses of devotees on himself.

In devotee's houses all around the world, there are international claims from neutral 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, coloured string, writings in ash and various other substances spontaneously manifest and materialize on the walls, furniture, pictures and altars of Sathya Sai Baba.

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.

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.

Haraldsson wrote that the largest materialized object that he saw was a mangalsutra 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.

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. 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.. He further claims to be that he is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipotent, and able to create matter from mere thought. He also stresses he and humans should always free from desires and states that desires bring mental pain (depression, anger jealousy etc).

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.

Based on Sathya Sai Baba's teachings, his 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 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
▪ 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.
▪ Reverence for parents, teachers and elders

Sathya Sai Baba's teachings are said to be realized by observing the following four principles:
▪ 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
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