Ravi S. Iyer: Spiritual

Last updated on 21st April 2020 21st April 2020 Update: I had an inner urge to name-snip the names of some person(s) in this post and so have done so. [The contents below are from my Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1681313705418533?comment_id=1681316582084912 .] I initially wanted to simply ignore Mervyn Hughes latest political style attack on me (see https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=701647949971692&set=a.305212276281930.1073741825.100003794812983 ) where this fake-Facebook-ID fellow, Mervyn Hughes, says about me, "... Ravi S. Iyer, a hilarious nerd who would try to shift blame of every ill (including global warming) to --Name1-snipped-- ex VC. These people were non-existent when Swami was present in His physical form and have no credibility to comment on any issue ..." But today I saw bro. @Aravind Balasubramanya​'s post, https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208431944460249&set=a.10204054805874520.1073741830.13554...

This program, GLOBAL SAI SYMPHONY - JAWAHARLAL NEHRU STADIUM, DELHI - 28 NOV 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1ABAhPnP0c , 2 hr. 39 min, broadcast on DD Bharati (one of India's govt. owned national TV channels which carries programs related to Indian culture) gave good exposure of essence of Swami's life & teachings and Sai orgn. activities by the speakers (& voice-over) as well as a short interview by a DD mediaperson of Delhi Sai orgn. head. That is really wonderful to note. Of course, the Global Sai symphony is also a great musical treat. It is largely instrumental but has some vocal songs too. In this post my focus is on the Swami message part and not the musical treat part. At 9:23 you can see union ministers Shri Nitin Gadkari and Dr. Najma Heptulla along with Sai orgn. leaders & SSSCT trustees standing respectfully as the national anthem is being sung. At 16:42 you can see the annual report of the Sai orgn. held up by the dignitaries. The chief g...

Last updated on  6 Jun. 2024 6 Jun. 2024: Sensitive content has been snipped. 18th Sept. 2020 Update: I had an inner urge to name-snip the names of some person(s) in this post and so have done so. This post may have got missed out in the name-snipping I did some months ago. I felt it appropriate to make a post of the following two comments (slightly edited) I made on this FB post: https://www.facebook.com/Aravindb1982/posts/10208414468463360 . Ravi S. Iyer wrote: Aravind Balasubramanya: I think you are pointing out the section where Madhusudhan Rao Naidu is blessing a Napkin/white cloth and, shortly afterwards, some other item by touching them. Yes, now it is clear that Madhusudhan has grown in stature in MDH following and is almost being viewed as Swami Himself! It was not difficult at all to predict that this would happen over time. Don't be surprised to see MDH followers take Padanamaskar of Madhusudhan Naidu in the not-so-distant future. He is now a bigshot spiritual guru u...

Last updated on  23rd April 2020 23rd April 2020 Update: I had an inner urge to name-snip the names of some person(s) in this post and so have done so. This response is to the FB post here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/vr-ganti/betrayal-by-sri-sathya-sai-central-trust-an-appeal-to-sai-fraterntiy-to-come-tog/10205531512351837 . To: Vr Ganti​ Sir, I have been very appreciative of your work in informing the Sathya Sai fraternity regarding the Muddenahalli FALSE BELIEF matter, and also your questioning the very slow and ineffective response of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSSCT) and other leaders of the Sai orgn. in combating the SERIOUS DIVISIVE THREAT posed to the post-Mahasamadhi Sathya Sai movement by Muddenahalli group. But this post of yours, in my considered opinion, is an UNFAIR ATTACK on all the trustees of SSSCT. As somebody who was in the Sai university at the time of the GREAT TRAUMA of the immediate post-Mahasamadhi HUGE POWER VACUUM AND SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP...

I felt it appropriate to put up my recent comment on a Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/ravirajsalyankar/posts/10153337009278721 , as a separate post. My comment (slightly edited): To be honest, now I don't think that Shri Narasimhamurthy believes in Madhusudhan Naidu's ridiculous (and, of course, FALSE) claims of seeing and communicating with an invisible-to-others so called subtle body of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. But he is GOING ALONG WITH, PROMOTING & ENDORSING the charade (pretence) as it is delivering him results in terms of followers and donors. That, to me, is the saddest aspect of this whole thing. You know, an old timer told me that in the early stages of Brindavan campus, maybe in the 70s or early 80s, (perhaps it was then part of Bangalore university), Bhagavan, this old timer and Shri Narasimhamurthy were present in Brindavan campus. As Narasimhamurthy moved away to do some work, Bhagavan told this old timer that Shri Narasimhamurthy was his V...

Last updated on 27th Nov. 2015 The pics below of the risen moon over Enumulapalli (near Puttaparthi) pond were taken a few days ago on 25th Nov. 2015. Note that right-click on the pics above and choosing 'Open link in new tab' allows you to see the pic in original (larger) size. I had first put them up on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1680190385530865 . I have given below edited comments of mine on that post: Yes, that (Yenumulapalli) is the official spelling. I am used to the old/informal spelling. Let me see if both spellings are in vogue now. If required, I will correct the spelling to Yenumulapalli ... I was also struck by the bar of yellow light being reflected in the pond. I presume it is some optical effect from the (reflected) light of the moon. [By (reflected) light I mean that light from the sun reflects off the moon to earth.] The other photo does not show the bar of yellow light - the moon was lower on the horizo...

Here are two recent articles from Zee News and CNN-IBN (both are Indian national TV media channels) which state that Madhusudhan Naidu claims to be a reincarnation of Sri Sathya Sai Baba: http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/has-puttaparthi-sai-baba-reincarnated-as-madhu-baba-of-bengaluru_1825306.html http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/ahead-of-sathya-sai-babas-90th-birthday-karnataka-man-claims-he-is-babas-reincarnation-1167669.html I added the following comment to both the above article-webpages (slightly edited): Madhusudhan Naidu FALSELY CLAIMS to be a so-called communicator who can see and interact with an invisible-to-others so called subtle body/subtle form/light body of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He does not claim to be a reincarnation of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Sadly, many Sathya Sai devotees from India and abroad have got trapped and deluded by Madhusudhan Naidu into believing his claims to be true. That has allowed them to attract lot of funds especially from foreign devotee...

Given below is an exchange I recently had (slightly edited) with an old friend & former software industry colleague going back around three decades to my first software company, Datamatics Ltd., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datamatics_Global_Services , in SEEPZ ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEEPZ ), Mumbai, India. [The friend gave her approval to share her part of the exchange publicly]. In the course of an exchange with multiple persons on faith and evidence/proof for faith, the above-mentioned friend/correspondent wrote: I am ever curious and continue my quest to understand better but will not accept and believe until proven. It is possible that there is something out there beyond the comprehension of my simple mind. While I respect other peaceful believers, I condemn those who impose their beliefs on others. I would be happy to reconsider my beliefs if a counter is backed by science. --- end correspondent message extract --- Ravi response to correspondent: I can e...

[Update: I have rephrased the paragraph below in my own words] Automation and globalization seem to be important factors contributing to making it difficult for not-well-skilled people (especially those from economically & socially challenged sections of society) to get and keep a good and well paying job in the developed economy countries of the world. Ravi: Of course, emerging economies like India have their HUGE challenges as well though globalization currently seems to be working in its favour (materially). Automation though may be an even bigger challenge in terms of jobs to eke out a living for youth in India than it is in developed economies. In Puttaparthi it is as simple as coin operated laundromats being a threat to so many (manual) washermen families - perhaps that's the reason Puttaparthi does not have a coin operated laundromat even today (though some families have washing machines at home). Today (20th Nov. 2015) the sun was out in Puttaparthi after a few d...

Last updated on 22nd Nov. 2015 This incident was related to me recently by the grandson of Shri N. Kasturi (first editor of Sanathana Sarathi and writer of initial volumes of Sathyam Shivam Sundaram, the authorized biography of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba). The grandson is Shri Rameesh Kasturi, who also gave his approval for the account to be shared publicly. The incident was shared with Shri Rameesh Kasturi by his mother, who, if I got that correctly, is the daughter of Shri N. Kasturi. There was a Maharaja's son staying in Prasanthi Nilayam ashram who had become well acquainted and friendly with Shri N. Kasturi. After some months of this person's stay in the ashram, Shri N. Kasturi felt that he should help him get a job (in the government perhaps but outside Puttaparthi) and so, in his personal capacity, recommended him for a job to people known to him. When Swami came to know of this matter, Swami was very upset with Kasturi. Swami told Kasturi that the Maharaja...

Today's (19th Nov. 2015) Deccan Chronicle carried this article, Time to call a spade a spade, http://www.deccanchronicle.com/151119/commentary-columnists/article/time-call-spade-spade , by Delhi based young Islamic scholar Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi. I made the following comment (slightly edited) on it (under moderation as of now and so does not appear on the page): I applaud the author, a Delhi based Islamic scholar, for so clearly, crisply and courageously denouncing the ideology behind attacks like the recent Paris terror attacks, explaining the mainstream and moderate Islamic view (which denounces such terror), and arguing for "concrete action plans for rebutting and rooting out terror ideologies instead of targeting innocent Muslims and condemning an entire faith, tradition and culture." Well done, sir. Sabka Maalik Ek! (There is one master of all)! Allah Maalik! (Allah is the master)! Eashwar Maalik! (Eashwar is the master)! Allah & Eashwar are two names of the s...

Last updated on 18th Sept. 2020 18th Sept. 2020 Update: I had an inner urge to name-snip the names of some person(s) in this post and so have done so. This post got missed out in the name-snipping I did some months ago. A recent comment of mine on this Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/notes/vr-ganti/singapore-devotees-opening-up-bro-a-kumar-pens-his-pains/10205455046000226 , has been reproduced below (slightly edited). This message from Sri A. Kumar of Singapore (put up by Mr. Vr Ganti) is very appropriate, in my considered opinion. In particular, I am in full agreement with the following part of his message: When the very Organisation He has so painstakingly built as one unit is in clear danger of breaking apart, do we as devotees just sit and say " leave it to Swami ? "   Is that what we have learnt from Him, if at all ? Do we not owe our beloved Swami at least the basic requirements of keeping his Organisation intact ?  Why cant both sides set aside their e...

Courtesy:  https://www.facebook.com/147554575399712/photos/a.176133139208522.1073741825.147554575399712/553405734814592/ The teaching in the above image is reproduced below as text: You are so accustomed to think of yourselves as bodies having consciousness that you just cannot imagine consciousness as having bodies. It is in the nature of consciousness to survive its vehicles. Be aware of being conscious and seek the source of consciousness. That is all. [I thank the above referenced Facebook page/user and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]

Thought-provoking article by the big man, Paul Krugman, "Despair, American Style", http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/09/opinion/despair-american-style.html , dated Nov. 9th 2015. A small concluding extract from the article: "Some people who feel left behind by the American story turn self-destructive; others turn on the elites they feel have betrayed them. No, deporting immigrants and wearing baseball caps bearing slogans won’t solve their problems, but neither will cutting taxes on capital gains. So you can understand why some voters have rallied around politicians who at least seem to feel their pain. At this point you probably expect me to offer a solution. But while universal health care, higher minimum wages, aid to education, and so on would do a lot to help Americans in trouble, I’m not sure whether they’re enough to cure existential despair." Ravi: A turn to good spirituality & good religion may work wonders for those suffering from existential desp...

Today (8th Nov. 2015) I came across a Facebook post https://www.facebook.com/siregaon0423/photos/a.1394016697487601.1073741829.1394014604154477/1585642421658360/?type=3&theater which had the photograph shown below with the text (slightly edited): Sri R.J Ratnakar, trustee, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam. Sri Ashok Chavan former chief minister of Maharashtra. Sri Ramesh Sawant state president of Maharashtra Sai orgn. Inviting the president of India. For the 90th birthday celebrations in Prasanthi Nilayam. ---- end Facebook post text & photo --- Ravi: I presume that the above text info. is true. I wonder whether His Excellency, the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has accepted the invitation. In any case, it is a great pleasure to see that the leaders of the Sai orgn. and Sai fraternity were granted the opportunity to meet the president and also have this wonderful photo taken. Update: SaiBliss Facebook user provided me an update, https...

In a Facebook note of Sri. V.R. Ganti​, https://www.facebook.com/notes/vr-ganti/many-sai-devotees-are-voicing-david-wolff-speaks-on-muddenahalli-fraud/10205431348687808 , which is on the recent message from Sai brother, Sri David Wolff, of North Carolina, USA, Sri Ganti writes: SWAMI had clarified many times that HIS students are His property.  When I was distressed about inaction from various authorities in the Sai (Organization) against Mhalli and its activities, I have prayed to SWAMI and I got a message from Him – I quote – NA SOTHHU VADUKO (USE MY PROPERTY).  Accordingly, I have written / spoken with so many Sai Students (especially Alumni) to come forward and express their views openly as it could have tremendous impact.  Many have indeed responded giving excuses such as – a) SWAMI knows everything and will take such action as is necessary in HIS time frame; b) I am not interested into getting into these kinds of activities of condemning and would only like t...

Last updated on 7th Nov. 2015 Here's is an interesting Facebook post on Sai Bliss, "FRAUD AND SUPPORTING FRAUDSTERS: by David Wolff, USA", https://www.facebook.com/saimemories/photos/a.422242711155641.89985.402496529796926/983660375013869/ . I have given below an extract from it addressed to Sai university students/alumni. DEAR STUDENTS! WHAT IS STOPPING YOU TO COME OUT AND SPEAK? Finally, My humble appeal to all the Sai University students to come out of hibernation and speak out! THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION! If your son or daughter were in a big medical emergency would you just sit idle at home and say “Swami will take care of this or will you rush your child to the hospital?” Speak up, rise up, and be against what is being done wrong with the MDH campus; do not allow this FRAUD to propagate unnecessarily. Don't remain as mere 'entertainers' by speaking about the humorous interactions you had with Swami. This is the time when you all should step up an...

[The note given below is from an anonymous correspondent giving a query that came up in his discussion with friends. He sought my view on it. I have yet to provide it. [03-Mar-2017 Minor update: My view is provided later on in this post. Perhaps that view was provided on Nov. 4th 2015 itself as an update to the post but this 'Minor update' was missed out then. end 03-Mar-2017 Minor update] Meanwhile I thought of sharing it with others (social media friends/mail correspondents) so that those who are interested can also provide their views. Please NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT MY VIEW.] We talk about three aspects of the Avatar's divinity: message, mission and mysticism. Many scholars and orators have taken upon themselves to propagate Swami's message for the public and posterity in their own ways. Notable names include Prof. Anil Kumar, Prof G Venkataraman. Some have dedicated themselves to His mission , and are into educare, medicare, socio-care - building new schools ...