Need for both head & heart to examine so called communicator of Swami claims

Last updated on 22nd October 2015

Given below is a recent long comment of mine (slightly edited) on this Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/sathyanarayana.raju.9/posts/688942327908921, which I felt it appropriate to put up as a separate post.

I have had private FB chat conversations with brother VijayaSai B.S. (VSBS) and do have a lot of respect for his gentlemanly behaviour. He is a big figure among the alumni as I am told that he is a former student-teacher-singer-speaker which makes somebody a demigod in Parthi setup. A Sai university alumnus told me that VijayaSai has spoken i.e. given speeches, over hundred (maybe two hundred) times in the Divine presence (physical form).

During my stint in the Sai university from Jan 2003 to March 2012 I don't recall any such student-teacher-singer-speaker stars in the Parthi setup as seen from events in Sai Kulwant Hall in Prasanthi Nilayam. I mean, you had student-staff-singer (e.g. hospital staff), student-teacher-singer or student-teacher-speaker stars but, as far as I know, no student-teacher-singer-speaker stars. And bro VSBS is now an articulate supporter of Muddenahalli group.

The essence of his message to you, in my reading, is that he has had some miraculous experiences through so called subtle Swami via so called communicator Madhusudhan Naidu (MN), and that he is following his heart in this matter. I do not doubt that VSBS is sharing his view of the matter truthfully (truth as he perceives it). However I would attribute the miraculous incidents more to faith of VSBS in omnipresent Bhagavan rather than any big act of communicator MN. Sure, MN may have some small siddhis/powers (e.g. mind reading) but that's it, like so many other persons in India who have such siddhis.

To balance VSBS's views, who seems to have parted ways with the Sai university before 2003 or 2004, let us examine views of two Sai university alumni both of whom are currently associated with Puttaparthi Sai orgn./institutions, and who have met MN at or after Mahasamadhi:

a) Bro Satyajit Salian who was praised openly by Bhagavan in Sai Kulwant Hall for his dedication to Swami (I heard it myself sitting in Sai Kulwant Hall), has openly stated in his recent Singapore visit, that Madhusudhan Naidu met him at Mahasamadhi time. Satyajit's words clearly imply that he did not FEEL any subtle Swami presence along with Madhusudhan Naidu, and that he does not believe whatsoever in MN's so called communicator claims (Satyajit denounced it as giving false hope to devotees).

b) A current student-teacher-singer in the Sai university, spoke to me about a meeting he had with Madhusudhan Naidu in 2014 (after MN going public with his so called communicator stuff) where he kept an OPEN MIND about Swami having taken up subtle form in Muddenahlli. This person did not feel any subtle Swami presence and was not convinced about MN's so called communicator claims.

In my considered view, Sai university alumni associating with Muddenhalli are a small MINORITY. Bro. Chiran Basnet has expressed his view very clearly, "All I know that even a remote doubt or suggestion regarding Swamy n Conduit , I can assure you that the Swamy I know would skin me Alive!". I think that is the considered view TODAY of MOST Sai university teachers including student-turned-teachers not only of Prasanthi Nilayam campus but also of Muddenahalli campus of SSSIHL (A couple or so of SSSIHL MDH campus teachers are my former students who have told me what they think of this so called subtle body and so called communicator thing in MDH; their views are similar to bro Chiran Basnet's views).

It is my considered view that going by the heart alone without paying attention to statements of physical form Swami about communicators & mediums, is a WRONG APPROACH. A promoter on social media of MDH recently stated that Shri B.N.Narasimhamurthy said as follows, "Swami recently declared, when the Purnahuthi of Athi Rudra Maha Yagnam takes place on 23rd October 2015, Kali Yuga ends and Sathya Yuga begins."

To me this is like Ken Ham and his creation museum which features Jesus Christ riding a dinosaur (actually Christ like figure but then people can get who is suggested as the rider)! If one goes only by the heart then one may very well believe that Jesus Christ rode a dinosaur. And surprise, surprise! Ken Ham and others seem to have brain-washed some kids & adults to believe in that. [See Beginner's Bible Coloring Book, Page 8, Jesus and the Dinosaurs here: http://www.demotivationalposters.net/jesus-jesus-christ-christianity-religion-religous-dino-saurs-demotivational-posters-20068.html]

How do you counter Ken Ham & co.? By using New Testament scripture. Ask them where in the canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) or even non-canonical gospels, is it written that Jesus rode a dinosaur or whether there is any mention of dinosaurs then. [According to science, dinosaurs went extinct MILLIONS OF YEARS ago, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur. Jesus Christ is dated as slightly more than TWO THOUSAND YEARS ago.] A combination of head and heart clears up the confusion, and one dismisses the idea of Jesus riding a dinosaur as ridiculous.

Similarly I think the outrageous claims of BNN and MN should be examined by both heart & head. Bhagavan's public discourses did stress the NEED FOR DISCRIMINATION. It is not as if Bhagavan taught us that we should go only by the heart and not use the head at all.

So about Sathya Yuga starting from day-after-tomorrow, should we not see what Bhagavan has said in physical form about such matters? Has Bhagavan ever said that Kali Yuga is going to end in the 21st century? Or should we go ONLY BY THE HEART and believe whatever BNN says (which he claims was told him by Swami) if we feel it rings true in our heart?

As a former teacher in the Sai university (designations of Honorary Staff, Honorary Faculty & Visiting Faculty teaching software labs., guiding M.Tech. projects from Jan. 2003 to Mar. 2012 as Seva-Free Service), my considered view is that BNN and MN seem to be living in a fantasy world of their own, even if they may have acquired some siddhis, and they are BESMIRCHING the HOLY NAME of KALI YUGA AVATAR Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, by making their outrageous claims (e.g. Kali Yuga ending on 23rd Oct. 2015) in Bhagavan's HOLY NAME. I mean, Vedic and other Hindu scripture pandits, Hindu Matthadhikaaris (monastic heads) as well as Hinduism academic scholars the world over would have a laughter fit at such statements, if it is brought to their notice! What a pitiable state of affairs we have come to now, in this post-Mahasamadhi Sathya Sai mission! The coming Avatar, Prema Sai will be considered to be a Kali Yuga Avatar by Puttaparthi supporters/believers and as Sathya Yuga Avatar by Muddenahalli believers! Separated by a cycle of Yugas! Oh Lord! God only can help us now.

P.S. I think it is becoming clear that we will have multiple Prema Sai claimants in the future. That will be yet another source of confusion in the Sai movement/mission. Jai Sairam!
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Update on 22nd Oct. 2015
Additional comments of mine made on the above Facebook post are given below:

In response to a comment about an Ashram, not related to MDH, having been built in Mysore for Prema Sai Baba by an ardent Italian devotee based on his dreams of Sai Baba:
Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Oh! I did not know this. Interesting! The Sai scene gets thicker by the day :-)
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Ravi S. Iyer Well, [name-snipped]: Let's agree to disagree on this one :-). I wish all institutions whether official Sai orgn. or unofficial (including Muddenhalli institutions) all the very best in their efforts to follow teachings of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi by serving society and uplifting themselves through this social service. Glad to know that your homeland, Croatia, will also have an additional ashram. All the best for it.
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Thanks [name-snipped], for your elaborate reply giving details of why BNN and MN's claims do not stand the test of Swami's own words (physical form Swami) as well as Hindu scripture. To be very honest, I am shocked beyond words that elders of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust (some of them being elder to BNN) are not saying a word against BNN's claim of Sathya Yuga to start from tomorrow! These Loka Seva Trust elders (other than BNN), prior to Mahasamadhi and this BNN & MN so called subtle body affair, were WIDELY REVERED even in Prasanthi Nilayam (Puttaparthi) as Tyaagajeevis (bachelor men who chose to dedicate their lives to Bhagavan's mission like bachelor & spinster Catholic missionaries who dedicated their lives similarly to educational missions associated with the Roman Catholic Church). Bhagavan has praised them publicly in Sai Kulwant Hall when he announced Muddenahalli campus of the Sai university.

How are these elders (I repeat, some of them are ELDER to BNN) staying silent and not confronting BNN for making such ridiculous statements about Kali Yuga ending tomorrow? How is the learned head priest who is performing the Athi Rudra Maha Yagnam staying silent when such a statement is made? Has all the donor money (fees to the Yagnam head priest & team will surely be very substantial) and the large following cast a spell on them, making them lose their discriminative power and all that they know about Hindu scripture?

I was told that (physical form) Bhagavan had instructed one Loka Seva Trust associated Tyagajeevi to share his knowledge on Hindu scripture among the masses. I have heard Bhagavan, if I recall correctly on the day he announced Muddenahalli campus of Sai university in Sai Kulwant Hall, say publicly that Muddenahalli campus should teach Hindu scripture like Ramayana (and, if I recall correctly, Bhagavatam having accounts of other Avatars including Krishna, and Bhagavad Gita). These, I repeat, are PUBLIC WORDS of Bhagavan in physical form mentioned in Sai Kulwant Hall (towards the end of his physical sojourn on earth - may be around 2009 or 2010). How can the elders of Alike & Muddenahalli stay silent when BNN and MN are flouting Bhagavan's own words and Hindu scripture and are announcing new Sathya Yuga! I am utterly flabbergasted by their silence and co-operation with BNN & MN.
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Bro [name-snipped]: Good examples from Mahabharata to get some understanding of the very confused situation now, and have some idea of how to handle it. Though Bhishma & Drona & Dhritharashtra (Duryodhana's father) knew that the Kauravas were going on the wrong path, and, in particular, Bhishma & Drona did nothing when Duryodhana and Dushasaana, in open court, tried to subject the Pandava queen, Draupadi, to one of the ultimate humiliations that can be inflicted on a woman. So, Bhishma and Drona were not blameless, despite their virtues and knowledge, and one can't say that it was by chance that they happened to be on the wrong side in the Mahabharata war. They could have learned from Vidura and followed his example by going on pilgrimage to stay away from the Mahabharata war.

Of course, now whatever Muddenahalli group are doing is different. It is not a war, for sure :-). It is a case of spiritual misguidance of thousands of innocent Sathya Sai devotees the world over, using the HOLY NAME of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. My view is that those of us who are in a position to spend some time & effort on this matter, should contribute to disseminating what Sathya Sai has said about these matters, and CLEARLY and UNEQUIVOCALLY CONDEMNING this MISUSE of the HOLY NAME of Sri Sathya Sai Baba by Shri B.N. Narasimhamurthy and Shri Madhusudhan Naidu.
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Ravi S. Iyer [name-snipped]: I am sorry if you are offended by my statement. But I have to do my duty to my beloved Gurudev Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and the Sathya Sai fraternity from whom I have benefited enormously. I cannot be a silent witness when they are misguiding so many brothers & sisters and young students in the HOLY NAME of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. I wish you all the best in your spiritual journey. Thanks. Jai Sairam!
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Thank you so much [name-snipped]: I do acknowledge that some of the people who believe in so called Muddenahalli subtle body which communicates via so called communicators Shri Narasimhamurthy and Shri Madhusudhan Naidu, do exhibit great LOVE and TOLERANCE in their interactions on social media. Your words clearly reflect your Loving and Tolerant attitude. Wonderful! Congratulations! Thanks for your blessings. I pray to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba to shower His Grace on you.
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