B.S. Chapter 4

Even in India, where Gurus with special powers are accepted as a fact of spiritual life, Sathya Sai Baba is unusual. The well-known intellectual and sceptic, Khushwant Singh, in his regular column in The Hindustan Times on March 20, 1999 (during a rare visit by Sai Baba to New Delhi) made the following enlightening remarks:

"The Indian soil is very productive of prophets and messaiahs. We have always had men and women claiming to be incarnations of God, or even God Himself in human form. What would be regarded a sheer blasphemy and treated with ridicule by Christians or a sentence of death in Islam is acclaimed by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs as an avatar. So we have many Bhagwans (Gods), Swamis (Lords), Rishis (Sages), Maharishis (great sages), Acharyas (teachers), Saints (saints) and Gurus with large followings."

"... If anyone is to be put on a shrink's couch, it is not the godman but his followers who look upon him as God to find out what is missing in their lives which they hope to fulfil by associating with their chosen godman. It is not producing vibhuti (sacred ash), materializing watches and medallions from the air or regurgitating sivalingas - all such tricks can be performed by magicians and cannot stand the test of scientific scrutiny. The devotees' faith has more solid foundations. They have unquestionable belief that their guru can do no wrong."

The devotee, by definition, is devoted to his/her guru. For many, every word and gesture is to be noted, cherished, relived and often shared with other devotees for their enlightenment and joy. In this relationship, and especially in the rarefied (hothouse) atmosphere of the ashram (24 hours a day), devotees have no reason to entertain anything other than positive thoughts and words about their guru. All is blissfully positive, a blessing from their guru, to be enjoyed and benefited from. In the case of Sai Baba devotees, there is an incalculably influential extra factor which heightens this special relationship and increases these feelings: the 'fact' of his claimed and perceived Divinity (with all its trappings). For a faithful devotee, this unique fact enhances and simplifies everything.

Devotees of Sai Baba believe that he is able to do anything he wishes. They also believe that he is constantly aware of each and every one of them and that a Divine part of their being is also him. In their prayers, meditation, bhajan singing, and, indeed, in their daily life in general, they strive to be more conscious of his Divine presence and they constantly seek his help and advice. Thanks to the strength of this spiritual bond with Baba (inevitably, given the diversity of human character, stronger for some than for others), devotees therefore find it natural to see or feel his presence in many events of their day-to-day existence, from the very ordinary to the extraordinary. Because they have this strong feeling of his spiritual presence - or perhaps to strengthen it - they often address Baba directly as if he were physically with them at that moment. As the American academic, Lawrence A. Babb, has perceptively observed, as an 'outsider' (with a hint of grudging admiration and envy, perhaps, visible through the scepticism):

"The world for Sai Baba devotees is like an enchanted garden where anything can happen. Small incidents can seem meaningful when it is believed he creates them. ... They inhabit a world in which signs and evidence of his love and grace are pervasive. Any trouble vanquished or illness cured is by his grace" (L.A.Babb, 1986a:199).

A natural consequence of this is that Sai Baba devotees, in their conversations and writings, pass on information about their guru and repeat what they learn from others. Much of this information consists of data which, for the devotee, further verifies and corroborates the claims of Divinity made by Sai Baba himself. Unfortunately, as some devotees and ex-devotees have discovered to their personal mortification, when considered without the rose-tinted glasses of the true believer, a portion of this information (especially accounts of secondhand, third-hand or otherwise unverifiable accounts of miracles and the interpretations and suppositions of what Baba 'means' by his often 'enigmatic' pronouncements) is at best no more than unfounded hearsay and at worst, nonsense. Such would be the reaction of an unbiassed outsider to some of the information and rumours which are passed around at devotee meeting places in Puttaparthi and Whitefield or anywhere in the world where Sai Baba devotees foregather, including, increasingly, on the Internet Bulletin Boards and Clubs.

If we add to this attitude of total acceptance of any news about Baba or of personal contact with him, the natural narcissistic tendencies which we all share to different degrees, we have a powerful reinforcement of the myth-inflating (and sustaining) environment of the ashrams and any gathering of Sai Baba devotees. Many of us have the automatic habit of inflating or idealising any piece of news or details about ourselves. For evidence we only have to go as far as published autobiographies, our personal diaries or letters, or conversations about ourselves. In these contexts, events very often tend to be presented in such a way as to show us in the most interesting, flattering, amusing, dramatic, or otherwise appealing way. In this way we endeavour to enhance our own self-worth, both to ourselves and to other people.

A basic list of these indirect devotee-based sources of information about Sai Baba, beginning with the more authentic and moving do wn towards the more dubious and the false, is as follows:.

1. Sai Baba's reported comments, replies, and conversations with an inner circle of confidants, consisting of ashram and Organisation officials and close devotees. For example, in earlier years, Kasturi, Shah, Bhagavantam, Balu, etc., and in recent years, Narasimhan, Ratan Lal, Anil Kumar, Dr. Bhatia, etc.; selected foreign devotees like Hislop, Murphet, Sandweiss, Krystal, Peggy Mason, and in later years, Goldstein, Tigrett, Jegadeesan, Jumsai (see M.N.Rao, 1998:182-184), Bailey, and so on. Such people may become Baba's roving semi-official spokespersons or ambassadors. In recent years many overseas lectures by spokespersons have been recorded on videocassettes and are therefore as permanently available to devotees as the wide-ranging Baba literature. (See Bibliography)

2. Baba's talks and conversations with Interviewees, i.e. to groups and to individuals, couples, or family groups. (One problem here concerns the well documented conflicting versions of words heard by different people at the same time. Another is that since tape recorders have never been allowed, interviewees rely on notes taken after the interview.)

3. Written accounts of Sai Baba's Mission and of experiences with Baba. In recent years this has included accounts and notes 'published' on the Internet.

The best known, with declarations that Baba later confirmed their authenticity, are those of Lucas Ralli and Charles Penn. (See Bibliography, and M.N.Rao, 1998: 197-198.)

5. Alleged Visions and Dreams of Sai Baba, with or without reported conversations

These indirect sources of information about Baba, ranging from the elite groups of privileged and unofficially but tacitly empowered spokespersons to writers and other individuals, have a common aim: to spread knowledge about Sai Baba and to attract more devotees to the beloved Avatar. That is laudable. Less laudable is the fact that some of the information which comes from these disparate sources is unfounded or untrue and is thus misleading for devotees and detrimental to the reputation of the Sai Baba Mission.

The chosen few in the first two groups listed above (close associates and chosen devotees) share intimate conversations and experiences with other devotees, who eagerly devour their words, in ashram talks, reminiscences, etc. Some of these unofficial spokespersons, like some writers (Group 3 above), are often held in such high regard and trust by devotees that anything they say is accepted instantly, without demur. Since most of the elite appear to be totally uncritical, the results may sometimes be unfortunate. As for sources numbered 4-6 above, the authenticity of the information divulged is often difficult or impossible to verify, and caution and critical ability must be exercised. Most of the information emanating from source number 6, and there is much of it, is best ignored (as a few wise 'elders' advocate) unless there is some other way of corroborating it.

The reality, however, is that a surprising amount of mythical information - like any information about Sai Baba - tends to be passed on, uncritically, from one devotee to another, and even written down. Such repetition, especially in print, often leads to the acceptance of myths as reality.

Since, as we have seen, the miracle factor is acknowledged by many to be a powerful magnet attracting people to Sai Baba, unsubstantiated (mythical) miracles and stories, as well as more convincing ones, can be a factor in the "recruitment" of new devotees, as part of the common "Rolling Snowball Effect". This is how it works: Person 'A' describes a miracle. Persons 'B', 'C', 'D' and others read about the miracle and are very impressed. They find out more about Sai Baba, in other books, or by going to the ashram. Most of them eventually become devotees. A smaller number of devotees are SO enthralled by it all that they write their account of experiences with Baba, and retell, amongst others, the miracles described originally in Person A's book. As a result of the publication of these new books, other newcomers are attracted to the Baba fold, some of these write books, and so on.

Before looking at a small but bewildering range of examples of myth propagation, we should consider this relevant question: If it is true that some devotees are capable of disseminating unreliable information and inventions, why should Sai Baba be seen as bearing any responsibility for their behaviour? A reasonable answer would appear to be that if Sai Baba himself, alone among contemporary gurus, has made such detailed and constant claims to be an Avatar, with unique Divine powers, and IF his claims are flawed or false, then he has misled devotees into a state of total belief in his alleged powers. In such a state, mythical information appears reliable because over the years, and decades, of Baba's Mission, the number and variety of anecdotal stories of miracles of all sorts has created a fertile environment in which they are instantly and joyfully accepted as further proof of the Sai Baba's powers.

When objectively examined, Sai Baba's devotees' contributions to a myth of Divinity are indeed substantial. Many such contributions are offered in the hundreds of (uncritical) books and articles, videos, magazines, or can be overheard as devotees' 'satsang' at Sai Baba Centre meetings all over the world, and in many conversations between devotees. In their understandably zealous efforts to support the Mission and teachings of their divine guru, devotees frequently suspend all judgement and pass on information which in other contexts and groups would not merit a serious consideration. Occasionally, in the Sai Baba literature we read a wise plea for restraint from a writer:

"Baba may be perfection itself but the bhakta is an evolving human being with a mixture of strengths and weaknesses. All paranormal claims by bhaktas should be scrupulously verified. If they cannot be verified, it is best to ignore them. Competitive holiness is a disease like any other and makes people quite ill. There is no place for hysteria in spiritualism." (V.Ramnath, 82) However, it is surprising that the influential Sai Baba Organisation has not seen fit to implement a simple but strict policy of repudiating devotees' excesses in this respect and urging that greater care be taken to verify and give accurate references for stories about Baba or alleged quotations from him. This would apply especially to those who write about Baba (books, articles, even notes and letters on devotee Websites) or who talk about him in public. Common sense alone would expect that devotees would not pass on (especially in print) stories with inadequate bonafides. But such a simple precaution is so often totally unheeded by over-zealous and under-critical Sai Baba devotees.

It is time for some examples. To begin with, here are some absurd or unverified stories and "facts". It should be easy to instantly dismiss such far-fetched stories and fabrications. It should be easy - but for many devotees, this does not seem possible since they happily continue to devour them and pass them on, without verification, to other devotees. Through their total acceptance, and their denial or rationalisation of anything which does not fit in with their concept of Baba's Divinity, there are constant reminders, when observing Sai Baba devotees in action, of the "Emperor's New Clothes" syndrome.

There are many passages in devotee literature which describe alleged prophecies of the advent of Sai Baba, by Jesus (see Chapter 5), the 5,000 year old Shuka or Naadi Palm leaves, an (alleged) equally ancient Jaiminii Mahabharata, Nostradamus, and Edgar Cayce. However, the most persistently repeated and most generally accepted prophecy happens also to be the least convincing one, citing the Prophet Mohammed as the source. This is a very strange story, but it is also a clear illustration of two inexplicable and indefensible habits of many Sai Baba devotees and writers: repeating uncritically practically anything they hear or read, and not letting the facts get in the way of a good story.

The alleged detailed prophecy by the Prophet Mohammed of the coming of Sai Baba is accepted by many Baba devotees as totally authentic. In one of its many variant versions, it begins thus:

"At a bookstall in Teheran was recently discovered a huge volume. It was the 14^th edition of the Discourses of Mahommed, [sic] in 25 volumes, called 'The Ocean of Light'. It is said that these discourses were collected together some 700 years after the Prophet's death.

"Volume 13 of "the Ocean of Light' is called Mehedi Moud in Arabic, which means 'The Great Teacher that was promised." (Sathya Sai Newsletter U.S.A., Fall 1983, pp. 34-36)Another version claims that it was an Iranian writer [Irani Ma?] who discovered the volume and that the information first surfaced in an esoteric magazine in England called Two Worlds, from the pen of (well known Baba devotee and author) Peggy Mason. (S.Kant, 17)

The number of alleged identifying characteristics oscillates from version to version from 27 to 300, including the following:

"... In the last twenty years of His life, He will be the 'King of the whole world', but at that time only two thirds of the world will believe Him. Muslims will recognise him only nine years before his passing from the world. He will make the world light and full of peace. So as not to be deceived, you should know that the Master of the World will bring things out of His body, through His mouth." (S.Kant, 17-18)

This story, with variations and embellishments, has been repeated by many Baba writers, uncritically. To begin with (and with all due respect to Muslims and their Prophet), why would Mohammed forecast the advent of a non-Muslim as the New Prophet? Also, on a practical, commonsense matter, how can a "huge volume" contain the 14^th edition of anything "in 25 volumes"? In what language was it written? Where was it published? Where are all the 13 preceding volumes? And so on. In his 1992 Internet publication, Sai Baba's Miracles: An Overview, Dale Beyerstein specifically denies the existence of this religious text and therefore the alleged prophecy. (Chapter 8, 'Does Sai Baba's Life Fulfil Ancient Prophecies?', p. 4)

Muslims believe that the eventual coming of (a Muslim) Imam Al-Mahdi was promised. (In the above references to Mehedi, or Mehdi, no one seems to have detected the resemblance to 'Mahdi'.)

There is nothing of this in the Quran (so it is not a direct part of Mohammed's teachings). It is one of the many 'traditions' (Hadis) that have been gathered, examined by Islamic scholars and authorised to be printed.

We also know that there is a work called Bihar al-Anwar - meaning: Sea(s) [or Ocean] of Light(s) - by the Persian, Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi (1628-1699), a Shi'ite Muslim cleric and writer (who wrote most of his works in Persian, except Bihar al-Anwar). It was first printed in 1887 [so prior to that it must have existed in manuscript form]. Its second edition began to be published (in 101 volumes) in Teheran in the 1960s. [The Shi'ites are the minority Muslim sect.]

(Esposito, John L.et al (eds), The OXFORD Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, Oxford and New York, 4 vols., 1995)

The Bihar al-Anwar work (originally of 90 volumes) is a collection of 'Traditions', or Hadis, of Mohammed and contains references to Imam al-Mahdi in vols. 51 and 52 but I have been unable to find out details. A Shi'ite website (http://www.irshad.org/idara/) offers a few more details from various sources, including an incomplete book reference, The Awaited Saviour by Ayatullah Baqir Al-Sadr and Ayatullah MurtadaMutahhari, but none of the identifying characteristics cited by Baba devotees.

In November 1990, Sanathana Sarathi published an article by a Muslim academic and fervent Baba devotee, Dr Zeba Bashiruddin: 'The Truth of a Prophecy' (pp. 298-300). The author refers to Baqir Al-Majlisi's "voluminous work" in Arabic (Bihar-ul-Anwar) but then adds: "The two Persian translations that contained the Prophetic sayings about Hazrat Mehdi are Khas-ul-Anwar and Bihar-ul- Anwar." [The same name as the Arabic title.] Unfortunately, although she then gives simple page references (obviously from a single volume: the Persian translation?) to various prophecies which match characteristics of Sai Baba, Dr Bashiruddin does not give any publication details for us to follow up. She is convinced that the prophecy refers to Sai Baba - even though she admits that Mehdi "will restore the Truth and Islam will be the religion of the entire world."(p. 298). A step in the right direction, but still very confusing, and in need of further corroboration as far as the alleged physical characteristics are concerned. In any case, Dr. Bashiruddin's serious report has not prevented several other Baba writers from rehashing the old fanciful account during the past ten years. (As a further strange note to this subject, Dr. Bashiruddin's short 1998 book, Sai Baba and the Muslim Mind, published by the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, where she was then teaching, makes no mention of the above prophecies!)

The Responsibility of Writers of Sai Baba books (mea culpa!) and Spokespersons

Another special characteristic of Sathya Sai Baba, when he is compared to other contemporary spiritual leaders and their organisations, is that so many of his followers want to write books about him, and actually do (even if many of these are of the "self-published" variety. There has been an enormous output (of very varying quality) of hagiographical literature (over 500 items in English alone when I stopped counting in mid-1999). This literature is widely available in the ashrams, in Puttaparthi, Bangalore and, in many overseas countries, through the Sai Baba Organisation Centres and their bookshops, plus Esoteric and New Age bookshops (often in local translation).

The number and adoring nature of the books about devotees' experiences of Sai Baba, his Miracles and his Teachings can only really be explained by the fact that God (or a convincing God-like placebo) has inspired these followers with such an iron faith in his Divine claims and capacity for miracles. And to add a revolving door aspect to the matter of why/how a person becomes a devotee of Sai Baba, these personal and ecstatic reports by devotees enable others to be attracted to read about, and go and see the Guru. Which is what happens. Every detail about proximity to Baba is devoured (especially by the majority who don't get close to the guru) - especially if there is human interest in the writer's story (for example, the writer and/or husband, and/or family have problems), as is particularly true of the writing of Phylis Krystal, Rita Bruce, Anne-Marie Marwaha and others.

For Sai Baba devotees, reading is very important. At the ashram they have so much time to while away and to be introspective, especially in the hours of patiently sitting waiting for darshan. Therefore both Discourses, anthologies of teachings and sayings, as well as many books relating personal experiences, sell very well, and in several languages..

The ways in which some Baba writers contribute to the myth are as follows: untrue or exaggerated statements, slipshod reporting and quoting, unsubstantiated myths about Sai Baba, slavish repetition and copying of other writers' work, and above all, a preponderant lack of references to aid verification (names, places, dates).

Devotees who look for the original sources of Sai Baba's words and statements quoted in books written about him are very often unable to find firm textual references. It is a remarkable fact that most people who write about Sai Baba quote him frequently but without giving any form of reference to the date of the Discourse, the talk, or the interview conversation from which the quotation is taken. Often it is from the writings of these privileged few that we get the only textual reference, in the form of "Baba has said that ..." (still usually without a date).

And some reference books about Baba can be misleading. In possibly the best known and most consulted of these, a hefty 700-page book titled A Compendium of the Teachings of Sathya Sai Baba (by Charlene Leslie-Chaden), we are offered quotations on 1,100 topics. Unfortunately the author has taken her material not only from Sai Baba's Discourses and other printed compilations of his words but also from over thirty other books where writers have quoted Baba's alleged pronouncements (often without references). One or two of the sources contain the alleged dialogue from inspired Visions of Sai Baba, and there are even extracts from the U.S. Sathya Sai Newsletter.

In Leslie-Chaden's Compendium, all quotations, which are given equal 'value' as 'teachings', are followed by initials denoting the written sources (inadequately explained in the Bibliography : for example most author's names are not even mentioned!). Given the current lack of evidence of serious research on Sai Baba, it is unlikely that most devotees notice that anything is amiss in all this as they pick out interesting extracts to discuss at Study Circle Meetings. Even if they do see how this compendium is composed, they are unlikely to have the necessary time or stamina to sort out the wheat from the chaff, that is, to distinguish between the "direct quotations" (see Chapter 3) from Vols. 1-15 (only) of Baba's Discourses, etc. and others. Just one example will give an idea of the problems and confusion which such a work may cause in its readers: In the 6 and a half pages devoted to quotations on 'Prophecies', roughly 2 and a half come from direct Sai Baba sources; the rest from largely unsupported texts, including, a page on the "Mehdi Moud prophecies" of Baba's coming by the Prophet Mohammed (taken from an American Sathya Sai Newsletter!). Once more, as often in dealing with Sai Baba topics, the mind boggles!

Far-fetched and exaggerated stories

The word-of-mouth story of the Australian husband (unnamed, of course) allegedly transported by Baba from the Interview room in South India in 1993 to his wife's deathbed in Australia was eventually further promoted in print. (The popular appeal of this story has been commented on earlier in this chapter.)

"In 1993 between the Dasera and Diwali festivals, a unique miracle occurred. A group of Sai devotees from Australia were taken into the interview room on Baba's instructions. Of the eleven devotees, one was crying uncontrollably. On being questioned by Baba, he said that his wife was extremely ill and due to anxiety for her, he was weeping. The loving and Divine playing Lord asked, 'So you would like to be transported to your wife?' The answer was 'Yes!' The method Sai Baba used to transport the devotee was unique. He hit the adjacent wall three times with his fist and the weeping devotee started seeing the country of Australia on the wall. When he hit his fist the fourth time, the Australian saw his town on the wall. On hitting his fist for the fifth time the Australian started seeing his house. Then Baba asked the weeping devotee, 'Is this your house?' 'Yes', was the reply. Baba replied, 'Go meet your wife in the house.' That person entered his house and went near his wife. At the end of the interview only ten persons came out of the interview room and not the eleventh. It was subsequently verified [by whom?] that at the time the Australian walked through the wall of the interview room in Prasanthi Nilayam, it was the exact moment he had entered his house in Australia." (R.Lowenberg, 1997, 129-130)

"The Light of which I speak is Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Avatar of God. By the year 2000, two-thirds of the world's population will be conscious of this Light." (D.M. Gibson, viii)

"Swami stated his language is not Telugu only. He has knowledge of all languages including the languages of birds and bees. He communicates also with the celestials." (G.V.Subba Rao, unpublished Internet document: 'Interviews, Inner Vistas, and Inmost Visions', January 1996, seen at http://www.eaisai.com/baba/docs/vision.html, p.2) Note that the quotation is also unclear. How much of it is Baba alleged to have said?

"Over the last six decades, millions have come to Puttaparthi and gone back home fully cured of these fell diseases." (V.I.K. Sarin, 161)

Unsubstantiated stories about Sai Baba

"While the group was small, Professor Gokak would translate from Telugu into English excerpts from a book that Swami had written, It was a book that Swami said would not be published for a long time as the world was not ready for it. It was about the secrets of the creation of the world, mysteries of the planets and solar system, the decline of humanity and other fascinating subjects. We were all absorbed and eager for the next day's unveiling of mysteries. Sadly, the reading stopped as soon as more visitors arrived. The book, to this day, has not been published.'' (Baskin, 75)

Baba has written a book about the history of man. (J.Hislop, 1997:150)

"The sun is packed with beings, live beings." (J.Hislop, 1997:163 and 193)

"In a more private talk to students ..., Baba told them that the father of his next incarnation, as Prema Sai, had been born in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. He also said that the body of Prema Sai was in the process of being formed. Is that creation of Prema Sai also the work of these wondrous hands?" (Rodriguez, 133)

"He has revealed that Prof N. Kasturi, his biographer and very esteemed devotee, would be the mother of Prema Sai Baba. He has already disclosed to a number of devotees, like Laxmi Deshpande, Dr. D.J.Ghadia and some others that they would be reborn to serve him in his next incarnation as Prema Sai Baba." (S.P.Ruhela, 1996a:52)

"Baba has assured us that there is no reason for mankind to be extremely worried about the future, for the Golden Age of humanity is soon dawning in the next two decades. He has assured us that Sat Yuga shall start from 1999 and during the days of His next Avatar as Prem Sai which will be from 2030 and onwards. ... However, Baba says that ... from now to 1999 there will be many natural calamities, but He will exercise His powers and influence as Avatar to prevent nuclear war. He has said to His devotees in earnestness not to leave His Sai Organizational fold, not to try to get out of the umbrella of His Divine Protective Grace lest they should be subjected to any harm at the hands of nature's fury which will indeed be raging till 1999, i.e. till Satyuga starts." (Ruhela, 1991, 218-219 - no references)

Some Contributions by Spokespersons

Like writers, spokespersons (semi-official or unofficial), close to Sai Baba, are instrumental in passing on information of all kinds about Sai Baba, gained by close contact with him. Their frequent talks and lectures to groups of eager devotees all over the world are a standard feature encouraged and sponsored by the Sai Baba Organisation and they often have a strong impact. Devotees naturally believe the information passed on by such close and trusted associates of Baba's. In the last ten years or so, many videocassettes have been made of lectures and talks by the best known of these spokespersons. These permanent records (with the mass of information which they convey) are therefore as freely available to devotees all over the world as are the many books about Sai Baba.

Below are two comments suggesting that spokespersons, like writers, may also contribute to the propagation of unverified facts, by word of mouth, in print, or on videocassette.

Prema Sai's Birth

Over 30 years, including the late 1960s (crucial to the expansion of the Baba Mission), John Hislop built up a uniquely close relationship with Sai Baba and had enormous influence in propagating knowledge of Sai Baba, firstly to U.S.A. and later to other countries. His role became that of confidant, spokesman and roving ambassador. In his written and spoken reports on the many detailed conversations he had with Sai Baba on many topics, Hislop gave out a great deal of information about Baba, on a wide variety of topics. Usually, it is not possible to check the authenticity of this information but in the following case, there is proof of error.

Prema Sai is to be born 8 years after Sai Baba's announced passing in 2022.

This has become such a standardly accepted myth (as usual, unsupported by a reference to a Discourse by Baba), repeated by many writers, from Hislop on. (Other writers have mentioned the period of one year.) In the case of M.N. Rao (1998. p. 48) it may be the result of a very careless reading of his Sathya Sai Speaks source text (XXIII, p.224) where the 8 years reference is simply to the gap between Shirdi's death and Sathya' birth. Nevertheless, he "quotes" Baba's Discourse to that effect and the myth remains in print.

As for Hislop's initial propagation of the "8 year" myth, the following note by a staunch Baba devotee and redoubtable Internet paladin, Gaetano Bongiovanni, a.k.a. Bon Giovanni, reveals the truth and with it, opens up the possibility that other commonly accepted "facts" reported by Hislop (and other spokespersons) about Sai Baba may also be unsupported by hard evidence. To his immense credit, Mr. Bongiovanni perseveres with his lonely reminders to erring devotees on the subject of passing on unsubstantiated second-hand stories.

"Regarding the "8 year gap" between the Sai births as reported by Jack Hislop:

"Of course we know John Hislop was a great devotee of Sathya Sai and very likely he got that information from Swami himself. So as devotees ourselves, we take this for what it is.

"I reported earlier a chat I had with Jack when I first heard him say that bit about 8 years between the death of Sathya Sai and the wee babe Prema Sai. I had been tracking this rumour of 8 years for some time, and Jack was the first elder I had ever met who himself used the figure at a public speech. After his talk, Jack allowed my question and than replied, in a somewhat surprised tone, that in fact he had not heard the figure of eight years directly from Swami. He then said an odd thing: "but that is what they say, you know, so I have accepted it." (From SaiDISC Message 2101 of Friday August 25, 2000)

Isaac Tigrett and the thought forms over Russia

This is one of the most exciting recent stories told about Sai Baba by one of the most interesting and charismatic unofficial spokespersons for Baba: the American millionaire businessman, Isaac Tigrett. Tigrett's fascinating talks (and written versions of them reproduced by writers) about his whole involvement with Sai Baba and about Baba's astonishing miracles have rivetted the attention of devotees for many years now. I for one used to take them literally. This story was first told at a Sai Baba Conference in USA in the early 1990s. Transcripts are available on the Internet and there are videocassette recordings available -see the Bibliography. (For a written account of the earlier spectacular stories by Tigrett, see M.N.Rao, 1995:165-168.)

Excerpts from a devotee's letter to Sainet, 12 October 1994:

"... The audio tape of Isaac Tigret telling that story is also on Video. ... ... Isaac began with how thoughts are the most powerful things anyone can do on this earthly plain. He told how he had been shown thought forms that were created thousands of years ago as guardians yet still remain today. In that infamous reverie - both Phyllis and Isaac were taken by Baba over the Russian continent. They say it was covered by an immense black cloud created by negative human thought that had taken form. It was infused with the accumulation of thoughts of intense repression and fear (etc.) - since centuries back. Isaac said a "being" appeared before them carrying "golden rods" that they then used to pierce the cloud with in strategic places as per Swami's instructions. This was to alleviate the "pressure". Isaac pointed out that this reverie happened before proyistroyka(?) and to see now all the obvious changes since then like the Berlin Wall etc. ("com u next"!)

"...that great video ... is available from the 'Video Education Company'. Another video through them is Phyllis Krystal's talk at the '93 San Diego Retreat where Phyllis tells that Swami, in changing, asked Isaac to stop telling people about the work with Phyllis because they were "misunderstanding" him."

(In a different version of that talk, Tigrett casually mentions that Krystal and he made 400 audiotapes of their meditations. This news naturally caused great excitement and expectation among devotees, but subsequently, he stopped mentioning those tapes, allegedly because he had been told to.)

The following response was sent to Sainet on the same day by the ever vigilant Bon Giovanni, who is an encyclopedia of knowledge about Sai Baba and, as we have seen above, a resolute defender of the principles of accurate reporting:

"Devina has told us the wonderful story of Isaac And The Cloud of Demons. That is a neat story, and I enjoy hearing Isaac tell it. Maybe I am alone in this, but I never took it to be more than a fiction, a story formed and nestled in his own imagination. What I mean by that is I do not believe it exists in reality. Were I to believe Isaac's tale were real, I would in effect give credence to a dark force. I do not grant that idea any of my juice.

"I like Isaac. I met him in India in '76, and find him a wonderful fellow with many insights, stories and opinions. He is wealthy in many ways. Over the years I have found that some of his stories result from direct personal interaction with Swami, while some arise entirely from his imagination. I note a real distinction there, a distinction that others do not appreciate.

"For example I recall how during that story Isaac may say "Swami said" or "Sai explained" or "Baba showed". On occasion those words may mean Baba Himself literally did so in Person, while at other times what Isaac means is that in a reverie he 'felt' a visionary Swami on the inner plane."

Further comment on the above is surely superfluous, but it may perhaps be relevant to refer briefly to a recent investigative article on Sai Baba and the ongoing controversies and accusations in the U.K. Daily Telegraph and Electronic Telegraph ('Divine Downfall', 27 or 28 October 2000) by journalist and author Mick Brown. In his article, Brown quotes Tigrett, whom he interviewed to find out his attitude to the accusations, etc. Part of Tigrett's reported answer (in 2000) was:

"These things were difficult to explain, Tigrett said, impossible to explain. He does not believe that Sai Baba is God, he said. He would not even describe himself a devotee. 'But to me, it's as simple as this: whatever it was I experienced changed my life; whatever it was he did kept me on a spiritual path, for which I am ever grateful. And I will never be able to deny that experience; nothing he could do could change that."

"How then could Tigrett square his experiences of Sai Baba with the allegations of sexual abuse? 'I can't. There's two camps here. Are you against Sai Baba or are you for him? I think if you say you're for him, you're just in denial, saying these things didn't happen, that it's made-up stories. I don't believe that. I believe the allegations are true. And if you're against, you're supposed to take up your sword and kill him. I'm not in either of those camps. For me, the only meaningful relationship with him is the personal one, and everyone has to make a personal decision based on that.' As to trying to understand Sai Baba, Tigrett said he had given up on that many years ago. 'I know that he materialises things, because I've seen him do it. And I know he fakes materialisations, because I've him seen him do that too. I don't know why. Maybe it's just a game.'

"Tigrett said he believed that everything Sai Baba does is 'a teaching'. Perhaps, he said, the growing scandal was also a teaching, a way of forcing devotees to stop worshipping the form of Sai Baba, and instead consider the divinity within themselves. 'I remember him telling me three or four years ago that people would be leaving him in droves. He said, "I'm not a new religion; I'm not a personality cult. People come here to see miracles, to have a vacation, and they don't even get the teachings." He said this several times, it's about following the inner guru, not following Sai Baba. Tigrett has been back to the ashram several times since then, he said, but he has never again been called for interview. He sipped at his beer. For those who worship Sai Baba as a god, he said, the allegations 'must be totally devastating. Because they've lost their god, their master. But I never saw him as God.' How then would he describe Sai Baba? Tigrett shook his head: 'A total and complete enigma.'

(M.Brown, 2000 - See the Bibliography, or www.snowcrest.net/sunrise/links.htm - under Media - or www.exbaba.com - under Articles)

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