THE SAI BABA MAGNETIC FEET AND HANDS FARCE PLAYS ON

In one of his latest rambling, circuitous discourses, Sathya Sai Baba announced among all the absurd claims of having magnetic feet that he could not lift (but did lift anyhow) and hands that stick to everything, a new note came in: “Worldly magnets attract only iron filings whereas the Divine magnetic power attracts the entire world. (prolonged applause)” (Sanathana Sarathi , April ’03., p.122).

Some sycophant of his must have managed (most carefully and humbly) to convey to him - at least indirectly - what a confused and unsupportable teaching he had been giving on magnetism hitherto. Perhaps they even read the analysis of his false claims about magnetism here on saiguru.net The 'omniscient' Sai Baba's massive ignorance of physics exposed (I)? According to him, the gold in his body ‘churning and churning’ to produce the golden lingam had caused him to be infused with hugely increased magnetic power (even though gold does not magnetize, of course). A shame that he, who is so keen on education, threw away his school books so soon? Magnets attract nothing but iron filings, he is quoted as saying! Even so, I suggest that the prolonged applause that greeted this must have been from people who have some education who felt great relief at hearing that worldly and Divine magnetism are two quite different things.

“Since the last two days, in order for this Linga to be formed, My whole body became magnetic.” Also “Even the rivers flow, clinging to the earth, due to the magnetism of the earth. Even the wind blows due to magnetic power. Magnetism is pervading everywhere. All the flowers and fruits that they offer are full of magnetism. So, this magnetic power, which is all-pervading, is shining in that temple. When so many thousands of devotees enter, this magnetism increases day-by-day. It will not decrease.
When a small iron piece is kept near a magnet, after a few days even that iron piece will become a magnet. So the individuals who enter into the temple and the things that they offer are all full of magnetism. Therefore, from where did the great powers of the temple arise? It comes from the magnetic power brought from the devotees. Hence, every individual fully has this magnetism.
It is this Divine power that arises in temples, attracts all individuals and also reveals all powers. This magnetism contains Divine power. It is said that magnetism is a temple’s nature. In science, they feel that it is pieces of magnet. They call it materialist magnet. This magnetism (Divine power) is shining in every single human being.” (see Maha Sivarathri 2002 (2) Morning, 13th March)

“So when I put My foot down, the whole foot stuck to the ground. It is a little hard to lift a foot that is stuck. Wherever I walk, it sticks there. Whatever is held, it sticks to My hand. This magnet is not in everyone like this. This magnet is so powerful only in Divinity.” (see morning discourse)

At the same time he said both that the magnetic power is only in Divinity (clearly meaning himself, the one whose feet and hands are got so 'sticky') and yet it "is shining in every single human being", Instead of hailing himself as the only one who had this Divine power causing him great difficulty in lifting his feet etc. a new note came in a rambling, circuitous discourse he gave a year later (16/3/2003) where he reverted to the former position: that the same magnetism is in everyone and, as seen above, even in flowers and fruit).

The magnetism reportedly got so powerful three months later that, on June 4, 2003, his long-weakened hip-joint gave way. Mother earth (Bhoomidev, which he regarded as a goddess) supposedly pulled down on him so hard that he slipped and fell on his bathroom floor. Having already fractured his hip in 1988 and most likely weakened it, his hip-joint collapsed altogether. His Divine Will was apparently not strong enough, it seems, to overcome nature's force. He had to be operated by (five) doctors in hospital and stop giving darshan for a long while, but despite this he became so debilitated as to remain in invalid chairs for the rest of his days. What he suffered after twice slipping on the soap while showering and his earlier stumbling and hobbling were caused by his long-standing hip weakness (and probable osteoarthritic degeneration), and not by any fantastic 'divine magnetic power'. Surely only a fully credulous and self-indoctrinated believer could credit such an amphigory of fancy?

Sai Baba was certainly very confused about magnetism. Since he would have heard that the earth is magnetic, with North and South magnetic poles, he seems to have though that this power is what dragged on his feet (due to his own huge magnetic power of attraction). He never mentioned that polarity is involved or that magnetism can repel just as much as it can attract. Further, does SB’s food stick in his mouth, gullet and throughout his body? He also said that when he lifted one foot by his ‘divine will (sankalpa)’ despite the massive force, the other one stuck to the ground. Did he know this by trying to lift it simultaneously? It would be most revealing for scientists to study this, but SB always avoided them! Had he only let them prove this was a genuine phenomenon, or prove any of his other miracles were genuine, then he would have been taken serious by a vast number of people. He declined, and so the validity of his claims declined, and his following inevitable also declined as his deceptions became more and more evident to most of his more intelligent followers.