Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation: Encyclopedia - Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation

Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation

The beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation, founded by the Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba (major article) can be characterized as a rather traditional but syncretistic form of Hinduism. Additionally, believers have faith in the guru as an purna avatar (full divine incarnation) of Shiva and Shakti, who is predicted in the Bhagavad Gita. In non-Hindu terms, this means that his followers see him as God. Followers are engaged in singing bhajans and charity.

Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Important teachings

Sathya Sai Baba (SSB) preaches love and the unity of all religions. He says that all religions lead to God and that followers should continue to follow their original religions. He says that those who follow his teachings will find themselves exampling their own original faith more fully, i.e. that will make Christians become better Christians and Hindus better Hindus, et cetera.

He preaches a foundation of five basic human values: Truth (Sathya), Right Conduct (dharma), Peace {Santhi), Love for God and all creatures (Prema), and Non-violence (Ahimsa).

Other important teaching are

• Service - to others.
• Put a ceiling on one's desires.
• The world is maya (illusion), only God is real.
• Every person is God in form, though most do not experience this as their reality.
• Meditation - Baba teaches two techniques, so ham (Upanishadic mantra for repetition and focus) and jyoti (Light meditation).
• Importance of bhakti (devotion) to God and japa and other sadhana (spiritual excercise) to foster this devotion

Most of his followers consider his many teachings as a divine revelation containing good advice for daily life and sadhana (spiritual exercises). However, his followers are generally aware that they cannot put into practice all of his teachings at the same time, so many just choose which they think is most important for them or what takes the least effort.

He preaches a strict morality with regards to sensual desires (including food sex, alcohol), sometimes advocating asceticism. Some of his exhortations are to put a ceiling on desires. By this, he seems to mean that followers should not waste time and money. He teaches that the world is just maya , that only God is real and that the seeming diversity of all life is another illusion. All life is one, he says. The meaning of life is to experience this oneness with God and other living beings. He advocates vegetarianism and total abstinence from alcohol.

Followers attribute many miracles to him which they witness in his presence and in their own countries, like spontaneous vibhuti manifestations on the pictures of the guru in their homes, and bilocation, the appearance of Sai Baba in their own presence while he is also in another place. They also report that he has materialized out-of-season fruit several times. He says he performs these miracles to attract people and then to transform them spiritually.

Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Ashrams in India and the person of Sathya Sai Baba

Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Youth stories

Followers believe that SSB was born on 23 November 1926, as described in the authorized biography by Narayana Kasturi. They believe that the Indian guru Aurobindo was referring to him when he said that the divine had descended on earth on 24 November 1926. [1]

Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Practices in the ashrams and the person of Sathya Sai Baba

The popularity and the donations by followers have enabled SSB and his organizations to build an ever-increasingly big ashram called Prashanthi Nilayam near the once poor and isolated village of Puttaparthi.

SSB resides much of the time in his main ashram Prashanthi Nilayam (abode of peace) at Puttaparthi. In the hot summer the guru leaves for his other ashram called Brindavan in Whitefield (sometimes called Kadugodi), a town on the outskirts of Bangalore.

He is an excellent orator in his native language of Telugu, and also speaks passable Tamil. He claims to be the Kali Yuga purna avatar (full divine incarnation of this era) of Lord Shiva and Shakti. He says that he is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent and can create matter from mere thought. He also stresses he is free from desires. He plays down his claims about being an incarnation of God by saying that everybody is God but that only he realizes and experiences this fully. In correspondence with his perceived divinity, followers often capitalize references to him in their writings ("He", "Him" etcetera).

He says that he will reincarnate again in this century as Prema Sai Baba to finish the spiritual transformation of the world, starting with India, where his previous and current incarnations have begun. [5] He has said that he will die after he has become 93 years old but there is no official statement for the popular belief among followers that he will die when he is 95 years old (96 according to Indian counting). [7]

He has left India only once for a visit to Uganda in 1968. Followers report that he warned the Indian community there shortly before Idi Amin came to power and launched his persecution against them.

SSB said that he performs miracles to attract people and then to transform them spiritually and tells his followers not to focus ont his miracles. Some followers are however fascinated by his miracles.

He can be seen in person to perform these miracles daily in the form of materializations of small objects, for example jewelry such as bracelets, rings, watches and especially vibhuti (holy ash) and kum kum. He says that these trinkets have symbolic value and offer the owners protection by reminding them of his protecting powers when in danger. Occasionally, usually at Mahashivaratri, he publicly produces lingams that come out of his mouth that he claims to materialize in his body.

Baba has said that all of his acts have meaning and significance. So many followers interpret the acts and sayings of the guru as teachings, sometimes even as personal teachings. Some followers, especially in the ashram, attribute coincidences to Baba’s will and try to find a sometimes hidden meaning in them.

He says that he can heal the diseases of his devotees by either his spiritual power or by taking on the disease himself. There is anecdotal evidence that supports this claim.

He says that when a person dreams about him then this is because of his will and this is a form of his communication with people. Followers report dreams with a special energy that contain messages from the guru to them. Some people became devotees after having such a dream.

Several visitors to one of the ashrams have reported that they have witnessed an aura around the guru. These people included the late psychic Frank Baranowski and some other non-devotees. Baranowski said that the aura of the Sathya Sai Baba was much bigger and purer than that of other holy men of India.

He teaches a rather traditional but syncretistic form of Hinduism that come from many sects and movements including advaita, occasionally drawing from other religions like Buddhism, Sikhism, and Christianity. In spite of his claim to be a reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, a spiritual leader who blended Islam and Hinduism in his teachings, he teaches no Muslim or Christian rituals. He says that he has come to restore faith in, and the practice of, the Vedas. As a result his teachings stress few changes in traditional Hindu thought or philosophies. He says that a very important way a person can emancipate oneself is through self-less service to ones fellow man (seva). He also encurages devotees to keep practicing (or return to the practice of) their own religion; for example Western devotees should practice Christianity, and so on.

He stresses the importance of sadhana (Hindu spiritual exercises) and says that there are three forms of meditation that are safe and lead quickly to moksha (liberation from ignorance and from the endless re-births due to karmic consequences). The forms are namasmarana ('remembrance of the name' [of God], usually through repetition), light-meditation (mental concentration on a steady light) and the so ham-meditation (repeating the mantra "so ham" silently-- so means He and ham means I, namely that The Lord and I are one. Baba says that other forms of meditation are a waste of time and can even be dangerous.

Sathya Sai Baba teaches the importance of Bhakti yoga (Hindu devotion through selfless service) and that it grows more easily if one has an Ishta-Deva (chosen personal form of the divine). For many devotees the Ishta-Deva is Sathya Sai Baba himself. He teaches a strict morality and the importance of renouncing worldly desires so as to free the intellect of distraction while attuning the conscience to a deeper more personal involvement with the divine nature.

One important practice in his ashrams is darshan (spiritual sight). During darshan Sathya Sai Baba walks among his followers. He may listen to a few chosen persons, accept letters, or materialize and distribute vibhuti (sacred ash of Lord Shiva). He says that his darshan has spiritual benefits for those who attend it. Usually people wait hours to get a good place for darshan. Sathya Sai Baba sometimes invites people for a group interview with him in a room in the ashram 's mandir (Hindu temple). Followers consider it a great privilege to get such an interview. Sometimes a person from this group is invited for a private interview.

Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Activities in local Sathya Sai Baba groups

Across the globe local Sathya Sai Baba groups assemble to sing bhajans (devotional songs). Baba says that concentration on the name of God with the help of bhajans will easily lead to concentration on God and to bigger devotion. Bhajans are sung on nearly every meeting. In those bhajans the name of traditional Hindu deities have occasionally been replaced by the names of Sathya Sai Baba. In addition they study Sathya Sai Baba's teachings and the holy books of the various world religions. More obvious to outsiders however is the fact they are often involved in community service that they call seva. His followers generally do not proselytize.

The charter of the Sai Organization says that every member should undertake sadhana (spiritual discipline) as an integral part of daily life and abide by the following nine-points code of conduct [2]:

Many of his followers come from tribal superstitious groups but also include the educated middle and elite classes, among whom are some high ranking writers, educators, doctors, and politicians.

The existing beliefs and practices in the new religious movement are not always endorsed by the guru and his organizations. The reason for this is that the guru and his organizations are quite tolerant and take little effort to refute rumors or distortions of the guru’s teachings. Some followers do not accept all his extraordinary claims but instead prefer to see him as just a sage and saint who has some siddhic (psychic) powers.

The greeting Sai Ram is used by many of his committed followers.

Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Celebrations and commemorations

The most important celebrations and commemorations are

• Maha Shivaratri the great night of Shiva, date is based on the Hindu calendar. Devotees are supposed to fast and stay up all night
• Easwaramma day on May 6 Celebration and commemoration of SSB's mother
• Birthday 23 November
• Guru Purnima date is based on the Hindu calendar. Gratitude and devotion to the guru is shown.
• Christmas

Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Bibliography

• Brown, Mick The Spiritual Tourist (1998) ISBN 1-58234-034-X Bloomsbury Publising
• Goldthwait, John “Purifying the Heart” (2002) ISBN 81-7208-339-4
• Guillemin, Madeleine “Who is in the Driving Seat?” (2000) ISBN 0-9583617-0-3
• Hislop, John My Baba and I ISBN 81-7208-050-6
• Kasturi, Narayana Sathyam Sivam Sundaran Part I, II, III & IV available online in Microsoft Word format
• Krystal, Phyllis “The Ultimate Experience” ISBN 81-7208-038-7
• Murphet, Howard Man of Miracles (1971) 0333-91770-7
• Sandweiss, Samuel H. The holy man ..... and the psychiatrist (1975) ISBN 0-9600958-1-0
• Sandweiss, Samuel H “Spirit and the Mind” (1985) ISBN 81-7208-056-5
• Thomas, Joy “Life is a Game – Play it” ISBN 81-7208-175-8
• Haraldsson, Erlendur PhD Miracles are my visiting cards - An investigative inquiry on Sathya Sai Baba, an Indian mystic with the gift of foresight believed to perform modern miracles (1997 revised and updated edition) ISBN 81-86822-32-1
• Padmanaban, R. Love is My Form Sai Towers (October 2000)
• Sandweiss, Samuel H. The holy man ..... and the psychiatrist (1975)
• Sathya Sai Baba Many online books
• Sathya Sai Baba Gita vahini, online book
• Sathya Sai Baba Rama Katha Rasavahini, translated into English by Narayana Kasturi available online
• Sathya Sai Baba Sathya Sai Speaks, Volumes I-. Many of these public discourses have been published on the internet Adobe acrobat PDF files
• Schulman, Arnold Baba (1971) Out of print but available in some public libraries

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