GOD LIVES IN INDIA

"God Lives in India" with permission of the publisher:

Magazine Editor Interviews Baba

SYMBOL OF LOVE & DIVINITY
Q: What is the significance of the Vibhuthi
and the trinkets that you materialise and gift to
people ? Is there any need for a God - man to
demonstrate such miracles which any magician can
conjure ?

Baba : So far as I am concerned, this is
evidence of my Divinity. It is not by any means an
exhibition of Divinity....


Q: Still I do not understand why you should
materialise rings, bracelets, watches and those kind
of trinkets ?

TALISMAN OF PROTECTION

Baba : Most people desire talismans symbolic
of my protection. So I provide them. When they are
in trouble they FEEL the grip of the ring, bracelet or
watch to remember me and call me to their rescue
so that I can help them. On the other hand, if I give
them something that they cannot wear, they are likely
to store it and forget about it.

The main thing is that these trinkets or
talisman, by whatever name you call them give
people a sense of security and protection they need
in time of trouble or crisis and create a symbolic link
covering the long distances between them and
myself. When the devotees need me, these objects
flash the message as if by wireless and I instantly
come to their rescue.

...

SIGNIFICANCE OF VIBHUTI

Q: What about the Vibhuti materialised by
you? We would like to know its relevance because
your critics are trying to discredit you by sending
round magicians who produce exact replicas of
Vibhuthi.

Baba: What I materialise is a manifestation of
Divinity with a potent significance as well as
symbolisation. It is symbolic of the cosmic, immortal
and infinite nature of all forms of God, Atma or the
Spirit - that is, what is left when everything worldly,
transient and changeable has burnt away...

...It is in order to press home this lesson that I
materialise ash for those who come to me with love
and devotion. Like the other materialisations, it also
acts as a talisman healing the sick and giving
protection to those who need it. It is the symbol of
Divinity...

The Phenomena of Materializations:
It is pertinent to recall that not all materialisations occur in Prasanthi Nilayam, as a result of direct physical activity by the person of Sathya Sai Baba in his presence. What many critics and the evidence rendered very conveniently overlook is the multiple recorded materialisations and other phenomena in India and elsewhere in the world done by Sathya Sai Baba.

Phenomena materialised
by Sai Baba Personally Phenomena materialised Elsewhere
Vibhuthi Vibhuti on Shrines
Rings
Earrings Vibhuti footsteps
Pendants
Lockets Kumkum, Amrith,
Butter on pictures and idols
Japamala
(Rosary beads) Fruit
Statues, Linghams,
Lingodbhava (Golden Lingham) Photographs
Pictures of Gods
Medallions, Diamonds,
Precious stones
Pictures of Gods Letters taken at shrines
Food Vibhuti on letters offered at shrines
Wish Fulfilling tree
(many different fruits materialised) Flowers falling, garlands move, garlands become larger
Water from ground
Water to Petrol Writing on walls
live animals Vibhuti writing on pictures
Sacred Objects from the past
Precious Gems from the past
Wood from Cross of Christ







Examination of Materialisations
Materialisations and miracles immediately beckon the witness and the hearer toward the world of biblical miracles, the second coming of Christ, healers, miracle workers and gurus, with some overlay of magic, fakery and cult. It has elements of fascination that appeals to inner desire to believe that such manipulations of the seemingly resolute laws of nature might be true. And, if they are true, who or what is the doer of these miraculuous acts? Innate fascination, desire, curiosity, all these elements are at play when people attend to the matter of materialisations and miracles. Any assessment that generates belief or is based on intangible elements of proof, will create controversy. Many people demand proofs for suspension of disbelief. many more people see and see and see and do not enquire into the nature of any materialisations.



Conjured or Materialised,
True Guru or Charlatan?
Open or Closed?
Discussion and evaluation of this topic ranges from disbelief, to doubt, to belief in Sathya Sai Baba as God and SatGuru.

The simple facts are so: Sai Baba moves his hand in the familiar circling motion, something appears from his downward facing hand. We shall name this a sign. The sign is evaluated. Signs tell a message and significance is drawn out of what is seen, heard, tasted, witnessed. One process of evaluation of the sign (be it a rosary, a ring, or a picture) is the Either-Or evaluation. This is the Open - Closed evaluation. It has no middle ground. Either Sai Baba is true God or true-guru or he is a fake, a conjuror, a magician. There is no room for further evidence or discussion. The door is open, or the door is closed. No further aspects around Sai Baba are admitted into consideration. Door opens and shuts on one criteria only.


Both this, and the other?
Other means of evaluation may be explored. One such means can include the material of the open - and shut method and assess that against additional evidence, and other useful criteria:
The Vedas proclaim what is seen reflects the seer (Sai Baba has often told in his talks that everything is 'reaction, reflection, resound');


Witnesses have to assess what they have seen and take it into their self-enquiry


It is the duty of the Guru to expose doubt and draw it out


The Bhagavad Gita speaks of creation as leela vinodi, 'the sport of the Lord';


The Both-And evaluation considers more options for exploration and assessment. Additional evidence may be considered. Evaluation is a process. There can be opportunity for self-appraisal vis-a-vis spiritual progress, analysis of Sathya Sai Baba and his action, and consideration of the purposes behind the phenomenon witnessed.

There is nothing gained by making lifetime decisions about the person or nature or role of Sathya Sai Baba on the basis of gossip or unverified second hand stories. Any decision based on second hand stories disposes of the unique human capacity of discriminaton and the intellect. Persons making such a decision act in self inflicted ignorance.)
The Vibhuti Pellet
Consider the reports of Sathya Sai Baba using a pellet of vihhuti, crushing it between his fingers, and distributing it to devotees.

Recently, one devotee reported seeing a vibhuti pellet fall from Sai Baba's hand in darshan, whilst he was walking around. No one else saw this. Later enquiry among those sitting either side of him and opposite him in darshan revealed that no other men present witnessed this. Only this one devotee saw it. The devotee is adamant and repeats "I saw the pellet fall". He has no doubt about it. Who is the play for?


If we take the elements of the Both-And evaluation and combine it with the sign-signifier-significance, some useful extrapolations may be made:



Sign
Signifier Significance
vibhuti pellet mind of the witness Exposes disbelief
(seen reflects the seer)
vibhuti on Sai Baba
picture overseas Sathya Sai Baba Guru's shakti not limited to ashram
diamond ring given to devotee is shown to be fake mind of the witness Witnesses have to assess what they have seen and take it into their self-enquiry
Sathya Sai Baba
obviously palms a ring Sathya Sai Baba Baba is playing on devotee projections (Guru task is to expose doubt)
Sathya Sai Baba
changes a 3 stone ring into one stone ring Sathya Sai Baba creation is leela vinodi,
the sport of the Lord
Sai Baba materialises article used by Krishna
Sathya Sai Baba Guru has mastery of time and space
Film evidence shows a necklace is handed to Sathya Sai Baba Sathya Sai Baba Sathya Sai Baba provokes controversy about his nature and his actions




The Play of the Atma
The purpose of the Sai Incarnation is to show the path of blessedness to those who have forgotten that path. Complacency does not merit belief; doubt is not dissolved by closing a door arbitarily and refusing to examine fact and experience further.

Controversy is a valid an instrument of divine self revelation just as glimpses of creation-ex-nihilo and the leela vinodi, the play of the Lord. If witnesses do not examine and assess both themselves and their own personal experience of the Guru, then no progress toward divinity is experienced, nor is divinity known.

We conclude that materialisation and the conjuror's trick of trade may occur in the text and the context of the faith journey of an individual devotee as shown earlier on this page. We conclude both materialisation and obvious palm tricks may be employed by Sai Baba in his task as guru to rid the devotee of maya, illusion, laziness, lack of faith, disbelief, tamasic slothfulness and uncritical acceptance of the stories of talebearers without proper enquiry.


Purport of Controversy
Sathya Sai Baba, in engaging in controversy, is challenging devotees and others to examine, evaluate, test and decide, as he has so often told in his discourses that each and any who come to him ought do. As guru and guide, Sathya Sai Baba is providing the different means needed for individuals to progress toward divinity. That is his duty as guru.

So BOTH true materialisations and AND conjured materialisations may exist in the repertoire of Sai Baba and his materialisations, for the various reasons noted above. Perhaps Sai Baba wants devotees to examine the basis of their faith in HIM and his acts more critically. Perhaps some need the rude awakening and goad toward discrimination that controversy so conveniently provides. Perhaps Sai Baba is Bala Krishna from time to time, at play and illuminating devotees to lighten up and not take it all so seriously.


Keep in Mind
One must continually keep in mind that Sai Baba as told that the path toward divinity and God-realisation is different for each and every person, and no two persons get to the goal via the same path. So these controversies will have different functions for different devotees and other witnesses. The only valid assessment of conjuration or fakery, if it is seen, is your own personal evaluation. What will be your basis of that evaluation?


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