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Anonymous
| | Posted on Saturday, March 16, 2002 - 1:49 pm: | 
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Sai Baba could be put on UK blacklist
Vijay Dutt
(London, August 27)
Followers of the Sai Baba may think him divine. However, the British Foreign Office is reportedly taking a less kind view of the Andhra holy man.
According to a report in The Times, the Foreign Office is believed to be studying Sai Baba's "activities and considering issuing an unprecedented warning against the guru to travellers".
+++The Times claims "three Britons have apparently taken their lives after placing hope in India's most popular holy man". It alleges the three men "died mysteriously" after becoming the Sai Baba's followers. The report said one Briton had complained of sexual assaults by the guru at his ashram in Puttaparthi near Bangalore.
One of the three was Michael Pender, an HIV-positive student who was found dead at a hostel for the homeless in north London after taking alcohol and painkillers. Reportedly, he had earlier tried to commit suicide at the ashram.
Another one was Aran Edwards, a classical guitarist and a post-graduate theology student, who hanged himself at home in Cardiff after joining a Sai Baba support group.
The third person, Andrew Richardson, 33, allegedly jumped off a building shortly after visiting the ashram.
+++
http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/280801/detfro06.asp |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 5:04 am: |
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Sai Baba Publications get sales tax relief [India]
NEW DELHI: Is the message of Shirdi Sai Baba circulated through priced publications by a trust subject to sales tax? The Supreme Court has resolved a long dispute over the issue holding that such books brought out by religious institutions are not taxable. The judgment may benefit a large number of religious trusts and organisations engaged in spreading the teachings of different sects and beliefs through priced publications.
A Bench comprising Justice Shivaraj V Patil and Justice B P Singh rejected the Maharashtra sales tax commissioner’s appeal which had sought levy of sales tax on the publication by the Sai Publication Fund, a venture set up by some devotees of Sai Baba. The commissioner said the Trust was a ‘‘dealer’’ and its turnover should be taxable.
The Bench however explained that the sale proceeds of the books, pamphlets, photos, stickers and alike literature become part of the trust which can only be utilised for advancement of the religious cause.
Commissioner’s counsel S K Dholakia said profit motive was irrelevant in the case. He said that the activity of the trust in publishing and selling books and other material was ‘‘regular, frequent, of sizable volume and continuous. Hence, the Trust is liable to pay sales tax on the amount realised by the sale of such publications’’.
Trust’s counsel Joseph Vellapally countered his arguments. He said the issue had been settled by the court where it was held that every person is a not a dealer but only those ‘‘who carry on the business by buying or selling goods are regarded as dealers’’.
‘‘The tax can be levied on the sales or purchases of taxable goods by a dealer and not by every person,’’ he said, adding:‘‘The activity of the Trust does not amount to business. The publication of books is ancillary to the main activity of spreading the message of Sai Baba and not to any business as such without profit’’.
--
Apologetics Index on Sai Baba
Rick Ross on Sai Baba |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Friday, April 05, 2002 - 11:49 am: |
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Sai Baba gives up buying a famous mansion house
The Indian new religious movement of Sai Baba has given up their new property in Frederiksværk, Denmark. The mayor and local politicians have created so much opposition to the movement that the Sai Baba people have withdrawn.
The plan was to set up an international school in the old mansion house, but the movement feared that they wouldn't be able to invite famous international scientists, artist, and other guests without the risk that they would be harassed.
"We have realized that we will have to establish ourselves somewhere else. We cannot invite foreign guests to this place and risk that they are met with hostility. There is no bitterness, only a realistic evaluation of what is possible and not possible", says chairman of the board of the school, former CEO of Superfos, and a leading figure in the Sai Baba movement, Jørgen Trygved, to Ritzau.
Accusations of Pedophilia
The Sai Baba movement was highlighted after Danish national TV (DR-dokumentar) in January reported accusations that Sai Baba had sexually abused young boys during so called private interviews in his headquarters in southern India. The accusations are denied by the Danish members of the movement and there are no legal cases against Sai Baba. Nevertheless local politicians in Frederiksværk along with mayor Helge Friis (Socialdemocrat) have worked hard against the movement taking over Arresødal castle.
The Sai Baba movement will now work to establish their school some where else in Europe. Jørgen Trygved does not yet know where, but he is fairly certain it wont be in Denmark.
Compensation
The Sai Baba movement in Denmark will now hold the mayor and city council of Frederiksværk responsible for the economic loses, they may have incurred now that the deal has fallen through.
"It must be fair to hold people, who ruin your project, responsible", says Jørgen Trygved.
The municipality of Frederiksværk was originally interested in buying the castle Arresødal themselves, but the Sai Baba movement scored the deal. The question is now whether the municipality is still interested in the castle and will buy it at the requested price. If not the municipality risk a lawsuit.
04/04/2002 |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Saturday, September 21, 2002 - 8:31 pm: |
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Factnet Bulletinboard for discussions without advertisement
Date: 09-22-02
From: Editors http://www.exbaba.com
Email: ex-baba@hetnet.nl
Factnet Bulletinboard for discussions without advertisement offers a great possibility for serious discussions on the Baba expose, try it!
Ex Baba |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Monday, December 09, 2002 - 3:29 pm: |
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Date: 12-08-02
Document date: 12-07-02
From: Brian Steel
Email: ompukalani@hotmail.com
Website: http://bdsteel.tripod.com/index.html
Copyright © Brian Steel 2002
Sathya Sai Baba is India's most publicised living guru. In addition to over 600 books and articles in English alone, the official websites of his Sathya Sai Organisation, and innumerable unofficial devotee websites have sung his praises as an Omniscient and Omnipotent Avatar, miracle-maker, and public benefactor. In recent years, a growing number of dissenting views and serious allegations (some echoing earlier critical writings which failed to have any appreciable impact on devotees' opinions) have been appearing on the Internet, in the international print media, and in television documentaries. Some of these findings have converted the undoubtedly charismatic guru Sathya Sai Baba into a highly controversial public figure. These new revelations, analyses, allegations, and findings are multiplying.
The following critical websites (together with their LINKS) are cautiously recommended to discerning seekers of counterbalance to the mass of uniformly hagiographical information offered by the Sathya Sai Organisation, devotee Web groups, and books and articles by devotees and naive outsiders.
http://www.exbaba.com
http://www.exbaba.de
http://www.exbaba.it
http://www.saiguru.net [multilingual]
http://www.sathyasaivictims.com
http://www.snowcrest.net/sunrise/links.htm (For "The Findings", by David and Faye Bailey (March-April 2000), see any of the above.)
http://www.indian-skeptic.org/html/index.html [especially the works of B. Premanand]
http://home.no.net/anir/Sai/ [Robert Priddy]
http://db.exbaba.de [A 1992 Investigative Web-book by Dale Beyerstein)
http://www.geocities.com/p_holbach/index.htm OR,
http://www.geocities.com/p_holbach/eng/main_e.htm [Paul Holbach c 1999)
http://bdsteel.tripod.com
--------------
Some of the above sources as well as my own lengthy and intensive research (as a devotee and now as an ex-devotee) have gradually convinced me that there is already a compelling body of evidence to indicate that the following common beliefs and assertions about Sathya Sai Baba, which are fundamental to the persona which he, the SSO, spokespersons, writers, and devotees have projected to the world for several decades, are NOT supported by the facts. (It is also my opinion that such evidence will continue to grow as more and more objective researchers examine the evidence and refuse to be distracted by the smokescreens of obfuscation and denial instinctively thrown up by the SSO and unconditional devotees.)
--------------
The 18 Basic Myths about the guru Sathya Sai Baba are:
1. That he is the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba.
2. That he is a Purna Avatar.
3. That he is Omnipotent.
4. That he is Omniscient.
5. That he is Omnipresent.
6. That his birth followed an Immaculate Conception.
7. That the birth of the claimed trio of Sai Avatars into the family of his ancestors was a boon granted by Siva and Shakti.
8. That his advent was prophesied by Jesus Christ, Muhammad, the Book of Revelations, Nostradamus, inter alia, and announced on 24 November 1926 by Sri Aurobindo.
9. That he will reincarnate again after 2022 as Prema Sai.
10. That he made his two Declarations and began his official Mission in 1940.
(IF he made the Declarations, as is possible, there is documentary evidence to show that it would have been in 1943.)
11. That he was engaged full time on his Mission in the years 1941, 1942 and 1943 (rather than still at school for most of that period).
12. That he resurrected the dead bodies of Radha Krishna and Walter Cowan. (He may have had a healing influence in a near-death experience by these two men).
13. That he is able to speak all languages fluently.
14. That the printed version of his Discourses (which is his principal form of communication with devotees in many languages) is a faithful and close translation of what he actually says in Telugu. (I remind readers that public access to LITERAL translations of his Telugu Discourses has been curtailed since July 2002.)
15. That he always tells the truth.
16. That he never sleeps.
17. That he does not feel or show anger or strong emotion.
18. That he is fully cognizant of the activities and functioning of the Sathya Sai Organisation.
--------------
Does all this matter? Only if you are interested in the truth.
Note:
I welcome correspondence from people who have taken the trouble to examine the extensive body of evidence referred to at the beginning of this statement and who wish to point out factual errors in the sections of the counter-evidence for which I am responsible. |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Monday, December 09, 2002 - 3:33 pm: |
|
From: Pittard, Barry
Sent: Sunday, December 08, 2002 2:01 AM
Subject: Letter of Regret to the New York Times
Dear Senior Executives, New York Times
Please also copy to Keith Bradsher; and Barry Bearak, NYT Asia Bureau Chief
In addition to other materials relating to Sathya Sai Baba, who your journalist Keith Bradsher totally and uncritically lauded in his article NYT, December 1, I copy below the Australian scholar Brian Steel's posting today, Sunday December 8, entitled "18 Basic Myths About Sathya Sai Baba." To you and your research staff, I commend the various resources he refers to by URL, as well as to Mr Steel's points.
Formerly, for two years, I lectured in English at Sathya Sai Baba's college, Whitefield, via Bangalore, Karnataka, south India, and am now an international coordinator in the effort to demonstrate the unsalutory facts about Sathya Sai Baba. I am happy to assist in arranging, on an understandably confidential basis, contact between NYT and those victims or their families prepared to share their experiences once assured of a sensitive, professional hearing. I would also have you speak with a number of highly qualified sexual abuse professionals who have close knowledge of the cases.
I wish you to contact me, so that we can find the best way forward. As I see it, NYT has simply let in a story (even though one by an award winning journalist of the caliber of Keith Bradsher) which you, incomprehensibly, did not cross-check.
This does great injustice to the many victims, and their families and supporters worldwide, of Sathya Sai Baba's serial sexual molestation of boys and young men. It does not consider substantive allegations of other grand crimes, such as complicity in a series of police killings in 1993 at Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, south India, where Sathya Sai Baba has his main ashram, the most famous in India.
Whether you will admit error or not, I do expect the New York Times to take every decent step to listen to the dissenting voices. These include not only the victims but many, from various countries including the US, who formerly held key roles in the Sathya Sai Organisation, and who, after extensive, first hand investigation of the allegations, resigned from Sathya Sai Baba's organisation on a matter of high ethical and moral principle.
If, for one moment, you had done a search on Sathya Sai Baba's name, you would have discovered that UNESCO had serious concerns about both the sexual abuse allegations and unsatisfactory dealings with UNESCO by Sathya Sai Baba conference organisers, of which UNESCO was to be a part, and withdrew, on principal, along with Flinders University, Australia: http://www.saiguru.net/english/sai_org/unescoconf.htm
You would have found that the US State Department posted an official warning for American tourists visiting Andhra Pradesh in South India, pointing to Sathya Sai Baba in all but his name: http://travel.state.gov/india.html
You would have found concern expressed in the British Parliament for the prospect young people who may visit Sai Baba. Note Prime Minister Tony Blair's reassurance to Member of Parliament Tony Colman) http://www.saiguru.net/english/news/ukwarns.htm
You would have seen the three articles by Dominic Kennedy and team in the London Times:
http://www.saiguru.net/english/media/010827sexguru.htm
http://www.saiguru.net/english/media/010827soughtpeace.htm
http://www.saiguru.net/english/media/010827threedie.htm
You would have found articles by the Vancouver Sun, http://www.saiguru.net/english/media/010227vancouver.htm ,
by the Ottawa Citizen http://www.saiguru.net/english/media/011219ottawa.htm ,
a cover story of several pages by India Today, India http://www.saiguru.net/english/media/001204india.htm ,
a Daily Telegraph story (UK): http://www.saiguru.net/english/media/0001028divine.htm
You would have seen that, like Mick Brown of the Daily Telegraph, Michelle Goldberg of Salon.com travelled vast distances to research the story, he to the US, she to India. http://www.salon.com/people/feature/2001/07/25/baba/index.htm
Not to mention a great deal of other testimony. You would also have found the JuST (Just Seekers After Truth) Petition, in which so many former devotees, whose integrity was never, all down the years, assailed by Sai Baba devotees, until we voiced sincere dissent and compassionate concern at the plethora of allegations from boys and young men, as well as other tragic anomalies: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/saibaba/petition.html
Quite likely, Keith Bradsher and the New York Times had no prior knowledge of the also laudatory article on Sathya Sai Baba that appeared in the International Herald Tribune on December 3. So hard upon! Yet it seems clear to me that both newspapers have been made the plaything of Sathya Sai Baba's Puttaparthi propaganda machine, which is swinging into action to control the damage from the countless resignations from the Sathya Sai Organisation, and the exposure efforts of dedicated former devotees on many websites, and in major world media, such as the Times of London, Daily Telegraph, and radio and tv broadcasters such as the British Broadcasting Corporation: http://www.sathyasaivictims.com/news_BBC_transcript.htm ,
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Danish Broadcasting Company:
http://www.saiguru.net/english/media/013002seduced.htm
and TV Azul, Argentina:
http://www.saiguru.net/english/news/010819azultv.htm
The dissenting former followers of Sathya Sai Baba come from a great many social, cultural, and educational backgrounds. Some have been Sai Baba's close followers for up to thirty years (in my own case twenty-five). Any of our wider communities can vouchsafe for our responsible citizenship.
The action of the New York Times would obscure integrity itself by an extraordinary failure to check the bona fides of India's most controversial religious figure, who has himself publicly slandered his dissenters, saying that they are "Judases," are being bribed to speak out against him, are "cawing crows," and so on. It does not edify that the Indian Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee (along with other high profile Indian devotees) who publicly worships Sathya Sai Baba, calling him Bhagavan (God) echoes the same sentiments.
Days have now gone by since the Bradsher article, and our fast response to it in sending you considerable documentation from countries around the world. Already, many former Sathya Sai Baba followers are writing to me, saying, e.g., "the NYT remains silent." There is sadness and sometimes cynicism at this.
I and increasingly many others have done our best to alert you. Yet you have not responded. I now ask you to reply to this email, as well as to act in a publicly responsible manner.
Faithfully, Barry Pittard, Australia |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Saturday, March 22, 2003 - 3:04 am: |
|
Pittard has hoist himself on his own petard.
Over at the dutch website he penned hero worship of one Sai Expose agitator:
I think that you are fortunate to have contact with a person of such great dharma, love and compassion as Glen Meloy.
A little birdie whispered to me that your wonderful Glen Meloy was told to leave the Sai Baba Organisation.
For seduction, no less, of male devotees. Something that caused considerable scandal.
wakey, wakey, are you awake? |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Friday, April 25, 2003 - 11:09 pm: |
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My family went over the moon for Sai Baba. They bought into all the stories. I think it sad that folks are seeking a quick fix to a sometimes lonely and difficult world we live in. I also think it unforgiveable that people suck others in to build their own self worth. My family has since moved onto to another "god" and is still not thinking independantly.
We were born with a brain to use folks - let's exercise the GREY MATTER; shall we? |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 1:43 am: |
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Hi there, just thought I'd let you all know incase anyone is interested that there are 10+ Sai Baba books available for sale really cheap on ebay at the moment. The item number is 3545351621 and the seller is prepared to ship anywhere in the world. The are in Australia. |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 4:28 pm: |
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I thought the name of this site was "Factnet".
Here's some actual facts to ponder.
The Bombshell Truth About Tal Brooke and His Connection to the U.S. Information Agency and CIA
by Lisa De Witt
Copyright2003LDeWitt
Tal Brooke was the first person to make accusations against the famous holy man, Sathya Sai Baba in his book, "Lord of the Air." In its first of several incarnations, "Lord of the Air," was published under his legal name, Robert Taliaferro Brooke, by Lion Publishing in 1976. The 1990 edition, retitled, "Avatar of Night," was published by Harvest House Publishers. Just two years earlier, in 1988, former CIA Director and then U.S. Vice President, George H. W. Bush chose Harvest House Publishers to print and market his autobiography, "Man of Integrity." There is a photo of Bush Sr. with the Harvest House owner, Bob Hawkins, Sr. on the company website.
In another twist, Tal Brooke admits to taking LSD and being involved with a group called the Neo-American Church. The Neo-American Church was a pro-LSD organization founded by Arthur Kleps, a follower of LSD guru Timothy Leary. Kleps was alleged to be anti-semitic, first by the Dutch police who expulsed him from the Netherlands and later a church associate who was so disturbed by Klep's fascist ideology he separated his Colorado-based Neo-American Church from Kleps. This should probably come as no surprise given the name of Klep's organization.
Tal Brooke writes very little about his family in "Avatar of Night," other than to say his father was an American diplomat in London and an athiest. In a later interview with Dan Wooding on Brooke's Spiritual Counterfeit's website he revises his father's belief system to agnostic.
In his mother's obituary on the savannahnow.com website, Tal Brooke's father's name is listed as Edgar Duffield Brooke. According to a National Security Files memorandum from the Kennedy Library, Edgar D. Brooke was appointed Director of Media Content for the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) by Edward R. Murrow in 1961. This bombshell evidence, which Tal Brooke has failed to reveal, shows Brooke's father was in charge of the worldwide distribution of propaganda during one of the U.S.'s most racist periods in history. Famous civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. would be assassinated in 1968 and in 1971 it would be revealed there was a COINTEL program to discredit blacks and other worldwide organizations considered to be a threat to the U.S. agenda.
This information regarding Brooke's father opens the question as to Tal Brooke's true purpose in going to India in the late sixties. When Tal Brooke left India after two years, he alleges he had just cancelled the publication of his pro-Sai Baba book and feared retaliation. Brooke opines in his book,"What the enemy might do I had long ago anticipated, was trump up a civil offense charge against me that would be enough to incarcerate me for years."
In a conversation with an inspector, Brooke further opines, "Listen to me. I came here on a diplomatic passport. Do you think I came here to do anything other than my intended mission of inquiry?"
Since a person with a diplomatic passport has diplomatic immunity, Brooke's fear doesn't make sense. The only way Brooke could most likely lose his diplomatic immunity is if he had been found to be a spy. So the question is, why was Brooke travelling under a diplomatic passport and why was Brooke so afraid of being held even though he had a diplomatic passport? What was his intended mission of inquiry? Was he a spy?
This would certainly explain why Prime Minister Vajpayee and two former Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of India have signed a public statement declaring the allegations against Sathya Sai Baba to be concocted and malicious.
References:
Harvest House Publishers:
http://harvesthousepublishers.com/timeline.cfm
Neo-American Church:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0960038817/inktomi-bkasin-20/102-1538401-6132932
http://www.boulder.net/~mondo/neoamerican.html
Dan Wooding Interviews Tal Brooke:
http://www.scp-inc.org/publications/newsletters/N2403/
National Security Files Memorandum:
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/kennedyjf/xxv/6010.htm
121. Memorandum From the Director of the U.S. Information Agency (Murrow) to U.S. Information Agency Staff/1/ Washington, April 22, 1961. /1/Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Departments and Agencies Series, USIA, Box 290. No classification marking. Two copies of this memorandum were provided to McGeorge Bundy under cover of a memorandum from Frederic Bundy of USIA, April 27. (Ibid.) If USIA is to have maximum effectiveness as the psychological instrument of U.S. foreign policy, our media output must be more responsive to policy direction and emphasis, and faster and more flexible than heretofore. This requires the closest coordination of all media efforts. I have asked IOP to undertake this responsibility and have appointed Mr. Edgar
D. Brooke, a senior Career Foreign Service Officer, as Director of Media Content. He reports directly to the Deputy Director of Policy and Plans. Specifically, our purposes are:
1. To define the themes which media should convey and the subjects they should cover in their world-wide output, and to establish priorities among them.
2. To synthesize Area requirements for media output to best meet overall field needs.
3. To organize detailed programming of media efforts on behalf of priority themes to assure desired emphasis and appropriate division of responsibility.
4. To assure policy control of media output through continuing review. Procedures:
1. Themes and Subjects
a. IOP, in consultation with the Areas, shall develop a definitive list of themes to be conveyed and subjects to be covered in world-wide output, and shall recommend to the Director which themes and subjects should be given priority.
b. IOP, working with the Areas and IRI, shall keep abreast of U.S. policy developments, field needs, and attitudes of key audiences, and shall revise the Agency's themes, subjects and priorities accordingly.
c. IOP shall provide the media with these approved lists of priority themes and subjects, and policy guidance on their handling.
2. Planning and Programming
a. The media shall periodically provide IOP with their plans for production and acquisition of major items for world-wide use. ("Major items" shall be defined by IOP in consultation with the media.) IOP shall continuously review these plans to assure conformity with current national policy and Agency priorities.
b. IOP shall organize joint planning by the media to assure that world-wide output supports priority themes and that there is appropriate division of responsibility among the media for each theme.
3. Policy Control
a. In production of major items, the media shall provide drafts, scripts, or rough-cuts to IOP for policy review in time to permit changes if necessary.
b. IOP shall spot-check other output to assure conformity with policy.
4. Applicability
a. These procedures shall apply primarily to media output intended for more than one Area. Present procedures for servicing individual posts and for guidance covering output for a single geographic area are not altered by this memorandum. b. The present fast news guidance procedures are not altered by this memorandum.
There is no intention to interpose a barrier between media chiefs and my deputies and myself. Rather, we seek to insure that all media are used with maximum effectiveness and that they are consistently and immediately responsive to policy decisions by the Government and program decisions of this Agency.
In this effort I ask your unstinting cooperation. Edward R. Murrow |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Saturday, December 06, 2003 - 12:57 am: |
|
Anatomy of an Allegation: The Strange Case of Keith Ord
by Lisa De Witt
©2003LDeWitt
If one is to believe Keith Ord's story, then one has to believe that Sai Baba had sexual contact in 1989 with an HIV* positive patient at least ten times and exchanged bodily fluids through oral sex. The funny thing is, Keith Ord doesn't mention the HIV in his written testimony. Why? Wouldn't it be important for people to know Sai Baba might be HIV positive if, in fact, he had contacted HIV through sexual relations?
Keith Ord goes on in his testimony to tell that after his friend Michael Pender confided that Sai Baba "only wanted sex," Mr. Ord travels to India after Pender's funeral to find out what happened. According to Ord, Sai Baba also makes sexual advances toward him but Ord fails to register any alarm knowing Baba has had sexual relations with his HIV positive friend.
If one believes Ord's story then one has to believe that ANY person Sai Baba had sexual contact with after the 1989 encounter with Michael Pender is at risk of having HIV. In fact, one wonders why Sai Baba is even still alive after fourteen years, especially if he is the fraud some believe him to be.
And where are all those HIV positive molestation victims?
*The odds of acquiring HIV through a sexual encounter are one in five.
References:
Keith Ord's Written Testimony of Events Around Sai Baba: http://users.snowcrest.net/sunrise/keithord.htm
I Sought Peace and Couldn't Find it:
http://www.saiguru.net/english/media/010827soughtpeace.htm
Paracetamol in Overdose:
http://www.pharmweb.net/pwmirror/pwy/paracetamol/pharmwebpic9.html |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 9:49 pm: |
|
The Bombshell Truth About Tal Brooke and His Connection to the U.S. Information Agency and CIA-Part II
Counterintelligence
Propaganda Inc.: Behind the curtain at the U.S.I.A.
http://www.guerrillanews.com/counter_intel/propaganda_inc/snow_trans.html
Propaganda Inc.- Part I
Excerpts from article:
Right, well, I didn't really know about the history of public diplomacy and I should explain that public diplomacy is a euphemism for propaganda. In the United States, we don't think of ourselves as a country that propagandizes, even though to the rest of the world we are seen as really the most propagandistic nation in terms of our advertising, in terms of our global reach, our public relations industry
- we have more public relations professionals and consultants in the United States than we do news reporters. So there's an entire history of advertising, promoting, and getting across the message of America both within and also outside of the United States. Now, when I was a Fulbright student, I was in my early twenties and I didn't know anything about the Fulbright program. I certainly hadn't heard of the U.S. Information Agency and there's a reason for not having heard of U.S.I.A. and that is because, as a propaganda agency, it's prohibited from distributing its materials to a U.S. audience. So even though the Fulbright program was an educational program within the agency, it was attached to a private subsidiary known as the Institute for International Education (I.I.E.). So when I applied, I was actually applying to I.I.E. which is located in New York City. It wasn't until I went overseas as a Fulbright student that I began hearing questions about 'well, who are you, who's sponsoring you?' And that got me very interested in thinking about sponsorship because when someone asks you about sponsorship, they're really getting at the root and the origins of who that person is or what a program is. And I began to think about 'well, what is the Fulbright program?' And I started reading about its history.
**************************************
OK - let me back track a bit and ask you what is the United States Information Agency? And would people be surprised that it even exists and that taxpayers contribute approximately $1 billion to its annual budget?
The U.S. information Agency originated in the 1950's. It was actually an independent agency that was established from the U.S. State Department. It's somewhat of an offspring to several entities: the Office of War Information (O.W.I.) and the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.), which was responsible for so-called black propaganda, that official government propaganda activity which, if the source is publicly revealed, could threaten U.S. national security. There were people in place and an understanding of propaganda that grew from the Creel Committee and the Institute for Propaganda Analysis. There was enough documentation, enough successes, and associates within those programs that the Eisenhower administration saw the need to establish a formal agency on the heels of WWII and it was called the U.S. Information Agency. This was at the beginning of an economic boom period in the United States, at the beginning of our establishing our global military presence. There was an acknowledgement that the U.S. really needed to get its official point of view out there. Now, the U.S. government said that it was in direct response to the Soviet Union and their ability to market the Communist message worldwide, but I think as a government, our government was already quite aware of how good it was at promoting the U.S. government position overseas. So the U.S.I.A. has a 50-year history.
In 1999, in this age of convergence and concentration, when the U.S. government was talking about downsizing, the U.S.I.A. was folded into the U.S. State Department. But did the U.S.I.A. go away? No, it almost went more undercover. We hear less about it now, we hear a little of that Voice of America (VoA), but it requires us as citizen activists to pay closer attention, to look for those networks and footprints of U.S.I.A. that are now within the U.S. State Department. There is a new committee, the International Public Information (I.P.I.) Committee, which sounds a lot like the CPI, Creel's Committee. It's been around for the last two years since the U.S.I.A. was folded into the State Department. It was formed by executive order under the Clinton administration, which was formed in response to U.S. image problems during military actions in Kosovo and Haiti. I'm sure it's been strengthened under the Bush administration to coordinate public diplomacy across all government agencies, including the National Security Council, State Department, Treasury, including the Commerce Department. So it's really a way of making sure that the U.S. government is on message with its propaganda program. If anything it's being strengthened in the post-911 era. It will be further strengthened because it's very clear that the U.S. officially is not ready to shift a paradigm away from action and begin listening to the other paradigm which I am suggesting… which is to listen more and learn more about what other country's impressions are of United States. So I think that I.P.I. will be strengthened and we will see even further propaganda and psyops programs in development.
Propaganda Inc.- Part II
Excerpt from article:
Another point I would make is that when it comes to propaganda… I know that at the U.S. Information Agency, the propaganda programs we had in place were targeting the top level, the upper echelon of our target country. So when I was working in my role as a propagandist, it was to reach out to the top 10 — 20 % of the target population. Now why would you do that? Because, generally speaking, the better educated, those who are in academia, media and business, they are the ones you want to reach because they are the elites of countries. And many of the developing, so-called Third World countries, these are the countries that, throughout the Cold War ear and now in the post-Cold War, if you want to call it, hyper-Capitalist era, these were the people we wanted to influence when I was working for the U.S. government. To get them to open up their countries to U.S. marketing, U.S. business interests overseas. So, what the masses thought was irrelevant. The masses, for the most part, are distracted by sports and entertainment which, again, have their own propaganda function. But these are not really the targeted individuals of official propaganda — that being, official government programs. |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 07, 2004 - 4:37 pm: |
|
Letter From Prime Minister Vajpayee
http://www.srisathyasai.org.uk/homepage/default.htm
click on Whats New (left) and then on News Flash.
SRI SATHYA SAI BABA
LIVING LEGEND
AN EMBODIMENT OF LOVE FOR ALL MANKIND
We are deeply pained and anguished by the wild,
reckless and concocted allegations made by certain
vested interests and people against Bhagawan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba. We would normally expect that
responsible media would ascertain the true facts
before printing such calumny - especially when the
person is revered globally as an embodiment of love and selfless service to humanity. Since this
professional ethic has not been observed by a section of the media, we have elected to go public with this signed statement.
We are among several million people in the world who regard Sri Sathya Baba as a great spiritual master and teacher. We come from different nationalities and religions and greatly admire the fact that Sathya Sai Baba asks us to become a true follower of our chosen path. His is a message of truth, right conduct, love, peace and non-violence. He always emphasizes that
these universal human values belong to all faiths and religious traditions.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba leads by example. he devotes all his time and energy for the well being of society. People from all walks of life and from all parts of world visit him in Prasanthi Nilayam (Andhra Pradesh, India). He meets them and showers his love and blessings on all those who seek him. He has been the sole inspiration behind some of the most monumental public service projects in recent times. He has set up schools, colleges and universities where finest qualify man-making education is imparted to all at no cost. His educational program of universal human
values is being used by thousands of educational
institutions all over the world. He has set up
hospitals where complex surgical interventions are
performed everyday without any cost to the patients. He has set up a mammoth clean drinking water network in drought-prone areas. Indeed the list of activities and projects inspired by him continues to grow with new projects being undertaken in all parts of the world.
We have had the privilege of meeting Sri Sathya Sai Baba many times and seeing him engage ceaselessly in community service projects. We unequivocally condemn the baseless and malicious allegations being hurled upon Sathya Sai Baba in certain quarters. Great men have often faced slander in their lives. Such pitiful efforts neither diminish their glory nor slow down their resolve to achieve their mission. May God give
good sense to all who create these scurrilous stories and wisdom to all others not to pay any heed to them.
A.B. VAJPAYEE
Prime Minister of India
P.N. Bhagawati
Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India
Ranganath Mishra
Chair Person, National Human Rights Commissioner of India
Formerly Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of
India |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 07, 2004 - 4:56 pm: |
|
Said Khorramshagol's (also spelled Khorramshahgol) Changing Statements Regarding His Ring
In Said Khorramshagol's first testimony regarding his ring (dated May 27, 1997), he claims his stones had already fallen out and turned "black." Yet, in his second testimonial (dated Sept. 2, 1997), Said claims he took the ring to a jeweler in June 1997, upon the recommendation of friends, to have the stones "tightened." There is absolutely no mention of stones needing to be replaced. The jeweler is amazed that the stones do not have the usual claws holding them in and there is also NO mention of the stones being black as Said claims in his first testimonial. In fact, he even admits Baba can do "some" miracles.
Said Khorramshagol's testimonials seem to change
monthly.
http://home.hetnet.nl/~ex_baba/engels/articles/p_holbach/eng/said_e.htm
From shagols@itdc.koreanair.com Tue May 27 09:45:33
1997 Excerpt from article: "Baba had materialized a
gold ring with three stones which he told me were
diamonds. The ring did not fit the finger on which
Baba had placed it but I left it there regardless, as
that was the finger Baba had chosen to put it on. Here
I would like to mention that of the four rings which
Baba has "materialized" for my family and myself, none
of them fit correctly. In all the books regarding the
"miracles" of Sai Baba, you will read that ALL such
rings fit the person perfectly. I have never read a
book were it was told that almost all rings fit
perfectly. And also, later I found out that the stones
were not diamonds. The stones after a while got black
and two of the three fell out. I took this to mean
that Baba is angry at me for not being good, for not
practicing his teachings as well as I COULD, for
trying and not doing.
http://members.tripod.com/~dlane5/saisep1.html From
shagols@itdc.koreanair.com Tue Sep 2 10:19:37 1997
Excerpt from article: "In the first line of the
message Jed sent me, he challenges me to check out my
ring and see if they are diamonds or not. I bet you
won't like the answer ! But here it is. Happening 13
June 1997 My watch has been stopping overnight, when
off my wrist. And while visiting Melbourne members of
the group who went to India with me in April,
witnesses to my receiving the ring from Sai Baba, it
was suggested from a few sources - take my ring to a
jeweller and have the "diamonds" from Swami's ring set
more permanently, as they can come out. Friday (13
June), I dropped into a local jeweller (Bondi Junction
- Sydney) to get my watch repaired. He didn't do them
but suggested another jeweller across the arcade - he
only handled gems, rings etc. So, remembering the
ring, I asked him - can you make these diamonds more
secure ? The jeweller took the ring (first person to
really touch my ring, while not on my finger, except
for one of the girls in Melbourne the previous week)
and to my shock, started to examine it with one of
those magnifying glasses. The man looked at me puzzled
and asked where I got the ring. I just said it was
given to me - not precious but very special -
sentimental value. He then said - "the setting is very
odd - nothing seems to be holding the stones in place
- no usual claws, clamps or glue." Looking at it again
- he then said, "the stones are cut as they used to be
done ages ago - is it an old ring ?" I stood
dumbfounded and he smiled and said - "its not new is
it ?" As if to suggest, I knew it was very old and not
admitting it. To me, it was brand new! Looking at it
again, he said - "you said, diamonds. They aren't
diamonds. But they're not syconia either, I've never
seen stones like these. I don't know what they are.
The cut and setting is just like in ancient times." He
then prompted me where and how I got it, but I didn't
want to go into the whole story of Sri Sathya Sai Baba
in the middle of a jewellery store - I just gave him a
silly grin. He then asked me if I would leave the ring
with him - "as I would love to take it to the Master
Jeweller in the city for examination, as I am sure it is something special and he would want to see it." I thanked him and took the ring back, then went to the other jeweller across the way, to have my watch repaired. Maybe Jed would like to add this at the bottom of his "challenge" to me, to have the ring examined ??)) Fine, Baba can do some miracles, but that doesn't mean that he is God." |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 07, 2004 - 5:35 pm: |
|
Conny Larsson's Statements Don't Add Up
Regarding a statement by Larsson concerning a letter to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi from Hislop. It turns out that Hislop had left the Transcendental Meditation movement at least five years prior to the time Larsson claims to have received the 'resignation' letter from Hislop. This is therefore a very very suspicious statement.
How can Larsson have received a resignation letter from Hislop in 1973 when documentation clearly shows Hislop left Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on or before 1968?
http://www.saibooks.org/newsletters/1997/oct97.htm
NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 1997 Volume 3 No. 4
MY BABA AND I by John S. Hislop - Review by Marianne
Excerpt from review:
He and his wife explored Yoga, then embraced the Transcendental Meditation
of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Leaving that for Buddhist meditation they finally found Swami in 1968 and their search was at an end.
**************************************
Bon Giovanni's statement:
Later he met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India, and became His central officer
in America, preparing the way for His journey west. One night in Catalina in the midst of a TM induced state of bliss, Jack intuited there was more to transcendence and to bliss than TM developed. On the spot he called on Maharishi, who was next door to him, and quit. He literally packed his bags and moved on. Soon thereafter Jack heard of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and made plans to go and meet him. That meeting is detailed in Jack's book, `My Baba and I.´Hislop has been close to Swami ever since.
*************************************
This is what Larsson wrote:
I was [T.M. founder] Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's secretary during the year
1973. I did not know about Dr. Hislop then. One day that year, a letter came to Maharishi from this Dr. Hislop saying that he could not stay in the TM-movement because now he had met God in the form of the Avatar of Sai, and Hislop thereupon left the Maharishi and the TM movement. Maharishi, who had
invested much in Dr. Hislop, appointing him as his first teacher in the western world and even having him become secretary for a while, felt bad. He asked me to write Hislop a letter telling him about the beautiful things that were going on within the TM movement and that Dr. Hislop had his natural place in this. He also asked Hislop not to follow this new master because he was
Not the avatar at all. Hislop was told he was now following a dark path.
I myself wrote the letter and was very surprised by Maharishi¹s prompt answer to Dr. Hislop but couldn't do anything else than write what I was told by
my master Maharishi. I had never before heard anything about this Sai Baba
so I thought he was never anything else than a common Indian Guru fooling his devotees and I forgot about everything after sending the letter. Dr. Hislop was never heard of anymore and I forgot about him, too.
**********************************************
Also note that Conny Larsson became a Sai Baba devotee in 1978, five years after he claims he received the resignation letter from Hislop.
Another indication Larsson may not be telling the truth is that he claims he began to interview boys as far back as 1986 who say they were 'molested,' yet his pro-Sai Baba talk and subsequent article, "God's Little Clown," was published in the late 90's with further plans for a movie. Why would a person who 'knew' molestations were taking place in the late 80's continue for ten years like this if he himself had also truly been 'molested' by Sai Baba while in his twenties? |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Friday, March 05, 2004 - 12:18 pm: |
|
TRUTH WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH
From: Radio Sai Listener's Journal
Volume II - Issue 5, 1st March 2004
http://www.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_02/05March01/03_Spiritual_Blossoms/02_Reflection/reflection.htm
From time to time, many listeners and readers write to us and say: “There is so much negative propaganda about Swami. Why don’t you use the Radio, H2H etc., to rebut this nonsense?” The latest occasion for such remarks happens to be a TV program that has apparently been aired in Australia, which, not unexpectedly, made many devotees there extremely agitated, to say the least. I would now like to break our silence and comment on why we refuse to waste our time on pointless rebuttals.
Perhaps you would understand our attitude better if I were to start by telling you that our attitude to such matters is always conditioned by what Swami has said and continues to say. To give you a better idea of what I mean, let me take you way back to the year 1947. I wonder how many of the present devotees were born then. In that year, Swami wrote a letter, to be precise on 25th May. That letter is a landmark and we reproduce it below, but before presenting the letter, I must give you some background.
You will recall that it was in 1940 that Swami truly revealed Himself. Till then, He was just Sathya Narayana Raju, son of Pedda Venkama Raju and Easwaramma and the grandson of Kondama Raju. But on 20th October, 1940, the world realised that Raju was none other than the reincarnation of Shirdi Baba, and thereafter, He came to be known as Sri Sathya Sai Baba. As many would know, this happened in the small town of Uravakonda. Shortly after that Swami returned to Puttaparthi to make it His permanent home. In those days, He stayed in a tin shed, now known as Paatha Mandiram. The Mandiram still exists, though in a different form.
You may be surprised and even shocked to know that in those days, there was no direct road to Puttaparthi, as there is now. One had to first come to Bukkapatnam, and from there travel by bullock cart to Karnataka Nagepalli, a small village on the eastern side of Chitravathi. Thereafter, one had to cross the river on foot before reaching Puttaparthi. Altogether, it was an arduous trip but believe it or not, many came in spite of the hassle involved. How come? Well, that is what Divine Magnetism is all about! By the way, though a road of sorts came into existence a few years later, as late as 1968, Puttaparthi continued to remain quite backward. In fact Hollywood Director Schulman who came to Puttaparthi in 1968 wrote: “Puttaparthi is 160 km from Bangalore and ten minutes past the Stone Age!”
Be that as it may, people began to come to Baba in increasing numbers, and that included many Princes and their families. For example, the Maharani of Mysore used to come to have Baba’s Darshan. She was a Maharani but she too had to get down from her car in Karnataka Nagepalli and walk the rest of the distance. But such was the hunger of devotees that they started coming, first from nearby places and soon from much greater distance. That is what Spiritual hunger does to the true seeker, making him or her forget all the problems.
Now in those far-off days, not many accepted Swami as an incarnation and understandably, there was a lot of bad-mouthing as they say. This happened in Bukkapatnam, and indeed even in Puttaparthi itself, as some of you would recall from one of my Musings Talk, in which I described an extra-ordinary incident once reported by the Rajah of Venkatagiri. But I shall not go into all that here. What I want to say is that the Press too started to make unfavourable noises, and that really hurt the elder brother of Swami’s body, namely, Seshama Raju. At that time, Seshama was not yet quite able to appreciate Swami’s true Avataric nature, and in a purely brotherly fashion, wrote a letter of advice, warning “young” Sai Baba of the cunning ways of the world on the one hand, and his various deep concerns on the other. In brief, Seshsma was worried about the impact of the attention that his younger brother was receiving. Would this adoration go to the head of young Sathya? Would He fall a victim to various temptations? Such were the thoughts expressed by Seshama Raju.
On 25th May, 1947, Baba wrote a reply. Though Baba’s letter was intended for Seshama Raju, it was in fact addressed to ‘all who are devoted to Me’. That letter is a powerful declaration of the purpose of the Sai Avatar. In that letter, Baba wrote:
My dear One!
I received all the communication that you sent. I found in it the surging floods of your devotion and affection, with the undercurrents of doubts and anxiety. Let Me tell you that it is impossible to plumb the hearts and discover the nature of Jnanis [Wise men], Yogis, ascetics, saints, sages, and the like. People are endowed with a variety of characteristics and mental attitudes; so, each one judges according to his own angle, talks and argues in the light of his own nature. But we have to stick to our own path, our own wisdom, and our own resolution, without getting affected by popular appraisal. As the proverb says, it is only the fruit-laden tree that receives the shower of stone from the passers by. The good always provoke the bad into calumny; the bad always provoke the good into doing more good; this is the nature of the world. One must be surprised if such things do not happen.
People too have to be pitied rather than condemned. They do not know. They have no patience to judge right. They are too full of lust, anger, and conceit to see clearly and know fully. So, they write all sorts of things. If only they know, they would refrain from writing or talking like that. We should not attach any value to such comments and take them to heart, as you seem to do. Truth will certainly triumph some day. Untruth can never win. Untruth might appear to over-power Truth, but its victory would fade away and Truth would establish itself.
It is not the way of the great to swell when people offer worship and shrink when people cool off. As a matter of fact, no sacred text lays down rules to regulate the lives of the great, prescribing habits and attitudes they must adopt. They themselves know the path they must take. Their wisdom regulates and makes their acts holy. Self-reliance and beneficial activity – these two are their special marks. They may also be engaged in the promotion of the welfare of devotees and in giving them the fruits of their actions. Why should you be affected by doubt and worry, so long as I am adhering to these two? After all, praise and blame do not touch the Atma; they can touch only the outer frame.
I have a Task: To foster all mankind, and ensure for all people lives full of Ananda (Bliss).
I have a Vow: To lead all who stray away from the straight path, again into goodness and save them.
I am attached to a ‘Work’ that I love: To remove the suffering of the poor and grant them what they lack.
I have a ‘reason to be proud’: for, I rescue all who worship and adore Me.
I have a definition of ‘devotion’: I expect that those devoted to Me treat joy and grief, gain and loss, with equal fortitude.
I will never give up those who attach themselves to Me. When I am thus engaged in My beneficial task, how can My Name be ever tarnished, as you apprehend? I would advise you not to heed to such absurd talk. Mahatmas do not acquire greatness through someone calling them so; they do not become small just because some calls them small. Only those low ones who revel in opium but claim to be unexcelled Yogis, only those who quote scriptural texts to justify their gourmandary and pride, only those who are dry-as-dust scholars exulting in their argumentative skill, are moved by praise and blame.
You must have read the life-stories of Saints and Divine personages. In those books, you must have read also of horrible falsehood and heinous imputations cast against them. This is the lot of Mahatmas, everywhere, and at all times. Why then do you take these things so much to heart? Have you not heard of dogs that howl at the stars? How long can they go on? Authenticity will soon win.
I will not give up My Mission nor My determination. I SHALL carry them out. I treat with equanimity, the honour or dishonour that may result. Internally, I am totally unconcerned. I act, but solely in the outer world. If I talk and move about, it is entirely for the sake of the outer world, and for making the people realise the advent of Divinity. Other than this, I have no concern with anything.
I do not belong to any place. I am not attached to any name. I have no ‘Mine’ or ‘Thine’. I respond to whatever name you might use. I go wherever I am needed or called.
For Me, the world is something afar and apart. I act and move only for the sake of Mankind.
No one can comprehend My Glory, whosoever it may be, whatever be the method of enquiry, and no matter how long the attempt.
You will yourself see the full Glory unfolding in the coming years. Devotees must have patience and forbearance.
I am not concerned, nor am I anxious that these facts should be made known. I have no need to write these words. I wrote them because I felt that you would be pained if I do not reply.
Thus, yours, Baba.
Please read the above letter carefully. Note two things: The good will carry on with their work regardless of obstacles, and AUTHENTICITY WILL WIN. Swami gives the analogy of the tree and in fact, He has expanded on this many a time in His Divine Discourses. He says, man throws stones at a tree but comes to the same tree for shelter when the Sun is scorching at mid day. Not only that; in the end, the tree gives its entire self up as wood, to be used by man.
Well, if that be Swami’s Kshama [forbearance], then how can we use the facilities He has given us for spreading His Message, for taking on all and sundry who have no better work than to raise muck? By the way, I was told that in the TV program shown in Australia recently, many of the people who made allegations about Swami had their backs turned to the camera! Imagine that!! These people want to throw mud but do not have the guts to show their face! Do we dignify such people by condescending to “reply” to them?
Perhaps I should also mention this. Once a devotee complained: “Swami, how can we really keep quiet when so much abuse is being hurled at You? Why don’t You understand the pain we feel?” You know what Bhagavan replied? He said: “Bangaru, the man who is flinging abuse is in the gutter. If you want to fight him, you too have to get into the gutter? Do you think Your Mother would like to see Her dear child get into the gutter?”
It is these facts that made us to withhold from impulsive and intemperate responses to irresponsible utterances by foolish people. At the same time, when there is misstatement in high quarters, we do make a quiet effort to set the record straight. Let me give two examples. A couple of years ago, the London Times wrote something nasty about Swami. Now the Times is not only the leading newspaper in Britain but one of the leading newspapers of the world, that is held in high esteem everywhere. Clearly if it writes or publishes something incorrect and inappropriate, we have a duty to place the correct facts before it so that its readers do not get wrong ideas. In fact, this is the right of reply that the Press is supposed to offer. So many of us wrote letters to the Times but believe it or not, the Times simply refused to publish any one of our letters. In fact, Air Chief Marshall [Retd.] Nirmal Suri, an ardent devotee, was in London at that time and he personally went to the office of the Times and tried to talk to them; but they did not even bother to meet him. So much for a decent and free press!
Another event and that really is what I wanted to write about – all the above is just a long preamble so that you would get the background. Some years ago there was a big conference in Prashanti Nilayam on Educare. It was an international meet with delegates from many countries and started off as a joint venture with UNESCO [United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organisation]. I remember the event very well. And do you know what happened on the morning of that conference? The newspapers reported that the UNESCO Office in Delhi had issued a statement withdrawing from the conference because of allegations about the Sai Organisation! The muck-rakers had managed to poison the mind of the powers that be in the UNESCO, and the Head Office in Paris immediately sent a message to its Delhi branch to withdraw and issue a press release.
We were all shocked. How could a responsible body like the UNESCO pull out just like that and that too without bothering to verify? If they wanted they could have pulled out in a polite fashion but the statement issued was far from polite. And that too from Delhi!
In the years that followed, I tried in vain to tell the brass that came regularly from Delhi for Swami’s Darshan, “Listen! You all know how much Swami has done and is continuing to do for the people of India in a thousand different ways. You also know how false and malicious the content of this statement is. Is not Swami respected all over the country? Is not an insult to Swami a slap on the face of the country? India is a member of the UNESCO. Why don’t you officially write and take objection? You have every right to and also the authority to. Can you keep quiet when a UN body is casting aspersions on one of the most respected citizens of the country, one who has and is doing so much for the people?”
My passionate appeal did not work. I was totally disappointed but then God works in His own silent way and according to His own timetable. Recently, an Official of UN Habitat was here for Darshan and he complained how his initiative on Human Values in Water Education programme based on Swami’s Principles, was being thwarted by trouble makers, who were trying to influence the UN Secretary General, quoting the UNESCO Press Release, which was still on the UNESCO website. By the way, the programme that UN Habitat was working on is a sequel to Kanu’s successful project on Human Values in Water education in Africa, based of course on Swami’s teachings.
I had a long talk with this Official of UN Habitat, and he subsequently went to Delhi where he managed to meet the Foreign Minister directly. By the way, the Foreign Minister is a devotee and has come here many times. In addition to this, I personally had a long meeting with a top diplomat, another devotee of thirty years or so. This other person had earlier been the Ambassador for India in Paris and also India’s representative in the UNESCO. Both the Foreign Minister and this diplomat were terribly upset that nothing had been done this far, and now, all of a sudden the wheel began to crank.
First, the Indian Rep to the UNESCO wrote [in part]:
The media Advisory dated September 15th 2000 and viewable at the address: www.unesco.org/education/highlights/media_advisory is posted to explain UNESCO’s inability to participate in a Conference organised by the Institute of Sathya Sai Education [Thailand]. In doing so, it attempts to gravely tarnish the reputation Sathya Sai movement by casting aspersion on the personal integrity and character of its leader, based on hearsay, and unconfirmed press reports.
Shri Sathya Sai Baba is a highly respected spiritual leader and publics figure in India and abroad. It is well known that the life and message of Shri Sathya Sai Baba has been devoted to promoting peace, non-violence social harmony and is a moving force behind numerous philanthropic social projects. In this context, it is pertinent to mention that the UN Human Settlements Project [UN-HABITAT] launched a major education initiative three years ago, using human values approach propounded by Shri Sathya Sai Baba, to introduce a value-based water education programme through the national curriculum in Africa.. The initiative has been widely accepted at high political levels and among educationists in Africa and is now being replicated by the UN-HABITAT and the Asian Development Bank in Asia and the Pacific. You will agree that issuance of a casual and negligent press release by UNESCO cannot but do disservice to such valuable projects.
Government of India considers Shri Sathya Sai Baba and his movement a national asset and takes strong exception to UNESCO press release, which spreads wholly unfounded and unsubstantiated allegation against Shri Sathya Sai Baba.
I would therefore request you to take immediate steps to remove the objectionable press advisory from the UNESCO website. I would also appreciate an expression of regret for the damage caused to one of India’s revered public figures, without first verifying the facts and any consultation with Indian authorities.
Well, that is the letter from India’s permanent representative to the UNESCO. Strong letter, is it not? Naturally, the UNESCO hurried to give a reply. Here it is, in part. The letter is from Assistant Director General of UNESCO.
I do appreciate this concern and wish to inform you that following your personal intervention, the media advisory in question was immediately withdrawn from the archives of the UNESCO’s web site for education.
I should also like to take this opportunity to say how much the Organisation regrets this unfortunate incident and to reiterate to you, on behalf of the Director General, that the Organisation attaches the greatest importance to the varied forms of fruitful collaboration that we have enjoyed with your country for many years.
I hope this letter will set your mind at rest and dispel any misunderstanding.
So, there it is. As Swami said long ago, authenticity will always win. I do hope you will share this expression of regret by an important UN body with others whom you know and that slowly the word would spread so that negative propaganda would be laid to rest once and for all, as it indeed must be.
The moral of it all is that we must be patient, without giving up our efforts to overwhelm negativity with positivity. That really is the important point. We can never win by fighting slander with counter slander. It is only the misguided who place their faith in the “eye for an eye” philosophy. As a wise man once remarked, if we followed that philosophy, then pretty soon the world would have only blind people!
What do you think? Let us know, and all you have to do is to write to: h2h@radiosai.org
All the best. Jai Sai Ram.
G.VENKATARAMAN |
Anonymous (213.217.177.208)
| | Posted on Sunday, April 18, 2004 - 12:44 pm: |
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Recommended Sites for news and info about Sai Baba
Latest Sai News:
http://www.saibabalinks.org/saibabanews.htm
Sai Baba in the media:
http://www.saibabalinks.org/saibabainthemedia.htm
http://www.saibabalinks.org
Sai News:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saibabanews/ |
skeptic (216.46.66.114)
| | Posted on Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 9:20 pm: |
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What are the some of the true horror stories surronding this man?
Are there any vidoes or p-coming news investigations regardingthe organization?
Help anybody. |
Anonymous (145.53.1.234)
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 6:31 am: |
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Yes... look at www.exbaba.com News today ! |
Anonymous (209.240.205.61)
| | Posted on Sunday, August 01, 2004 - 11:04 pm: |
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Busting the Guru-Buster, Premanand
by Lisa De Witt
©2004LDeWitt
Premanand, the self-taught guru-buster, prides himself on figuring out how phony gurus, sometimes called fakirs or street magicians, perform their illusions.
Having been thrown out of school at an early age over what he contends was a political dispute, Premanand was home schooled by his father.
Apparently, however, Premanand's home schooling didn't teach him about mercury poisoning. I was aghast after reading in an online article that at the age of 12, he had broken a thermometer in his home and then hid it under his bed on an aluminum plate! When Premanand's father found out he told the 12 year old to scrub the plate really well, but no mention is made of where all that mercury went. The toxic fumes emitted from under Premanand's bed were probably highly dangerous given the Indian heat. Anyone living in the house thereafter would be subject to mercury poisoning unless the mercury was disposed of properly.
Having read that article several months ago, I went back recently to find it, and realized someone had edited out a specific reference to mercury from the original article, "Miracles Don't Happen," by Beatrice Newby. It was obvious to me why they edited that portion. Premanand had claimed in the now-missing paragraph that Sai Baba used highly toxic mercury to create vibhuti on photographs. The edited articles are also missing the original title (lest people might wonder whether Beatrice is an atheist?).
Here is the now-missing paragraph:
"Later on, Premanand was to find that this is how SaiBaba produces "vibhuti", or holy ash, from photographs of himself. The photo-frames are made of aluminium, behind which he hides mercury which reacts with damp to create a perfect "holy ash" of aluminium oxide..."
So, according to the great mental giant, Premanand, Sai Baba endangers his followers by contaminating them with mercury and aluminum, since vibhuti is often ingested! Makes you wonder what kind of schooling Beatrice Newby acquired before writing this article in 2000.
Amazingly, the only original article left on the internet is a copy posted at exbaba.com. Imagine that. Is exbaba.com knowingly trying to give people the impression that Sai Baba intentionally poisons his followers with mercury and aluminum or are they just as intellectually inept as Premanand? I'm sure there's a very interesting story as to why the original article by Beatrice Newby has been edited. We'll probably never hear it though.
Note: Beatrice Newby's name is misspelled as Newbery on the exbaba.com
site.
References:
Original, unedited "Miracles Don't Happen" article posted at exbaba.com: http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:KUOkNIKn0lEJ:home.hetnet.nl/~ex-baba/engels\ /articles/fakirbuster.html+Premanand+%2B+Beatrice&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Edited version from, "Miracles Don't Happen": http://www.careers-cafe.com/real_lives/premanand.htm Instead, from the age of 12, Premanand was given an imaginative schooling at home. His father had a laboratory in the garden shed which he used for concocting products for his various soap and ink manufacturing businesses. "One day, I broke my father's thermometer, so I hid it on an aluminium plate under my bed. When my father found out, he ordered me to wash the plate vigorously. But, when I did, a frothy grey substance appeared." Later on, Premanand was to find that this is how Sai Baba produces "vibhuti", or holy ash from the photographs of himself...
The Dangers of Mercury Thermometers:
http://esf.uvm.edu/chemsource/thermoswap/
Mercury poisoning spurs warning:
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,525036045,00.html
Greenpeace Accuses Unilever of
Negligence Over Mercury Poisoning of Indian
Tourist Resort: http://archive.greenpeace.org/pressreleases/toxics/2001mar7.html |
Anonymous (209.240.205.61)
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 9:58 pm: |
|
Robert Priddy and the Sheer Transparency of his
Fraudulence
by Lisa De Witt
©2004Lisa De Witt
Thanks to the astute observation of Truth from Maestro E Avatar we now have proof of Robert Priddy's blatant deception. In an article¹ on exbaba.com, Priddy claims that a post at SaiBabaNews with instructions from Dr. Goldstein advising Sai organisation members on publicity procedures was put there by 'accident' and subsequently removed by devotees in order to maintain secrecy within the Sai org. The truth is, the post² is STILL there and has never been removed.
I have always felt Priddy was lying about many things but when so many of his accusations depend on the corroboration of a dead man, who can prove such nonsense?
Another accusation of Priddy's that smelled was one in which he claimed he had countersigned a check³ to HIMSELF and given it to the Sai org. According to Priddy, the Sai org wouldn't take the check. But then in the next paragraph Priddy goes on to tell how much trouble he had getting his money back from the org. after he had just stated they didn't accept his check and probably couldn't cash it anyway since it was NOT signed over to the organisation. Does this make sense? Priddy claims investigators from Oslo had to get the money refunded and that it was converted from pounds sterling to Norwegian kroners which tells me the check was still in denominations from England (and therefore had NEVER been cashed) which is where Priddy's MOTHER was from. If the check had been cashed by the Sai organisation the money would have had to be converted from rupees to Norwegian kroners. If Priddy wants to refute this I challenge him to come up with a bank draft showing the Sai org cashed the check. After reading Priddy's story, I believe he LOST the check (as he admitted) and THEN made up a story to the bank so he wouldn't look so stupid. After all, who is dumb enough to lose a check for 6000 pounds?
References:
¹Priddy's defamatory article: Dr. Goldstein, the Baba and the Beeb
Reputation damage and how not to handle its limitation
http://home.hetnet.nl/~ex_baba/engels/articles/saibabaandthebeeb.html
²The post Robert Priddy claims was 'removed':
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saibabanews/message/1747
³"A few days later I inquired whether the latest
cheque was in fact cashable by SB, since it was
actually made out to me and countersigned by me, (I admit that I had been rather amused by his fumbling and unconvincing behaviour), whereupon he reacted most angrily and half-shouted that my current donation cheque would not be accepted but he did not give me the cheque back when I asked for it either, but waved me off just like he would do to a troublesome coolie. But I persisted and asked, "Did Swami say so?". "'Yes!" he blurted, apparently taken aback at my impertinence for asking this (I felt he was lying.)! I do not believe SB actually did reject it, for there was another problem: the cheque was made out to me, not Sai Baba or the Central Trust, and - though I had countersigned it - it was probably not cashable into another account!
My bankers in Oslo became very agitated about the
irregularity when I told them I no longer had the
cheque (Mr. Kutumb Rao had refused point blank to
return it, even though he would not accept it either (Probably, SB still had it!). Such good manners from the head of the ashram called 'The Abode of Supreme Peace'!). My Oslo bank set about investigating, and - more to their relief than mine - got the money refunded and changed back from sterling to Norwegian kroners again. Incidentally, the exchange rate had improved and I received back the sum plus the equivalent of the interest I would have lost otherwise. This was registered by me then as a typical SB leela. It may have been, yet now I am no longer quite so convinced. However, the fact that my money had been returned made me the more keen to donate it later, which we did! It has been alleged by a person who was employed in ashram security to be a standard practice there, to refuse money first... thus increasing the eagerness to contribute (and usually more too!). This kind of 'double-bottomed' scam is typical of clever crooks in India, where on outsider can fathom the depths of deceit that are common in this place of a constant often desperate struggle for survival.
As to where our money actually went I could never get an answer. Even if you have sound reasons for
suspecting that officials have embezzled your donation – such as by avoiding or – if asked – refusing to give a receipt or in other ways you are supposed to accept it as "part of Baba's plan. He knows." In short, if you feel reason to question almost anything said or done by officials (not to speak of by SB himself), you will often be put off with a gruff affront or a threatening hiss (as if from a snake). Only in recent years were any kind of receipts issued for donations received. Incidentally, it was said by SB in discourses that receipts are always given for donations, but we did not get any until in 1998, when we registered as flat-donors and received proof by receipt from the European Sai Org., which by then solicited for and handled all such donations! Some time after the incidents described at length above, we re-donated the £6000.- by sending it from Norway, but did not get any note of receipt from the ashram. However, since I thought it wrong not to follow up whether the money actually arrived where it should, I asked the new Head of the Ashram, Mr. Narayanan, about it several times during our next visit there."
http://www.saiguru.net/english/articles/59mbdquestion.htm
Source of the Dream: My Way to Sathya Sai Baba by
Robert Priddy:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1578630282/002-5642183-0247226?v=glance |
sailove (sailove)
New member
Username: sailove
Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2005
Posted From: 202.150.96.42
| | Posted on Sunday, November 13, 2005 - 11:51 pm: |
|
Baba is the most loving person I know and always will be, he live's in every man's heart so when you feel love for someone like family, friends,partner just know that this is his love also.. Fathers love Baba's Love... and everybody will have his love for ever and ever and ever no matter what is said he still loves you... |
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