We The People - Godmen and their miracles (Part 2)

I think these views are very valid and needs widespread publicity.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------December 4, 2006
Dear Ms. Dutt,

I watched your show "We the People" regarding Godmen and their miracles with keen interest because it purported to demystify, among others, Sri Sathya Sai Baba, my personal hero and role model. While I appreciate your efforts to allow both sides to have a voice on the show, I feel compelled to point out a few glaring inaccuracies featured on the show. A number of derogatory statements were made on the show about Sri Sathya Sai Baba that were factually inaccurate.

For starters, Baba's mission is to empower humanity, by reminding us that each of us is a bundle of infinite possibilities—that each of us is verily God. People misquote him when they say that Baba claims to be God. What Baba does say is that he is God as much as each and every one of us is God, the only difference being that most of us are not aware of our divinity. In no way does he prey on anyone, only infuses self-confidence and optimism.

Secondly, all the money that devotees contribute to the Sai Trust is utilized for providing free education (Kindergarten to PhD levels), free super-specialized health-care and clean drinking water, among other services. It is channelled to bring relief to those whom our governments have failed to assist. The education is of a world-class standard and combines academic excellence with character education. I should know. Nine members of my family over two generations have been or are being educated at his schools and colleges. My son is currently attending Grade 1 at his school here in Toronto. The only words to describe our experiences with Sai Baba are pure, sacred, inspiring, peaceful and divinely loving. Next time you have a question regarding Sai Baba, I suggest you feel free to contact any of us as we are real people, with names, faces and addresses and have had direct experiences with him, unlike the handful of anonymous people running websites to defame Swami. A bit of investigation shows that although they claim that they have hundreds of supporters, some of them have never even met Baba and other names are hoaxes. We, his students are not nameless, faceless unidentifiable nobodies; why not ask us?

Baba inspires millions around the globe to lead purpose-driven lives by practicing the five universal values of Truth, Peace, Love, Right Conduct and Non-violence. That is why people of all major faiths and culture are drawn to him. If someone has a problem with such a great teacher and his gospel of universal acceptance, I think they need serious psychological help. I wish them well.

Miracles—the topic of hot discussion on your show –can be discussed ad-nauseam without arriving at a conclusion. It is indeed a matter of faith and personal belief but let me tell you what Sai Baba's greatest miracle has been to date -- the transformation of millions of hearts around the globe. He has reached out to and touched lives in places far and near Puttaparthi and transformed crores, not lakhs of persons to practice more truth, peace, love, right conduct and non-violence in their daily lives. Only a genuine practitioner of such a noble and virtuous path can inspire others including highly educated, successful and intelligent people from a variety of cultural, religious and professional backgrounds. To my knowledge, no magician, has been able to achieve that.

Baba has taught his followers to live beyond the tight cocoon of their self interest and see others, especially those in need, as an extension of themselves. He says "The hands that help are holier than the lips that pray". He also reminds us all the time to "Help Ever, Hurt Never" and "Love All, Serve All." If promoting such broadmindedness and civic-consciousness is wrong, I wonder then what is right?

The other main issue that your show highlighted was alleged abuse. I am sure that an intelligent journalist like you will agree that if there was any iota of truth in any of the allegations, someone somewhere would have filed a lawsuit and produced evidence supporting it in the world. Faceless, fictitious and nameless individuals who are using the internet as their platform to make allegations are disgruntled and unhappy people. All the websites have their source in just two individuals – an Australian professor connected with an anti-Semitic institute and his other friend who used who runs a fundamentalist group for a major faith group with strong monetary muscle.

Historically, whenever a prophet or a divine being guides humanity on the right path, there are those who find it so hard to accept that they are not the sole proprietors of the Truth that they vilify Him. Such was the fate of Lord Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and others. Sri Sathya Sai Baba, being a personification of Truth and Love is no exception. In some way or the other, those opposed to the message of Truth try to character assassinate or simply crucify the messengers. Such is their level of opposition to the Truth. They just can't handle it with their closed hearts and minds.

Baba's message of universal love and the Brotherhood of Humanity and the Fatherhood of God is a unifying message. There are some groups, might I add powerful and moneyed, that prey on human weaknesses and zealously attempt to divide humanity into different groups and classes. They believe in their way or the highway. They suffer from what may be described as a superiority complex in the spiritual sense. Such groups feel threatened by this little brown person, who sitting in a remote corner of Southern India is having such a liberating and uniting effect on millions world-wide. People who failed to find answers in their traditional faiths are finding that with Baba's guidance and in light of His teachings, they are developing a keener and deeper understanding of their own faith. They are able to rise above the literal translation of their scriptures and experience the cosmic understanding. They begin to experience the oneness of mankind. This threatens the powers that operate on the premise that some humans are created more equal than others and have special passes to win the grace and love of God. These powers insist on only specific routes to liberation. Baba says there are as many paths to divinity as there are human hearts. He insists everyone has equal chances of realizing their innate divinity if they practice the five human values of Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love and Non-violence. He says He is here not to start a new faith, but only to urge a Christian to be a true Christian, a Moslem to be true to his faith in Islam and a Buddhist to be true to the teachings of Buddha and so on. At the level of ethics, Baba points out that all faiths simply tell us to be good human beings - loving, kind, forgiving and compassionate. So look past the superficial name tags and recognize the oneness of the life force that runs through all diversity. This powerful and piercing insight that He provides freely to all is what is threatening many who fear losing their congregations to this Messiah of the New Age.

Normally, I would not even bother to write to the media, because I know the game as well as anyone else. What drives such stories is the bottom line not always a desire to get to the bottom of the story. However, since I noticed some effort on your part to include the viewpoint of those of us who revere him, I took the time to express myself.

In the spirit of fair journalism, I urge you to visit Prashanthi Nilayam and enquire first hand what draws millions to Baba and seek to understand the vision of his mission with an open mind. Trust me, no one will attempt to convert you to any "ism" there. It never happens.

If you ever need any other information, feel free to contact us. We are real people, with real experiences with Baba, over 4 generations covering my grand-parents, parents, our family, including our children.

As a former student of Sri Sathya Sai Baba's University, I was blessed to study in Anantapur, India for 6 years (1980-86). More recently, my daughter studied in Baba's elementary school in Puttaparthi for 5 years (1996-2001). In my immediate family, eight of us studied in various Sai educational institutes in Puttaparthi and nearby Anantapur. Over our combined 36 years of stay near Baba, what we have experienced is nothing but pure and divine love, unsullied by anything associated with worldly love. Very weakly, it can be described as the love of a thousand parents that we received from Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Each of us can vouch with utmost confidence and conviction that Sri Sathya Sai Baba is a sacred master, who is an incarnation of purity and divine love. I am sure you will agree that for my siblings and I (former Sai students), to allow our young children to study in his elementary school, we must have a strong sense of confidence in the pure and safe environment of the holy land of Puttaparthi.

Do I need to defend him? No! The sun does not need for anyone to announce its rise every morning. The midday sun fills us with its golden light and warmth, yet someone who does not possess the capacity to experience it can deny the very existence of the planet. Only a clean piece of iron attracts a magnet. One that is covered with rust and dirt is not drawn to it. So too only a pure and spiritually ripe individual can experience Baba's divinity. Not everyone is that fortunate.

I wish the media would not slant everything into a sensational controversy and occasionally use this powerful tool to highlight something inspiring, sublime and reassuring such as selflessness and altruism. Thank you for your time. If you have a question or a concern in this connection, feel free to call me, 24/7. I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,
Karuna Sarup-Munshi
03 Golden Tulip Crescent
Markham, Ontario, Canada - L6C 1W4
Tel: (905) 887 2430
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Also read: Karuna's letter to Swami Agnivesh