All-Round Defence on the Forum Sathya Sai Ru
Serguei Badaev
September 2006
The following appeal was posted on 17th 2006 on the forum Sathya Sai Ru, the biggest forum of the Russian followers of Sathya Sai Baba.
http://forum.sathyasai.ru/index.php?showtopic=3000
APPEAL
of Forum Sathya Sai Ru Administration to all the participants
Unprepossessing Facts:
As a result of growth of Bhagavan’s fame in India and around the world some
people started their activities in order to undermine Swami’s reputation.
Causes of the Propaganda:
They are motivated by unfulfilled hopes and resentments towards Bhagavan.
Results of the Propaganda:
They spread
rumours and
unchecked facts about Sathya Sai Baba’s life and create chaos in innocent minds
not spoiled with calumnies.
We want:
The Forum Administration wants to support the common sense and spirit of the
participants and to protect their peace of mind.
We ask:
1. To ignore false rumours and unchecked facts, delete letters from
strangers who suggest that you should read some “interesting” and “secret”
stories about Bhagavan.
2. To refuse deliberately to disseminate rumours, not to send your friends
“interesting” links and letters so that not to help to weave a web of lies and
calumny.
3. To inform the administration of the forum about any letters and messages
blasting Sathya Sai Baba’s name.
We believe:
We believe in purity of intentions. Sooner or later the foam of lies will
dissolve in the ocean of truth.
I was a follower of Sathya Sai Baba from 1995 till 2000 and was a chairman of the Moscow Sathya Sai centre and co-ordinator for Sathya Sai Education programme. Now being among the critics of Sathya Sai Baba I would like to share my view of the whole situation that is quite different from that of the Sathya Sai Ru administration. My comments follow the structure of the appeal.
Unprepossessing Facts
A lot of unprepossessing facts of the Sathya Sai Baba’life have been discovered during the last 5-6 years. Today there are a lot of his ex-followers who quite unexpectedly discovered a dark side of this Indian guru. The first material which collected a number of witnesses was posted on the Internet in 2000 by David and Faye Bailey. They were very close to Sathya Sai Baba and were shocked when they saw and knew a lot of things that always are covered from the rank and file. That posting was called “The Findings”. Apparently, that material was on some points too emotional and not quite substantial but it made a great impact on followers to start to investigate the whole situation. As a result, hundreds of pages of witnesses and analytical materials have appeared on two main critical web sites ( www.saiguru.net and www.exbaba.com ) and more that 1400 signatures support the international petition ( www.saipetition.net). A lot of followers have left Sathya Sai Baba and his international organisation. It is hardly correct to claim growth of Sathya Sai Baba’s fame in India and in the world. In India Sathya Sai Baba is a very controversial figure (one of the so called “jet gurus”), and many Indians do not hide their negative attitude or suspicion towards him.
Causes of the Propaganda
The authors
of the appeal just repeat someone’s words that those who criticise SSB are
motivated by unfulfilled hopes and resentments. How could they know that? Do not
they disseminate rumours by saying so? They should be reminded that many of SSB
critics were very close to him or were very active in his organisation for 10-15
– and several founder members of Sai organization centers with 20 or 30 years
involvement -
years before they knew about his dark side. Perhaps it is more accurate to say
that they sacrificed their closeness to SSB and his positions in the
organisation for the sake of truth and justice.
Results of the Propaganda
It is worth noting that the dissemination of unchecked facts and rumours about so called miracles of SSB is not called propaganda by his devotees but they call it stories about Avatar’s leelas (divine sports). The critics of SSB do have to analyse rumours and unchecked facts in some cases because SSB and his coterie cover up and distort many facts and doing so they consciously or unconsciously promote rumours.
They want
On the one hand, the administration wants to support common sense and spirit and, on the other hand, to keep the peace of mind of the forum participants. I think, they can hardly support common sense by blocking discussions on the forum. Perhaps only the peace of mind if we agree that “ignorance is bliss”.
They ask
The recommendations of the forum administration can be called “all-round defense”. I would reformulate them as follows: to support and disseminate only those rumours and unchecked facts that glorify SSB as an Avatar and to inform the authorities about everybody who, as it seems to devotees, vilify SSB’s name.
They believe
I guess that many critics of SSB believe that the truth is more powerful than a lie and that justice will prevail after all. So we agree that far.
Although the forum proclaims itself as a community of truth seekers, it puts strong limitations on its participants. They must accept the divinity of SSB. They are not allowed to make any statements which can be qualified as disrespect or criticism to SSB or his teachings or his organisation. They should evade any discussion on any point but display only love and understanding. It seems to be more proper to call this forum a community of promotion exclusively to devotion to SSB because if the truth happens to trespass the limitations it will be sacrificed for the sake of devotion. It really looks quite sectarian.
Appendix
Below you can see my correspondence with one of two administrators of the forum, Kirill Borodin. He is an office bearer of the Sathya Sai Organisation in Russia and is a co-ordinator of the Youth Wing. This correspondence is a good illustration of SSB followers and the Sai Organisation’s inability to open and sincere dialogue.
Dear administrators and moderators of Sathya Sai Ru forum!
I am writing to you with regard to the situation around Sathya Sai Baba. As you may know some people believe he is a spiritual master and avatar, at the same time some other people believe that he is a cheat and charlatan. Those people who try to figure out the matter and read the materials posted on the Internet feel confused as they see two completely different versions that cannot be both true. One of these two versions is inevitably wrong.
Of course, each party hopes that they are right, but we are all humans and we are prone to make mistakes and to be biased. Perhaps it is a good idea to arrange an open and sincere dialogue between these two parties with the main goal – to clarify all the points as much and to approach the truth as close as possible.
If you think that Sathya Sai Ru forum is not a proper place for this we can do it by exchanging e-mails or arranging a special meeting in Moscow. For the beginning of the dialogue I suggest you write a letter of review with the analysis of the posted critical materials about Sathya Sai Baba. Your critical review, which clarifies your position, can be posted on www.saiguru.net/russian if you find it suitable.
It seems to me that if this discussion really takes place both parties will win as I believe this will allow us to come nearer to the truth which we all look for and value so much. If during the discussion some mistakes or discrepancy in the materials posted on www.saiguru.net/russian are revealed, I, as the editor, will do all my best to correct those materials or to remove them from the web site.
Faithfully yours,
Serguei Badaev
3rd September 2006
I do not know if my letter has reached the second administrator of the forum, Serguei Moisseev, and four moderators. Anyway, I have got a reply only from Kirill Borodin.
Dear Serguei Badaev,
I want to tell you at once that there will be no dialogue between us. To support
such a dialogue is like taking part in a conversation with a man who tries to
persuade you that you have had no mother. No mother at all. You may have some
doubt for a moment but sooner or later you will understand that this way of
thinking is inappropriate.
Sathya Sai Baba repeatedly answers all your questions in his discourses.
Please read the topics where relevant quotations are given.
About criticism:
http://forum.sathyasai.ru/index.php?showtopic=2790
About anti-sites:
http://forum.sathyasai.ru/index.php?showtopic=3000
Do not try to assure us in your kind intentions of “looking for the truth”. Your
aim is clear and distinct – criticism. So be sure for the future and do not
waste your time – you will always find a firm opposition from me. Other devotees
and I have no such a task “to correct the misguided” whereas you, as I can see,
have one.
Sai Ram.
With love,
Kirill Borodin
PS.
Serguei, sooner or later you will have to stop – you’d
better do it now. To throw mud on other people is a thankless task and I am sure
you are tired of it. “Those who meditate on other people’s vices will acquire
them”. Do stop.
You do not have to answer. You won’t
get any more answers from me or from the administration of Sathya Sai Ru.