Agnivesh flays Sathya Sai Baba's remarks

from The Hindu, Jan. 275, 2007 http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/25/stories/2007012508930400.htm
Silence on Nithari killings decried
`Comments on Telangana unnecessary'
Arya Samaj leader to write a letter to Sai Baba

HYDERABAD: Noted social activist and president of All-India Arya Samaj Swami Agnivesh has criticised spiritual leader Saibaba for his remarks favouring an integrated State.

"He talked something that was unnecessary while ignoring an urgent issue -- the killing of innocent children at Nithari," Agnivesh said at the dharna that he led against the killings at Indira Park here on Wednesday.

Swami Agnivesh lamented that all dharmacharyas, irrespective of their spiritual practices, should have condemned the carnage, but Sai Baba was silent. Instead, he raised his voice against a separate Telangana. Though he was a guru practising dharma, his silence led to doubts over his credentials.

Not a political leader

"As he is not a political leader he should not make such comments," he said, adding that he would address a letter conveying his protest to Saibaba.

He was also critical of leaders belonging to other religions for not reacting to the killings.

Even the five crore people who took the holy dip in Ganges as part of Kumbhmela did not express sympathy for the victims. Neither did the Hajis who returned from Makkah.

Resignation sought

The Arya Samaj leader was particularly critical about the President and Prime Minister not visiting Nithari, a place so close to Delhi.

He demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

As president of World Council of Arya Samaj, Swami Agnivesh said, he would take the initiative to involve leaders of all religions in an agitation against Nithari.

KERALAN TV DISCUSSION SLAMMED SATHYA SAI BABA

Further: A talk show on India's NDTV in 2006 featured a discussion on Godmen and their miracles. Sathya Sai Baba was discussed and several participants gave damning evidence there about him, including Swami Agnivesh who told that he had been approached by a tearful Australian devotee who has been seriously sexually abused by Sathya Sai Baba. There were also some Sai devotees who tried to defend their 'Lord' because he gives a portion of the vast resources he receives for a water project and so on. These included devotees of decades, like Justice Bhagwati (member of the Sathya Sai Central Trust which controls billions of donated rupees, and General 'Chib' Chibber - an ex-Army man who lives in retirement in Sai Baba's ashram [where he enjoys VIP status and privileges] writing half-literate books praising his God Incarnate and recycling his teachings.

Open letter to Sathya Sai Baba by Conny Larsson

Dedication:

This open letter is dedicated to all the true seekers in the world, past and present who boldly offer their life for the sake of the truth.

To those who did not hide behind denials to protect their integrity.

To those who risked isolation, jobs, friends, reputation by coming out in the open with their experiences for the sake of protection of the innocent seekers that is in danger by affiliation with the Sathya Sai Organisation or Sai Baba in person.

To Sai Baba

This is Conny, the Swedish man (boy) that came to you in Puttaparthi 15 of March 1978 who is writing. I am writing to you directly since I know that I can not get through by using your own organisation since they are all living in total denial of the facts that the whole world now is waking up to.

If you by any chance have forgotten me you might remember me as the "Crutch boy", or even as Sathya, you baptised me to that name once in an open interview not knowing what deep meaning it would have for the future to come. That name (sathya) has always stayed in my mind and kept me holding off to the truth even when temptation was there to gain quick benefits.

When I came to you in 1978 I was in despair due to the fact thatI had left my Master Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1976, mostly due to organisational reasons. During my time with him I became his personal secretary and loved the duty to serve a holy man with the best of intentions. Under his supervision I educated myself in Rishikesh 1969 to become a teacher of meditation in the age old Shankaracharya-tradition. His own guru was the Shankaracharya of JyotirMath.

In the year 76 -78 I immigrated to Sri Lanka due to the beauty and to the impact that the Buddhist teaching had made on me.

1 changed my occupation and became a constructor of beach bungalows that were sold to prominent buyers from all over the world. It all ended up in the necessity of bribing all ministers for getting permissions and contracts signed. When my conscience told me that this was absolutely wrong 1 could not continue and therefore 1 withdrew more and more from the company. Still trying to uphold my spiritual path I happened to come across the name and picture of you in a little hut on the beach in Beruwala and was advised to go to India.

1 did so after having talked with different persons about you. My expectations were high. The people I talked to were praising your glory and told me that you were able to manifest things from thin air by your own hand and also that you were an AVATAR. Some people said you were an incarnation of the known Shirdi Sai. Also that you were God in human form.

When I finally arrived in Puttaparthi March 1978 I was absolutely exhausted after 2 days of travel and it was 42 degrees C. in the shadow. Not many people were there maybe 1500 altogether and you approached me directly during your Darshan (meeting people outside in the Mandir compound) and said to me" Oh! You have come now! "Where do you come from?" you asked. I answered. "Sweden Sir!" You said: "No, no! You come from Sri Lanka". You smiled and walked away leaving me absolutely flabbergasted. I was impressed by the appearance and the extraordinary person I was told you was. After this I were left to my own fantasies.

During my four days of stay I wandered in the Ashram, read books, listened to praise and stories that set you off as the "Divine Himself". The propaganda was massive and done in a very smooth and pleasant way. In between outdoor meetings we were served the very best vegetarian food, still in wonder after your manifestations of the "holy ash-vibuthi" which you did several times.

It all looked so simple for you and you always had a smile for me and I, as everyone else, felt in line to love you as presented namely "the Divine in Human Form".

Blessed by this 1 returned to Sri Lanka thinking that this was my new way. Now I had no more interest in continuing the construction work in Sri Lanka. I was offered 22 million $US for my company by a Swiss-company that wanted to take over.

1 had now been to you several times during 1978 and wanted to settle down in Puttaparthi for good near you. 1 wanted to sail the company in benefit for the construction of a new hospital for the poor and visitors in need. 1 was prepared to donate everything to the organisation if you had wished so. My only interest was to stay close to you.

You soon started to call me in for several private interviews and I become a noticed person in the ashram. But the other devotees did not know what was going on between you and me in the inner interview room. I did not know myself, 1 just believed you when you said that you were God and were helping me with my problems by taking care of my Kundalini-process. This was odd I think, since you did this by physically approaching my genitals, sometimes by smearing oil, later by masturbating me and asking for the same done to you. You also did oral sex on me several times; you always seemed to enjoy it immensely. When you asked me to do oral sex on you I backed up, due to my background as a molested child.

My alcoholic father's friend did the molesting during Friday evenings, when I was between four and eight years old. You were kind enough not to push me further. Instead you continued with oral sex on me until 1983. I had now become 34 years old and fallen out of your sexual interest zone. When I was a child and was abused I always reacted by doing as I was told in order to save my life. So when you first approached me even if it was in a gentle way of a touch, by your hand at my genitals, I somehow reacted instinctively and closed my door to my inner consience. I stopped to listen to my inner voice since I did not want to loose the divine image of you.

All the people you had engaged were putting their efforts in building the image of you as God - living and moving upon earth for humanity to benefit, you were supposed to be pure love and have no personal desire or lust other than giving joy to mankind. Of course I believed the whole concept, innocent as I was.

Now, I have some questions for you!

Were you aware of the fear that you activated in me when sexually harassing me? If you are the person you want us to believe, did it not occur to you that instead of giving me joy and love you only invoked fear in its deepest level. Are you aware of the fact that I stopped to listen to my inner voice from that moment and became your prisoner for 20 years?

From that day I was totally in your hands and you and your organisation kept me there by using the words of love and wisdom. Instead of reacting as a normal being I started to praise you all my wake hours. Were you aware of that you spiritually and physicially raped and molested me through all these years?

It went so far that I even became the Spiritual Co-ordinator in your organisation. I went on conferences, spoke on radio, wrote a book, brought thousands of people to the feet of you. I lectured all over the world and told the beautiflil story about my relation with you and your mission. Everywhere people came and listened in hundreds, yes sometimes in thousands.

I kept onl thinking this was my duty, as you always told me. This special relation with you was my deepest secret and 1 believed you when you said that I was the only one worthy of this special work.

I was so puffed up by the attention from you that I totally lost track of reality. During the time 1 was imprisoned by you I gave away my company in Sri Lanka. I returned ruined to Sweden on your request in 1980 and started the home for drug addicts and criminals that I am stili running now as a very well known institute.

During the years that past by after 1983 when your physical involvement with me stopped I just served and served as a "duty officer" in your organisation even though the "bells of warning" clanged of and on.

So many times I saw you cheat with the manifestations, so many times I saw you do acts of misconduct with other boys, I always thought you where testing me as a devotee! 1 never let the thought in that this was wrong. For me it was all a blessing, divine touch or "Leelas" (games).

It was first in the end of 1986 when I met with several boys that had similar experiences that I started to ask myself if this was wrong. At one time you asked me to participate in an interview, in the inner room, with one of my patients from the institute. I thought you wanted me to translate but you wanted me to participate when you sexually harassed the boy whom at that time were 23 years old, blond and handsome. Somehow you had understood that my childhood experiences had disturbed my identity and made me bisexual. And now you wanted me to partake in your play with the boy. Before I reacted the boy himself pushed you away and went out of the room leaving you and me there. You just raised your shoulders and said: "Pity! He does not understand Sparshan". (Meaning Gods physical way with him.) Do I need to tell you that the boy went home and never wanted to hear about you again, nor did he want to go back even when I offered him to pay his expenses. Do I need to tell you that the boy felt deeper and deeper into an incurable depression related mainly to this traumatic experience and finally committed suicide? StilI my inner voice did not wake up and I kept on hiding my own childhood trauma from my awareness.

Could you not have made me aware of my subconciousness in a different way? Did you have to use my patients in your sexual activities and thereby using me as a pimp for you? Could it not have been done in a more spiritual way if that was your intention?

Do you remember in Puttaparthi 1980 when I had broken my knee and I came with crutches to you on Darshan meeting on the 25th of December? When you called me on to the compound and asked me to let go of my crutches and walk, which I did in front of everyone. Do you remember how you called me in for an interview after the enormous response you got from the people that thought they had seen a miracle. Do you remember how you asked me not to talk to anyone about it, giving them the opportunity to create their own story which they did. From then on you called me the "Crutch boy" and called for me as soon as you wanted to impress on a Doctor or a Minister etc. Again you used me to make people to believe that you were divine.

Do you remember when I came to you in Puttaparthi after a few years absence and brought my fiancé? We came for you to bless our marriage. During the interview you asked me if I knew what happens to butter in a fire. I answered you that it would melt. You looked deeply into my eyes and said. "Do you want to melt?" You were referring to my girlfriend as the fire. Innocently I said: "No I don't want to melt". Then you said: "Do not get married you belong to me, you are married to me." You turned to my fiancé and told her to leave me alone. Of course she obeyed as everyone else, she stayed in India and became the mistress to your own translator Anil Kumar. For years you kept her in India indicating to her that Kumar were going to divorce his wife and marry her. She wrote you letters daily, that you received during the Darshan where she raised the question about this man again and again. You always say that you read all letters yourself. Why did you not answer her that she would never be married to this man? She was used all these years, as all of us, for your own benefit. She became a tale in India and you participated in bringing the woman I were meant to marry down to the level of satisfying your own translator and his sexual desires. When I heard about this after a couple of years I intervened and she finally ended the relationship with Kumar. Afterwards she was threatened to her life and chopped to keep silent. She is still living in Puttaparthi in total denial of what has happened to her.

Was it really worth it? Destroying the love between to young people, separate them from each other and give one of them away as a mistress to an old man who already had a wife and two kids. For what purpose did you do this Baba? What did you in the end get out of it? We who were devoted to you really believed in the Five Human Values-program that was structured by Dr. Gokak and incorporated in your teaching. We started schools all over the world to educate children for the coming of a new world order were you were and would be our guiding light through this cruel world. We all came to you with open hearts and offered our services to what we thought were the purity himself, selflessness incarnated and God on earth. We all were absolutely convinced.

As the years passed by rumours about you cheating with your manifestations started and also that you were increasing your sexual activities with younger and younger boys. Your own students both in Brindavan and in Puttaparthi started to confront us westerners with this unpleasant news about our God-you Sai Baba.

I slowly started to grasp the idea of being swindled by an organisation I always felt very unpleasant to be in and from here on I kept my ears and eyes open when I visited India and especially Puttaparthi.

Whenever I was in India and Puttaparthi I tried to contact boys I saw being called in for interviews.

During the years there was especially one German boy that always was called in.

I made friends with him and slowly the whole story uncovered. He had got at least 100 interviews during the last 5 years and when I asked him if Sai Baba ever told him any spiritual teachings during the private interviews he answered no. As we learned to know each other more and more 1 realised that you only performed sexual activities with the boy on different levels during the interviews. You apparently explained it for the poor boy as something he needed in order to raise the Kundalini. 1 know you also told the boy not to talk to anyone else, to stay in his room while being in Puttaparthi and only come to Darshans. The poor boy obeyed you except when he came to talk with me. The boy had noticed that you often stopped and talked with me during Darshans, this was the reason why he slowly became confident in me and started to talk to me without fearing for your punishment.

I told him my whole story and did not hide anything for him and he had the same experience of being chosen by God for a certain purpose that he was being prepared for by your sexual activities you were inflicting on him. At this time I were fully convinced that something was really wrong, but I did not know how to get out of the trap.

When I came to India in January 1999 I found a young Swedish man trapped in the absolutely same pattern as the German boy. I then decided to do everything that I could to find a valuable condusion that could hold me through the inner storm that was slowly but steadily approaching me.

The boy you had chosen as a toy for the time being were called the "Golden Boy" due to all the so called manifestations that you had given him during his eight interviews. He approached me for help to understand what was happening to him, since Dr. Jargon Moolgard from Sweden and also National Co-ordinator for the Sai Organisation in Sweden did not listen to the boys problems with you Baba. He did not help the poor boy, so the boy turned to me. I had just arrived to India with my littie group and we found a big Swedish group believing and thinking that the boy was very special and chosen by God especially. The truth was that he as all of us only was used for your sexual purposes and satisfaction. We spent night after night in comparing our experiences and came to the conclusion that these actions we had been subjected to were only of sexual nature. There was never any spirituality in our relation to you. We were both just used.

In the meantime you "manifested" 1000 dollars for him so he could pay for a ticket and visit you in Kodaai Canal in June 1999. You told him to bring his mother this time. The boy went home in absolute confusion and so did I. Anyhow I decided that if he was going back again I would follow since he had turned to me for help, as a well known person within the Sai organisation. Frankly I decided to protect him from getting more molested by you. We returned in June 1999. His mother were going as well but would arrive later. We arrived in Puttaparthi with our eyes wide open eagerly to find out what was true and not. It did not take long before you called us in because of the "Golden Boy". You jumped on him right away, so openly flirting that other people started to realise what was going on and after your second and last interview with the boy it was so obvious that other people started to react and questioned what was going on. We were now out of doubt but for the sake of our own security we decided to keep quiet about it until we left India, this time for good since our relation to you had finally been cleared. There was no longer any doubt about your intentions with us.

We were all used and it seemed like all the leaders knew about It, but kept quiet for the sake of being in the limelight or whatever.

When we came home the "Golden Boy" approached all the leaders in the Swedish Sathya Sai Organisation to put a meeting together where this could be ventilated and cleared out. I was invited together with other victims to come and share their stories. The meeting shocked the Swedish Sai Family and most people left the organisation and you, Sai Baba, directly. Some people fell into denial and stayed and became the new leaders of the organisation.

Since then the word is spreading all over the world and victims from all over the world are coming out from the shadows telling mostly the same sad story about you. All over the world your name and your organisation is put on the list of scum. There is no return and your name and reputation will always be: "The man that called himself the Avatar of Avatars but showed up to be just a simple man with sexual desires for young boys. The man that cheated a whole world using the name of God and love as his tools. The man that used other peoples knowledge and wisdom as his own and pretended to be a guiding light for humanity. Finally exposed by the innocent people that he molested."

When you baptised me as Sathya (the truth) you did not seem to know whom you were dealing with. I was betrayed in my childhood by adults, I lost my voice and ability to speak, but I could pray to God for help. It took years, different ways were tried, even yours but finally truth succeeded and I was brought back to my own inner voice again and thereby my own relation to God-within. I now will settle this as, a testimony for all the people on the globe, especial young boys and their parents. To not ever let their children go to Puttaparthi or to any place were you Sai Baba resides, since they all would risk being at your altar of sex uphold Baba.

You might say this is a common culture in India. Sorry we will answer you, even you have to follow the laws of your country, as you yourself told us we had to. Culture or not we in the west are happy to announce to you that we will uphold the Sanatana Dharma (eternal righteousness) even if your people does not care we will protect the Heritage of Bharat (India). This letter to you is written direct from my hands and could be used as an affidavit if necessary, to any court in the world that will bring the issue up for a trial. I also gladly tell you Baba that I will participate as a firsthand witness whenever I am called to do so. I will not stand behind the "Curtain of shame" any longer and so will not hundreds of other boys all over the world.

We ask of you Baba to withdraw from the self proclaimed God head and confess to everyone that you cheated them all the time, that you are only a simple human being with desires that wants to be fullfilled as everyone of us have.

That you try to hide your homosexuality only shows you as weak and not up to date with what is going on in the world. Today we have United Nations humanitarian rights to protect the homosexual community that is common knowledge. You do not have to hide behind a mask of God to be able to satisfiy your desires. You have so much charisma and charm that you could get in contact with partners without having to swindle young boys and a whole world.

Be brave Baba as we finally became, leave your fear behind, and love is there even for people like you.

The world is eagerly waiting for you stepping down from your God throne down to the floor of really serving mankind as an equal. People that have changed the world like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and many others they never needed to be looked upon as being Gods. Being servants satisfied them. Is it not your saying also " Love all Serve all ". Not "Hurt all - Rape all", which is a tendency you and your movement now is trying to uphold by saying openly that your rapes and molestation's are of divine nature. You never cared to ask us what we felt and thought. You told us what we are and expected us to accept your picture. Sorry but we could not, if we are going to survive as spiritual beings.

We now longer say Sai Ram. We say SHIVA RAM! Knowing that truth will conquer.

Yours sincerely in hope of improvement,

CONNY LARSSON
Tostebo Gods
61040 Gusum
Sweden

Telephone 00461123 23048, fax 23015, e-mail address: conny@email.com

Anyone that reads this and needs support might contact me and the Lifeline-group that has been created to support everyone that needs help to leave the Sai Baba movement.

This open letter can be forward and used in any official circumstances if the content is intact and presented in its whole.

Testimony sent to David Bailey of Sathya Sai Baba sexual abuse

From : IRAN / USA

Source : Afshin Khorramshahgol - correspondence to David and Faye Bailey

Subject : MY ACCOUNT RE SAI BABA

Dear Faye and David, Hello.

Here is a brief account of my experiences with Sai Baba. I apologise for the graphic language of this message, but it is the only way to share my experiences.

I travelled to India three times, from 1991 to 1993. On my first visit to India I was already a devotee of Sai Baba and believed he was God. I had a total of seven private interviews in the first two trips. In the first private interview Sai Baba asked me to undo my pants and drop my underwear. Since I believed he was God I did as he asked. He had already ‘materialised’ oil and he applied it in the area between my penis and anus.

I was told after the interview by some devotees, that this act is done by gurus to their disciples to open a chakra, or source of spiritual energy in the body of the disciple. However I am not sure if this is what in fact Sai Baba had done.

My research since, has not found this initiation ceremony in any Hindu books or scriptures, or among Hindu followers of other gurus.

In every private interview after the ‘initiation’ private interview, Sai Baba asked me to drop my pants and underwear, and he would rub my penis. Once he was rubbing it so hard it was obvious to me that he wanted me to get an erection.

I was busy talking to him about my problems, the problems of my country Iran, and my family’s problems, and I was asking him for his blessing for all of them.
I was not interested in sex or anything, especially with a guy, and so my penis did not grow, now matter how hard Sai Baba tried. Finally, he gave up and threw my penis up and turned away with a very angry face and mumbled something. When he turned back to me, he told me to put my pants on again and the private interview was over.

You may ask why I didn’t stop Sai Baba doing what he was doing if it was so obvious to me that he wanted me to get an erection?

Due to my being brainwashed, I thought I had to throw out this thought as it was another obstacle on my way to reach God. According to Sai Baba, all bad thoughts have to be thrown out immediately and replace with good, pure thoughts - and so I threw out the idea of Sai Baba trying to give me an erection, even though I knew he was.

In another interview, Sai Baba asked me to kneel in front of him while he was standing. He took my head with his right hand and pushed it hard into his stomach. He then took my other hand with his left hand and tried to rub it against his penis.

I did not grab his penis. I just let him direct my hand to his penis, using the outside of my hand, not the palm of my hand. While he was rubbing my hand on his penis, he was moaning sexually.

In the middle of this act, I tried to look up to see his face as I wanted to see his emotions, He didn’t let me. He pushed my head into his stomach harder, and this made me stop my desire to see his face altogether. He finally gave up, realising that I was not interested in grabbing his penis, since I wasn’t willing to use my palm to touch him.

Even this incident didn’t shake my faith in him. That’s how strong is the brainwashing in Sai baba’s organisation.

In all the private interviews that I had with Sai Baba, he would also hug or kiss me, or ask me to kiss him. I had come to reason with myself that he was touching my penis because he was probably healing me of some disease or handicap. I reasoned to myself that Sai Baba asked me to kiss him, or kissed me because he loved me, and kissing on the cheeks is all right - kissing on the cheeks between men is okay in my country.

It was not until I saw a movie that shows Sai Baba cheating, that my faith in him started to crumble. It was only after I left Sai Baba (six months after seeing that movie) that I realised his real intentions in those private interviews.

I am willing to testify in any court of law or in any gathering about the above experiences.

I have been very active on the internet for the past six years and I have saved numerous people from falling into Sai Baba’s evil trap.

Regards,

Afshin

Full account of Sai Baba sex allegations

The Sathya Sai Baba set-up: How it works, by Hari Sampath

Still highly relevant to this issue is Hari Sampath's evidence.
From http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/sathyasaibabadiscussionclub
Message #352 Aug. 21, 2000: How it works… Part 1

Dear Everyone,

Having given a brief summary of the setup at the very top, here is a high level overview of how it all works. Remember that there are thousands of details attended to by hundreds of people at various levels on a daily basis, all with different levels of beliefs, loyalties and power.

The very innermost coterie are usually members of the Sai Baba central trust, and are rarely changed. This trust also includes very eminent men from high positions, but these "public figures" are never given any funds handling authority, but more to act as an effective link to the corridors of power, to add respectability to the Sai Baba org, and they have their own vested interests by way of career advancements, for gaining political favors in exchange for helping money laundering etc. These people usually are direct contacts of other members of the inner coterie who directly report to Sai Baba and have been "recruited" as a result of continuous visits over several years and having publicly committed themselves as "Sai Baba devotees".

These members of the central trust would probably have their partial or total involvement in all trust related activities and it would always be in their own interests to keep the "Sai Baba myth" floating, failing which they themselves would be in serious trouble. In fact, they happily go on, given the advantages of doing so, and the disaster of not doing so. ALL these people KNOW that Sai Baba is a fraud, but NEVER discuss it even among themselves. They compete among themselves to be Sai Baba's "right hand" and Sai Baba uses the policy of divide and rule and no one dares to even convey the impression that he believes Sai Baba to be a hoax.

One of the most reliable sources of information about these people is their immediate family members as I found out. Upon carefully cultivating relationships with some of their family members, I found that these people hardly had any respect for Sai Baba in private, were least worried about Sai Baba's "omniscience" or "powers" and NEVER relied upon Sai Baba's divinity when it came to matters concerning themselves. Also, whenever ANY report of a "miracle" was mentioned in their presence, they always had a "knowing" and cynical expression on their faces, something very strange for those who were very close to "god". Sai Baba, of course knows that they all know, but also that they are circumstantially in his power, often by choice.

Examples of these top level "recruits" would be eminent jurists, top judges, high level govt. officials etc. Examples of the "real in bred top coterie" would be very close members of Sai Baba's family, acquaintances from Sai Baba's early days, and also those "devotees" who had been demonstrating their "loyalty" after knowing everything about Sai Baba. NO ONE at this level ever believes Sai Baba's divinity because they all know he is NOT god, which is why they have been appointed.

Hari Sampath
_______________________________________________
Message #353 Aug. 21, 2000: How it works … Part 2

The members of the second level, usually comprising national level presidents of Sai Baba organizations and state level presidents of large states in India, have their own set of authorities and responsibilities. They completely control state level funds and country level finances in the case of overseas organizations. There are several smaller level trusts in all the countries, and also all the states in India. These trusts are supposedly meant for channeling money easily to the main Sai Baba central trust and they do that too, but the second level people are given ample opportunity to bag some money as a reward for "loyalty". All the accountants of the foreign councils, and state level trusts are appointed by these second level "presidents", most of whom are businessmen in their own lives.

Another common trick all these people do is to simply divert interest coming from the various trust investments into their own private funds and businesses, all with Sai Baba's "blessings". Also, they use the trust funds and huge investments as guarantees for raising loans for their businesses, and get favors from Financial institutions for putting the trust funds in those institutions.

Now, it is easy to understand why a Trust with known assets of around $ 15 billions has only ever contributed around Rs 1000 millions over its entire history. MONEY, very simply put, the same old weakness BIG MONEY, that is what makes the whole thing go around. Most people, even long time devotees, have absolutely NO IDEA of the kind of big money involved. The value of huge estates and properties donated by wealthy devotees, long dead, are simply too much, and hardly a few people will ever have an accurate estimate. I have talked to a few second level accountants' families and what I have quoted above is from that source.

These national presidents and trust members keep their junior level officials of the Sai Baba org on a tight leash. The reward for these smaller level officials, for their "loyalty" is an annual interview with Sai Baba arranged by the second level trust members. Most of these people do not know the entire Sai Baba story, some of them even believe he is "divine" and powerful and act in misguided beliefs. Others know exactly what is happening, and are just playing their parts to get "promoted" as they would in any business. These people arrange all the conferences, delegations, devotee groups, seva dals, various activities of promoting the Sai Baba org like service activities, educational activities all over the world etc.

But it is usually only people from the second layer who get plum responsibilities like positions in the University, hospital etc.

Hari Sampath
_______________________________________________
Message #356 Aug. 22, 2000: How it works …Part 3

The trust members are the ones with maximum access to Sai Baba apart from the "special" students. Most of the college activities, welfare activities and Ashram administration are carried on by members of the second layer. The central trust members are also ruled by an iron hand and ALL checks would have to be signed by Sai Baba and one more member of the central trust.

Practically all the contracts and Ashram related businesses are given to members of the inner coterie and the second layer. The members of the second layer like presidents of councils overseas are ever on the lookout for "influential" and wealthy devotees from their countries. Whenever anyone like that comes along, a complete history of that person is gathered by the top official of that particular country and submitted to some member of the inner coterie.

When the unsuspecting wealthy devotee arrives in PN for the first time, he/she is given an apartment by "Swami's Grace" and worked on by members of the inner coterie. All that the devotee will ever hear is stories of "Swami's miracles", "Swami's healing powers" etc, especially if that person has a health problem etc. And then Sai Baba will make that person wait for a reasonable time and "Grant" an interview, usually a short group meeting and promise another one soon. Sai Baba will tell them details of their personal lives from his "powers", actually what they would have told fellow group members or someone else. Later, they will get a private interview in which they will be given a "watch", "materialized ring" etc and asked to do sadhana, i.e. not talk to anyone about anything, especially Indian devotees and people in the village.

The devotee will be encouraged by Sai Baba to read only spiritual teachings (Sai Baba stories) and helped by the odd coincidence, interpretation of coincidences, "materialization" and the "spiritual atmosphere" would become completely brainwashed into thinking that Sai Baba has specially chosen them. After more talks about "seva", "charity", "ceiling on desires", "material detachment" etc, they will feel "blessed" enough by Swami to be "allowed" to make a donation, will ask him, and he will say " I don't want your money, only your heart" and refuse to take any money.

They will leave after their first trip, fully convinced about Sai Baba's Divinity, and also his sincerity. The overseas council president will keep a careful eye on them and ensure that they really think that Sai Baba does not want money. The wealthy devotee will feel they are not "pure" enough at that stage to give the Lord, and will patiently wait their turn and accumulate the money.
Later, after a couple of visits, and a lot of "pleading" with Swami to allow them to help his mission, they will be blessed with "purity" and "allowed to give without ego".
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Result : One more fish bites the bait.

From http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/sathyasaibaba Message # 11866 by delta_108, 20 januari 2001

The Sathya Sai Central Trust has assets to the tune of at least US $ 1.5 Billion (around Rupees 75,000 millions in Indian Money)

A large portion of it (I would guess about 70 %) is in the form of land, estates, and other fixed assets in dozens of countries all over the world, predominantly Germany, USA, UK, Austria, Switzerland, France, Japan, Australia, and some South American countries .

These estates, land, and fixed assets have been left as legacies to the Sai Baba trust by wealthy western devotees, most of whom have died, over a period of 30 years or so. Hence the appreciated value of these estates is unknown and could be more than estimated.

Several of these assets are held in trusts at the local levels in those countries, these trusts funnel money into the Sai Baba trusts, and are "ancillary" trusts for the main Sai Baba trusts.

Top Sai Baba org officials in those countries are controllers of these trusts, along with other Sai Baba central trust members. They get charity org status for these trusts in their countries.

These trust funds in overseas countries can be invested in any bonds/funds etc, and the trusts do not have to pay income tax like other profit making businesses. Moreover, these trust funds can be used as guarantee money to raise loans for businesses etc. There is obviously a lot of incentive for a top Sai Baba org coordinator to continue to remain in position and retain some controlling interest in these trusts.

Obviously, all Indian politicians know about this, after all they would be facilitating things at the income tax level . Indian politicians , all of them have huge amounts of black unaccounted money in foreign banks in Cayman Islands, Swiss banks, St Kitts etc, which they use to run their elections and political careers.

Whenever a politician has to bring in his money to India "officially", all he has to do is to arrange for a "transfer" of funds from his account abroad to any Sai Baba related trust. Sai Baba trusts abroad would then "arrange" for a like sum to be paid into their Central Trust in India, which would be funnelled to the politicians.

All are happy, and the Sai Baba scam grows, with all various corrupt elements feeding each other's needs.......while the "avatar" initiating "welfare projects" worth 100 Million rupees, 200 million rupees etc .... a drop in the bucket, that keeps the funds coming, gives a chance to build social acceptance, and also gives the same corrupt politicians to come and "inaugurate" such welfare projects and gain some good public attention.

This is what has been happening over the years.... yesterday in Whitefield, for the Hospital inauguration.... where all different politicians in opposing parties "gathered" together at the "lotus feet"..... why won't they ???? There is an election due in Southern states in 3 months and don't they need their money ???

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Message #11868
Sai Baba's philosophy of his scam has always been simple:

Indians form the crowds, so the Indian politicians are interested. Sai Baba needs the Indian politicians because of their official positions and power. The politicians need Sai Baba because he is a "public spiritual figure" with whom they can associate and improve their image.

The Western devotees bring in the money. They also add to Sai Baba's image growing in India....the Indian mentality (unfortunately) is to say ... "so many people from so many countries come here, our Swami must be so great".

Politicians come for building good image, laundering their own money, getting money from Sai Baba trusts, and getting some useful votes. In an Indian context, the politicians ALWAYS get mileage out of religious figureheads, by furthering causes like Ram temple in Ayodhya etc, which the religious figureheads are happy to pay lip service to. So political causes find legitimacy with these "spiritual leaders" too.

Also, Sai Baba CANNOT afford to lose the western devotees and would do ANYTHING to retain them. The Sai Baba org is obviously working overtime to allay the fears of the wavering devotees, so that the influx of new devotees is unaffected and money flow continues.

This is very important as most big donations by westerners are made in their first 2-3 years as Sai Baba devotees, when they are still in the "euphoric" state of having "discovered God".

The Indian crowds add to the "effect" as Sai Baba makes the wealthy westerner feel that "among so many millions, Swami has chosen me"

The same old principle of politics...

"politics is the art of taking money from the rich, and votes from the poor, under the pretext of protecting each one from the other"

Hari Sampath on On Sathya Sai Baba

In 2000, Hari Sampath, a former security guard at Sathya Sai Baba's ashram - who knew well many of the leading figures in the ashram and the Central Trust, wrote:-

Sathya Sai Baba is a highly intelligent, extremely knowledgeable, and gifted orator. He has the ability to absorb a lot of detail very quickly and assimilate the information. You must remember that although he never attended school beyond the age of 14, he has been constantly meeting with thousands of people from all walks of life, and from these people he observes, and absorbs.

For e.g. he can put carefully worded questions to a cardiologist and from the answers, get a good idea of what is a mistral valve relapse. The next day, he will surprise a group with this specific information and do it in such a way that people think he knows a great deal more than what he actually does, and had known it since he was born. This is, in my opinion, Sai Baba's biggest ability/trick, which he uses extremely well to convey the impression of omnipresence, omniscience etc.

This exactly is what he does in the case of most "omniscience miracles" too.

Regarding the knowledge of Vedas, scholarly abilities, and ability to put things in easy examples, yes, he has all of them. Remember even Ravana, the asura was a master of the four vedas.

Actually, to my mind, Sai Baba is one of the most intelligent and capable persons I had ever come across.

He could have and certainly would have been a huge success as a politician , businessman and world leader had he wanted it.

But, unfortunately, he combined all these three things and added God to it, wanted to be God. He wanted fame, power, glory and the adulation of masses. This was the way he chose to attain it.

He has perverted sexual weaknesses and desires and an ever increasing greed and lust for fame, recognition and power.

How very very sad. Just think what all he could have been, and what he chose to be. I am positive that his life would indeed be a message to mankind, but not in the sense he means it. Instead , it will certainly reflect the great principle that untruth, deceit and adharma, will NEVER win, no matter how many people support it, or whatever resources such an effort has.

Hari Sampath.