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{{NPOV}} Paragraph 1 Sathya Sai Baba (born Sathya Narayana Raju on November 23 1926 — or later than 1927[1] — with the family name of "Ratnakaram" [2]) is a South Indian guru often described as a Godman[3][4] and a miracle worker.[5] According to the Sathya Sai Organisation, there are an estimated 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centers in 130 countries world-wide.[6] The number of Sathya Sai Baba adherents is estimated between 6 million to 100 million.[7][8][9] Several hundred books and media articles have been published about Sathya Sai Baba.

Paragraph 2 Sathya Narayana Raju was born into a poor agrarian family in the remote village of Puttaparthi located in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. In the 1940s he proclaimed himself to be the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba and subsequently took the fakir's name. Sathya Sai Baba claims that he is the second in a series of three Avatars (incarnations) of Shiva Shakti, the future incarnation being Prema Sai Baba.[10][11] He claims that he is an embodiment of love with divine attributes such as omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence.[12]

Paragraph 3 Sathya Sai Baba teaches the unity of all major world religions and says that they all lead to God. He preaches a foundation of five basic human values: Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love and Non-Violence. Sathya Sai Baba's followers report many, sometimes spectacular, miracles of various kinds which they attribute to him. He is observed to allegedly manifest vibuthi (holy ash) and small objects (rings, necklaces and watches) daily. Sathya Sai Baba explained the phenomenon of manifestation as an act of divine creation, but refused to have his materializations investigated under experimental conditions because he felt that the approach used by critics was improper.[11] Critics claim that these materializations are done by sleight of hand.

Paragraph 4 The most vehement criticisms since the year 2000 are the allegations made by former devotees of inappropriate sexual relations with young men and boys.[13][14][15][8] According to India Today magazine (dated December 2000) no complaints have been filed against the Guru, by any alleged victim, in India.[16][13] It was also reported, in this same India Today magazine, that the coterie that surrounds Baba dismissed the allegations by denouncing them as "Anti-Hindu" attacks made by foreigners [17]. According to Mick Brown, due to the public disclosure of allegations, there was a rash of defections from Western countries and Sweden.[8] In face of the allegations, the Sathya Sai Central Trust is still the largest recipient of foreign donations (as recently as 2001)[18] and Bill Aitken and Michelle Goldberg both expressed the opinion that the allegations have not seemed to impact the Guru's following.[19][13]

Paragraph 5 Sathya Sai Baba's followers and the organizations he founded are involved in many service projects around the world. They provide free education through schools, free healthcare through two state-of-the-art hospitals in Puttaparthi and Bangalore and two water projects serving millions in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Puttaparthi, where Baba was born and still lives, was originally a small village where one can now find an extensive University complex, a World-Religions Museum (Chaitanya Jyoti), a Planetarium, a railway station, an airport and more. High ranking Indian politicians, like the current President Dr. Abdul Kalam, Manmohan Singh (Former finance minister and current Prime Minister), and Atal Vajpayee (Former Prime minister) have been official guests at the ashram in Puttaparthi.

References and Footnotes

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  1. ^ Nagel, Alexandra (note: Nagel is a critical former follower) Een mysterieuze ontmoeting... :Sai Baba en mentalist Wolf Messing published in Tijdschrift voor Parapsychologie 368, vol. 72 nr 4, December 2005, pp. 14-17 (Dutch language)
  2. ^ Haraldsson, Erlendur, 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 published by Sai Towers, Prashanti Nilayam, India) ISBN 81-86822-32-1
  3. ^ Woodhead, Linda & Fletcher Paul, Religion in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformation. Routledge (UK), ISBN 0-415-21784-9
  4. ^ Lochtefeld, James G., The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. I ISBN 0-8239-3179-X, New York Rosen 2002
  5. ^ Hummel, Reinhart, German article published in Materialdienst der EZW, 47 Jahrgang, 1 February 1984, Translation by Linda W. Duddy and is reprinted by their permission, available online on the website of the Dialog Center, a Christian Anti-Cult Site
  6. ^ Sathya Sai Org: Numbers to Sai Centers and Names of Countries
  7. ^ Adherents
  8. ^ a b c Brown, Mick,Divine Downfall, The Telegraph, October 282000, online
  9. ^ Nagel, Alexandra "De Sai Paradox", 1994, nr. 29. published by the Free University Amsterdam, (1994)
  10. ^ Gurupournima Day, 6 July 1963, Sathya Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Speaks III 5, 19., Available online
  11. ^ a b Interview given by Sathya Sai Baba to R.K. Karanjia of Blitz News Magazine in September of 1976, Available online
  12. ^ SSB as quote in Narayana Kasturi's authorized biography Sathyam Sivam Sundaram Vol 3 page 315
  13. ^ a b c Goldberg, Michelle, Untouchable? (25 July 2001) in salon.com available online
  14. ^ Velde, Koert van der in Trouw newspaper Downfall 6 September. 2000 Dutch original Ondergang
  15. ^ UNESCO press release issued on 15 September 2000 available online
  16. ^ India Today December 04, 2000 A God Accused
  17. ^ India Today December 04, 2000 A God Accused
  18. ^ George Iype Sathya Sai Trust Gets Most Foreign Donations article on Rediff.com (August 16 2003)
  19. ^ Aitken, Bill, Miracle of Welfare (November 27 2005) Available online

Suggested Edits

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Suggested Edits For Paragraph 1

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I feel this paragraph is okay. SSS108 talk-email 03:05, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

The Sathya Sai Organization should be introduced to the reader and esp. the relationship between SSB and the org. Andries 06:15, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Suggested Edits For Paragraph 2

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I feel this paragraph is okay. SSS108 talk-email 03:05, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Suggested Edits For Paragraph 3

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I suggest removing:

  • "Sathya Sai Baba explained the phenomenon of manifestation as an act of divine creation, but refused to have his materializations investigated under experimental conditions because he felt that the approach used by critics was improper."

And moving it to the critics section if it is not already listed there. SSS108 talk-email 03:07, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

No, because the subject of miracles should be treated in its entirety. Andries 05:42, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Suggested Edits For Paragraph 4

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I had alrady voiced my complaints about this paragraph some time ago. In addition, to my former complaints the paragraph should contain the US dept of state warning. Andries 05:40, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I also suggest removing Bill Aitken who is not a notable person for this subject. Andries 06:16, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

That is your opinion. I disagree. SSS108 talk-email 06:54, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Suggested Edits For Paragraph 5

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I suggest removing:

  • "The purified water provided to these poor villages through clean pipes have given life to many villagers"
  • "Some quarters of the Indian government consider Sai Baba to be a "national treasure."

And move these to relevant sections if it is not already listed there. SSS108 talk-email 03:12, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I agree with removing these sentences. Andries 05:43, 6 November 2006 (UTC)
Sentences Removed SSS108 talk-email 07:01, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

WP:Lead say max. four paragraphs. Andries 06:14, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

We can merge paragraphs 3 and 5. SSS108 talk-email 06:56, 6 November 2006 (UTC)
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