Ravi S. Iyer: Spiritual

Pic courtesy: SaibabaofIndia.com The noblest corporate icon of India, Shri Ratan Tata,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratan_Tata , offering pranam (obeisance) to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, by touching His feet (Padanamaskar). The location seems to be the verandah VVIP area of Sai Kulwant Hall in Prasanthinilayam (Puttaparthi). The year may be 2008/2009.

Can Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba really say, "good is God"? Can He really say, "Whether I was Rama or Krishna or Allah or Jesus or Buddha – the purpose has always remained the same. I have come for transformation of the human heart, and I continue to do that."? [This is a slightly edited version of a Facebook post of mine here:  https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1637678806448690 ] The above quotes are supposed to be from Muddenahalli so-called chosen communicator's 'discourses'/'interactions'. Given below is an extract of a long comment, slightly edited, I made on another FB post ( https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1636985739851330?comment_id=1637189419830962 ), about the above questions: a) Saying that most of what Swami said was very simple (e.g. Love All Serve All; Help Ever Hurt Never), to justify so-called chosen communicator's words that good is God (or something like that which I read somewhere), is very un...

Last updated on  6 Jun. 2024 6 Jun. 2024: Sensitive content has been snipped. 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 is a slightly edited version of a Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1637482679801636 .] Readers who are MDH believers, please tolerate some strong words which I feel are the truth. You are free to disagree. Of course, if you get upset, simply stop reading this longish comment. Hindu scripture has no such subtle body/light body visible only to a so-called chosen communicator, in accounts of any Avatar! And, as far as I know, neither does the scripture of other religions. Further, there is a lot of fudging of the facts done by MDH. Earlier Narasimhamurthy used to get dream instructions; now he does not talk much about it after brother M (so-called chosen communicator) came into the public eye. If subtle body needs a seat in the car, wouldn't it need...

My admiration for Pope Francis keeps on growing. What a humane spiritual leader he is! I have been bowled over by his transparent and genuine apology for the sins of the church and the crimes against natives of South America in his speech at the "SECOND WORLD MEETING OF POPULAR MOVEMENTS" in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, on Thursday, 9 July 2015. The revlevant extract from his speech, http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2015/july/documents/papa-francesco_20150709_bolivia-movimenti-popolari.html , is given below: Here I wish to bring up an important issue. Some may rightly say, “When the Pope speaks of colonialism, he overlooks certain actions of the Church”. I say this to you with regret: many grave sins were committed against the native peoples of America in the name of God. My predecessors acknowledged this, CELAM, the Council of Latin American Bishops, has said it, and I too wish to say it. Like Saint John Paul II, I ask that the Church – I repeat w...

A few extracts from Mata Amritanandamayi's address titled "RECONCILING ANCIENT SPIRITUAL WISDOM AND MODERN TECHNOLOGY FOR SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATION" at a UN Academic Impact,  Technology for Sustainable Development  conference on July 8th 2015, New York, USA: Some of you may wonder, “Does a spiritual person like Amma have a place here?” It is my faith in the validity of spiritual knowledge that has brought me here in front of you today. I often reflect deeply on the future of the Earth, the preservation of nature, and the disappearing harmony between humanity and nature. This contemplation has led me to the conviction that science, technology, and spirituality must unite in order to ensure a sustainable and balanced existence of our world. The present age and the world around us demand this transformation. Day by day, science and technology are rapidly growing in an uncontrollable manner. Nobody knows where this growth is leading. When we look around, we see developers,...

[Ravi: I have huge admiration for Nelson Mandela though my knowledge about him is rather limited. Even that rather limited knowledge tells me that Mandela was a truly inspirational and great man who rose above anger at horrific injustice meted out to him and his people, and steered his nation to victory over apatheid without too much bloodshed, and then put it on a path of truth & reconciliation. What a role model he is for so many other communities and peoples, across the world, to follow!] Excerpts from Nelson Mandela's statement on receiving the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report, 29 October 1998, http://www.mandela.gov.za/mandela_speeches/1998/981029_trcreport.htm : South Africa is no longer the country it was when we adopted the Interim Constitution in 1993, when, together, we resolved to overcome the legacy of our violent and inhuman past. (Out) of that negotiation process emerged a pact to uncover the truth, the better to build a bright future for our chi...

One answer I have heard is that He was keeping all the Rakshasas with Him as if they were in society outside there would be havoc! Another answer is that there is darkness even at the foot of a candle. But here's my take on the matter. Please feel free to disagree with me. I got some understanding of Puttaparthi setup after I started comparing it with Rama Avatar and Krishna Avatar (as recorded in Hindu scripture). I think it is the strange nature of Avatars (advents) that they need strong critics, enemies etc. Perhaps if these critics and enemies are not there, the Avatar's role will not be played out as required. So a Ravana was essential for Rama's advent and for the Glory of Rama to be established by Rama and the monkey forces defeating the Great King Ravana and his forces. Further, Rama would not have got into this fight with Ravana, unless there was palace intrigue with Manthara and Kaikeyi forcing Rama (and Sita) to be exiled to the forests!!! Similarly, if ...