| PROF. ANIL KUMAR'S INTERVIEW WITH THE THAILAND MEDIA |
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'LOVE ALL, SERVE ALL' - SAI BABA'S MESSAGE
LIVES ON AS AN INSPIRATION TO MILLIONS
For millions of devotees of the Sathya Sai Baba,
2011 was the cataclysmic year in
which the India-based spiritual guru passed away,
unexpectedly, at 85.
Sai Baba had prophesied that he would live till
96.
His rise from a backward hamlet in southern India
to preside over an empire whose net worth is estimated at some
US$8 billion (Bt253.8 billion), with followers in more than
100 countries, is the stuff of epics.
Though even his baiters acknowledged the enormous
humanitarian services provided by his organization -
encompassing free schooling, free treatment at two
state-of-the-art super-speciality hospitals, and an innovative
water project - criticism and controversy trailed him even
after his death, when huge amounts of cash and jewellery were
found in his residential quarters.
Professor Anil Kumar, a former doctor of botany,
who translated Sai Baba's speeches for almost four decades and
had close access to him, was in Bangkok last week. Here,
he addresses the oft-repeated questions of skeptics and
critics.
How do you explain the huge amount of cash and
jewellery found in Sai Baba's room, which was unearthed after
his death, especially as the Sathya Sai Organization does not
seem to have a history of soliciting funds?
You know, [devotees], they're trying to hand it
over to him personally. But he never
accepts. They want to give something. He rejects
it openly, throws it in their face. But these people don't give
up. They send them by courier, they post it. And those that
were received by mail were [left] lying there. But he had never
looked at them. He never used that money. He never touched those
packets. There were many cheques for huge amounts that had not
been cashed, some dating back to
1993. Had he been money-minded he would have got
them cashed. Many [packets] were not even opened. Because he was
not at all bothered. All the money and jewels found in his room
have nothing to do with him.
Why was all the money not taken away? Why was
it left lying in the room?
Because no one had access to his room. No
official could go to his room. They had to wait for him
downstairs. He came down and talked to them. No one knew what
was lying in the room. It was news even to the officials. I,
having had proximity to him for four decades, can categorically
say that he never talked about money. Money was never a
criterion for him for anything. Money was never a consideration
for anybody to come close to him. He attached no value to it. If
you take my example, I was an ordinary college lecturer, with
a hand-to-mouth existence … so how could I be so close to him?
I never gave him anything.
Among the jewels found in his room were gems
apparently given by a king of Saudi Arabia. Can you throw some
light on that?
I've no knowledge of the variety of jewels
collected over there or the sources they came from. Was there
any meeting with the Saudi king or his representatives? I ask
this because Saudi Arabia is a puritanical Islamic state. Here I
can say one thing. Sai Baba was very simple and so is his
place, Prashanthi Nilayam [in Puttaparthi town, southern India].
It doesn't get any facelift just because VIPs or dignitaries are
visiting. Prime ministers, presidents and other VIPs come but
there are no special decorations. In all probability, he [the
Saudi king] or his representatives must
have come. Baba may not be accepted as an
incarnation or as divine by everyone, but his teachings are
universal. His educational system is universal. His educational
system aims at total personality development, comprehensive
growth. It is a value-based education. So, no matter what the
religion, everyone can follow it.
A lot has been said and written over the years
about the 'miracles' he performed - producing ash and trinkets,
gold chains, rings and watches, etc. His devotees loved
it, critics hated it, skeptics were unconvinced. Scientists and
para-psychologists did studies on them. Some dismissed them as
sleight of hand, others were unable to explain them. For
someone who saw them at close proximity, how do you look at it?
I'll quote him. He called it his visiting card.
Once you give a visiting card to someone you don't have to
introduce yourself again. He steps into your life as a visitor
sending a visiting card through a miracle in your life. That
which you think is impossible is made possible through a miracle
and makes you believe in something transcendental,
extra-sensual. The miracle is a bait to draw a person closer to
God. He gives an example: to make a child go to school, what do
you do sometimes? Give a chocolate. But it's the schooling that
is important, not the chocolate. Similarly, a miracle happens in
your life, so you will turn your mind towards the divine or
spiritual life.
But magicians say even they can perform some of
these 'miracles' and you don't need any divine
powers… Magicians do it as a profession. But in Sai Baba's
case, miracles are not performed, they happen. The happening of
a miracle is different from doing it. One is spiritual, the
other is physical.
Can you expand on that?
A magician can perform under certain conditions.
But Sai Baba, anytime, anywhere could materialize something for
you. A magician will not be able to do that. He needs
special conditions to perform. But Baba, by his will, could
make things happen. Sai Baba's miracles have a higher purpose; a
magician is only aiming for attraction with commercial value. A
leading Indian scientist, S Bhagvantham, who was the
vice-chancellor of a university and even the director of India's
defense research organization, stayed with him and studied the
miracles and became totally convinced that miracles happened in
Sai Baba's presence, at his will. One Italian doctor, who
attended an international meeting of thoracic surgeons in
Puttaparthi, said that though his reputation might be at risk,
he would like to state that only Sai Baba could run such a
sophisticated super-speciality hospital free of charge.
A BBC documentary on Sai Baba, called "Secret
Swami", blighted his reputation with accusations of sexual
abuse. If the accusations were false why didn't his organization
or he defend himself or take action?
I, personally, would have liked to deal with it
differently. But the thing is, Sai Baba never encouraged anybody
to counteract [the accusations], especially on his behalf. He
said truth is triumphant and spotless. It doesn't need anybody's
support.
He went one step further and said to his
devotees, "you're happy praising me, they're happy attacking me.
I want both to be happy". He narrated a story from the Buddha's
life. When the Buddha reached a village, all the youngsters
there mocked him and made fun of him for abandoning his wife and
child and walking shaven-headed, wearing ochre robes. The Buddha
listened patiently and said "Is it over? Are you exhausted? My
disciples are on their way. If they hear the things you said,
they might beat you up. I don't want violence. So please finish
whatever you want to say before they come". That's the
compassion of the Lord. Sai Baba told us if you're pained to
hear all the criticism, you have legs to walk away. He wanted
all of us to develop a state of mind that does not become elated
when praised, or depressed when criticized or blamed.
A lot has been said and written about his
reported clairvoyance. Apparently in 1998 he told his inner
circle that the world was headed for many natural disasters and
that the earth's axis might even shift. We now know that during
the Japanese earthquake/tsunami the earth's axis did shift. Are
you aware of any predictions he made which came true?
He said long ago that Muslim nations will go
through turmoil and terrorism. We've seen that in Afghanistan
and Iraq; he predicted the unification of Germany, and long,
long ago he said the Soviet Union will collapse. Then, he also
predicted the decline of the US economy and the dotcom bust.
Talking about clairvoyance, he said more than
once that he'd live to 96, but actually passed away at 85. How
do you explain that?
Some Hindu scholars believe that, as per the
lunar calendar, he did live to 96. According to the lunar
calendar, a year has 324 days. Sai Baba never said he'd live to
96 according to the solar calendar.
Two years ago, he pointed to a spot and told me,
"This is going to be my Samadhi [resting place]." When I told
him "please don't say that", he said "why are you afraid?
It's inevitable for anybody. Death is the dress of life".
The British architect Keith Critchlow, who was
close to Prince Charles and designed the super-speciality
hospital in Puttaparthi, reportedly advised Prince Charles to
visit Sai Baba. And Charles was said to be keen to make the
trip. There are two versions of this story: one said the British
spy agency MI5 dissuaded Charles from visiting Sai Baba because
of the sexual abuse allegations; another said they had a quiet
meeting. Can you throw some light on that?
It's true that Critchlow wrote to Prince Charles
[advising him] to meet Sai Baba. The
authentic version I have heard is that the
airport in Puttaparthi is small and was not in a position to
accommodate the kind of plane Charles would travel in. Later, I
heard that Charles regretted not being able to meet Sai Baba,
and sent his respects through an emissary.
Since he encouraged everyone to practice their
own religion, what kind of role did he envisage for himself?
He saw himself more as a catalyst; as a unifying
factor; he wanted synthesis, not antithesis. He has left an
enormous legacy of free schools, educational institutions, free
hospitals, social service organizations.
His presence obviously helped raise funds all
these years. But now, will these institutions be financially
sustainable?
Right now, we're in a state of shock. But he has
left us with principles to follow, and
enough money. The interest accrued on the
principal amount will be enough for the [Organization’s] maintenance.
There will be no shortage of funds.
If you had to sum up his message in a few
words, what would it be?
Love all, serve all; the hands that serve are
holier than the lips that pray.
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