Miscellaneous posts & comments on Facebook in June 2018

When author of post or comment is not mentioned, it should be assumed that it is me (Ravi S. Iyer).

Given below are comments I made (slightly edited) on the following post around 28th June 2018:
https://www.facebook.com/yaani.drucker/posts/10156456774170477:

[In the context of the post having the following: '"Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark." Radbindranath Tagore', I wrote:]
I loved the Rabindranath Tagore quote --name-snipped--. I did not know of that quote. Thanks a ton for sharing that quote.
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Oh! No problem about that. I view Madhu as misguided and deluded with the false communicator belief. But him quoting Rabindranath Tagore and my own beloved and revered Gurudev Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is fine (so long as he does NOT plagiarize them as his own quotes). I have no issues about appreciating such quotes even if it came via Madhu.

I have publicly stated that I view Madhu as a spiritual leader in his own right and also stated my view that he should give his darshan, interviews and discourses in his ****OWN NAME**** (or assumed name of say, Madhu Sai Baba like names assumed by Bala Sai Baba of Kurnool or Sanjay Sai Baba of Nepal) instead of misguiding thousands of Sathya Sai devotees worldwide by making the false claim that he is stating Sathya Sai's words and is communicating with some so-called subtle body of Sathya Sai (false claim) which is primarily seen and heard ONLY by him!

BTW sister --name-snipped--, I am curious to know if you have ****seen**** this so-called subtle body.
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Thanks dear sister --name-snipped-- for honestly stating that you have not seen the so called subtle body. I am grateful to you for your honesty. May Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba keep showering His blessings on you for your honesty and truthfulness (adherence to vital value of Sathya).

I did not state that Madhu has plagiarized.

About the good friend of yours whose experience you mentioned, I prefer not to comment as I do not know her.

Regarding the astonishing level of free educational institutions and free medical service (including super-speciality kind of hospitals for pediatric cardio care), I freely accept that Muddenahalli group has done jaw-dropping work there. And I have publicly appreciated them for this service to society work that they have done and continue to do, even though I have rubbed some Parthi supporters the wrong way by my public appreciation for Muddenahalli group's service to society work. I have had to unfriend and even block a few person(s) who were so upset with my public appreciation of MDH group work that they wrote nasty comments against me.

You write, "If this is the work of a fraud, I say let there be more frauds like him on the planet." You are certainly entitled to your view. But I vehemently disagree as I consider the spiritual truths that Sathya Sai taught as far more vital to protect and disseminate among interested people and am strongly against Madhusudan Rao Naidu propagating his views as that of Sathya Sai's views. As I said earlier, my view is that Madhusudan should give darshan, interviews and speeches ('discourses') in his own name instead of misguiding people that he is speaking the words of Sathya Sai and acting on instructions of Sathya Sai.

I prefer not comment on USA president Trump as I have chosen to largely stay publicly neutral in political party related matters whether it is the USA or India or any other country in the world. However I do publicly share and comment on certain government actions and views of countries like USA and India on social media, where I view it as a country's actions and views rather than a particular political party or particular political leader's actions and views.

I would just like to say this in the context of the deeply divided political discourse in the USA that I think it will be good for the USA if the heated temperature cools down. This sort of strong language and actions being used makes me fearful of things taking a nastier turn in USA politics, which would be bad for USA in general and for democratic discourse in the USA. It was a matter of great good fortune that USA Congressman Steve Scalise survived the attack on him a year ago, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Congressional_baseball_shooting. As a lover, a beneficiary and an open supporter of democracy, I pray to God that USA democracy does not get into any nasty violent zones and that the debates remain verbal debates with some level of civility.

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Sathya Sai has said on multiple occasions and in public that he never speaks through mediums (or communicators). I prefer to follow public teachings and instructions of Sathya Sai on this matter. As you have used words like shame, I felt it appropriate to share my view that it is a shame that many Sathya Sai devotees choose to ignore his public teachings and instructions with respect to mediums (or communicators) and follow Madhusudan.

Regarding your challenge for me to visit Muddenahalli: Well, how is me going to Muddenahalli change the reality of Sathya Sai public teachings and instructions that he never speaks through mediums (and communicators)? At the most Madhu may demonstrate some siddhis (psychic powers) that he may have acquired of reading my mind and memories. That will only prove that he has acquired some siddhis.

Besides I have the view that Madhusudan and Narasimhamurthy have betrayed our beloved and revered Gurudev, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. So I prefer to stay away from the places inhabited by these two persons.

I think the bottom line is that you seem to go by the fruits (ends) and not bother much about the means. For me, the means are more important in terms of adherence to Sathya & Dharma and teachings and instructions of Sathya Sai as far as I can (though I do slip up from time to time; I am not perfect), than the fruits (ends) measured by number of free educational institutions and free medical service institutions.

However, I respect your spiritual choice to accept the claim of Madhusudan Naidu. I usually avoid commenting about my views on Madhusudan Naidu on Facebook posts of known Muddenahalli group supporters like yours, as we already know each others' views and such discussions tend to increase friction. My comment on this post was about Rabindranath Tagore's great quotation which unfortunately got dragged into this Muddenahalli matter discussion.

So let me take a break from this discussion. I wish you all the best in your spiritual journey. And I prefer not to further comment about Muddenahalli or Madhusudan on your posts. Thanks and Jai Sairam!
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Ha! Ha! dear sister --name-snipped--! I fear the anger of my beloved and revered Gurudev Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, if I go against his public teachings and instructions on this very important matter dealing with mediums (and communicators). I have faced physical form Bhagavan's fury in 2010 which happened to wipe out any doubts I had about him being Shiva-Shakti Swarupa Kali Yuga Avatar Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

I find whatever I have read and heard about Madhusudan's claims to be so called communicator of Sathya Sai who can see some so called subtle body of Sathya Sai, to be quite a joke, in comparison to what I have directly experienced of physical form Bhagavan as late as 2010 (when he was giving darshan in a wheelchair and most people had difficulty in following what words he was saying).

Why should I waste my time to have so called 'darshan' of this cheap imitator of Sathya Sai when I have experienced the love, wisdom and ***utterly awesome*** paranormal power of Sathya Sai physical form as late as 2010!!!

If Sathya Sai truly was the power behind Madhusudan, Sathya Sai so called subtle body would come to his divine abode of Prasanthi Nilayam and show such miracles through Madhusudan that even I would have to accept Madhusudan's claim.

So dear sister --name-snipped--, can you please pass on my challenge to Madhusudan Rao Naidu to come to Sai Kulwant Hall in Prasanthi Nilayam and prove his claim to be the "chosen communicator" by performing miracles of the sort that some of us have experienced with physical form Sathya Sai??? Is that not a fair challenge, sister? After all, it is Madhusudan Naidu who is claiming to be the communicator of Sathya Sai. So the burden of proof for the claim lies on him.

Is Madhusudan Rao Naidu so powerless that he cannot accept my above challenge? If so, how can he be the "chosen communicator" of Shiva-Shakti Swarupa, Kali Yuga Avatar Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He then has to be viewed as only a pale imitator of Sathya Sai who can rule his ashram in Muddenahalli but dares not try his stunt in Prasanthi Nilayam. Is it not?

My apologies to you dear sister --name-snipped--, if my words are a little strong. What to do? Such is life for us due to this terrible confusion and misguidance brought about by Madhusudan Naidu and Narasimhamurthy by misusing the HOLY NAME of our beloved Lord, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

That is why I wanted to avoid further discussion. But then you are challenging me. So I have to respond with a more just challenge, in my considered opinion.
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Noted your response sister --name-snipped--. I would like to take a break from our conversation here and so do not want to further comment on the topic here. Once again, I wish you all the best in your spiritual journey. And my apologies if my strong words caused you any discomfort. Thanks. Jai Sai Ram!
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From https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2193458520870713 (slightly edited) dated 27th June 2018

Nearly 20 mins, Very nice Hindi classical devotional song (Hindustani classical, I think) with nice vocal and instrumental performances. Performed in Netherlands in July 2013. Kaushiki Chakrabarty - A devotional bhajan in raga Bhairavi with Soumik Datta and Vijay Ghate, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FuW2ZcgOmA

Tum aa jaana bhagavan - You (please) come O Lord!
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From https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2193396507543581 dated 27th June 2018

Around 10 mins. Fantastic to see young white girl singing ISKCON kirtan in Mayapur in 2018. I was so happy to see this young white girl sing the bhajan with devotional fervour. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW0HaePT4bE
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From https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2193169430899622 (slightly edited) dated 27th June 2018

Great bhajan song by the one & only Lata Mangeshkar filmed in the oldie Hindi movie, Johny Mera Naam. The movie was released in 1970 when I was around 8 years old and perhaps that's the reason I missed seeing the movie. But in my Hindi movie watching days I used to hear a lot about this movie. Maybe I will make some time to watch the movie in the coming days.

The video is somewhat blurred. A young Hema Malini sings & dances as Meera. There are English subtitles for most of the song so people who don't know Hindi too can view it. The audio is also not perfect - I have heard much clearer audio of this great bhajan. But its manageable.

What a great singer Lata Mangeshkar has been over decades. She puts in great Bhakti into this song! Maharashtra is the land of saints and Lata being a daughter of that holy land pours Bhakti (devotion) into this famous song.

Around 7 mins, Old Hindi Movie Bhajan 'Govind Bolo Hari Gopal Bolo' with English translations.wmv, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPU_s8CYkYw
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From https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2180661555483743 (slightly edited) dated 17th June 2018

Swami (Sathya Sai) uses the words "Guru Drohi" and "Daiva Drohi" in the shared video snippet below. The word "Drohi" has been translated in the accompanying English translation as traitor, which is an appropriate translation. But I would like to add that the literal English translation of the word "Drohi" is somebody who harms.

So "Guru Drohi" would literally translate to somebody who harms/harmed his/her Guru. And "Daiva Drohi" would literally translate to somebody who harms/harmed God/Divine being.

Judas caused harm to his spiritual master (Guru) and his God - Jesus Christ. So it is appropriate to refer to him as Guru Drohi and Daiva Drohi.

Muddenahalli group leaders like Narasimhamurthy and Madhusudan Rao Naidu should carefully listen to such words of our revered and beloved spiritual master and Avatar (divine being), Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and stop doing and promoting their blasphemous act of imitating Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and claiming (FALSE CLAIM) to be a communicator of his.

Shared video below is slightly less than 2 minutes.

[Shared video link: https://www.facebook.com/jeffsai.koh.1/videos/145864009572972/]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2177170512499514 dated 14th June 2018

Around 4 mins 30 secs; Awesome tabla performance by this small child.

Concern is whether the child is losing out on a regular childhood due to this, as this seems to be an earning for the child & its family and/or friends. But I really don't know about how child prodigies like this child have to be managed, especially if the child's parents are poor.

What is undoubted is the child's precocious talent.
[Shared video link: https://www.facebook.com/280270282028893/videos/1652856444770263/]
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My comments on https://www.facebook.com/notes/vr-ganti/madhu-is-feared-and-not-respected-by-most-of-mhalli-staff-and-supporters/10212508739858164/ around 8th June 2018

Vr Ganti sir, if what you have said about Madhu being feared rather than being loved, is true then Muddenahalli group is getting deep into the typical cult territory. Which then raises serious concerns about well-being of our Sathya Sai fraternity brothers & sisters who have got trapped in Muddenahalli group. I think people who have lost faith in Madhusudan Naidu claims should disassociate from Muddenahalli group and associate again with Prasanthi Nilayam (PN)/Puttaparthi. In PN they may be given the cold shoulder but nobody will stop them from having darshan of Bhagavan Mahasamadhi and feeling the divine vibrations of Sai Kulwant Hall where Bhagavan gave Darshan for decades. That will help them overcome any cold shoulder issues.

You wrote, "What is most disgusting in this game is that the young children are being forced to believe that Madhu is Divine and is more like Sai Baba which is very bad." That is the worst and saddest thing about Muddenahali group. If teachers in Muddenahalli group institutions do not have faith in Madhusudan's claims then they should NOT associate with any effort to make students believe in Madhusudan's FALSE claims. They should also be prepared to resign from their jobs if they are forced to tell students to believe in Madhusudan's FALSE claims.
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Oh! Livelihood is a very valid point. Hmm. I don't know how to handle that issue.
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Prestige issue has to be handled by swallowing one's ego. That was what we have seen happening with so many people (including me) with physical form Bhagavan. PN is famous for bursting ego balloons of anybody & everybody.
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On a non-public FB post I wrote:
Well, I hope you do not hold the view that science is the only source of knowledge and experience in life. There are other sources of knowledge and experience too which may not be as easily certifiable as true as scientific knowledge but may have a lot of truth in them. Literature and history and the arts in general are examples of sources of knowledge and experience which enrich life but cannot be viewed as hard science, IMHO.
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IMHO, there is a danger in worship of science as a cure-all like there is a danger in worship of religious icons as a cure-all without need for reason and science.

Like we have religious fanatics one can have science fanatics too. Fanaticism which exaggerates the power of a particular field of knowledge and experience e.g. religion, science, philosophy etc., IMHO, is bad.

Self-correction is a mechanism that is used by various fields including history. Indian history field, I am told, has moved away from Euro-centric history written before Indian independence to more authentic Indian history under Indian history scholars of repute applying the rigorous standards of academic history to the field of Indian history.

Jurisprudence is a vital field as many knotty disputes go to courts of the land for justice and resolution. Jurisprudence has its own standards for arriving at what courts view as the plausible truth (which would not be scientific fact). Self-correction mechanism is provided there too, when new evidence is presented which challenges the earlier conclusions of the court.

And then we have the vital field of journalism and its way of arriving at the truth.

My view is that ways of unearthing the truth in fields like jurisprudence and journalism matter even if they are not as solid as the way science uses to arrive at scientific truth. Hard science like Physics (which I graduated in) is extraordinarily solid in its methodologies to arrive at the truth in the material measurable world.

But life is such a complex web of material measurable things and, as of now at least, far more difficult to measure, if not impossible to measure properly, aspects like the vital emotions and instincts of love, peace, joy, hunger, survival (instinct), anger, jealousy, hatred etc. that I think elevating hard science to a pedestal of worship as a primary way to arrive at facts & truth about all or most of life, is not a balanced view.
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