By Diane Wells
I was in Muddenahalli twice: once before the Subtle body phenomenon and once after. I experienced Swami on my birthday the first time I was in Muddenahalli, which was one year after Murthy’s so-called “dream” about building a place for devotees to come and visit.
Baba showed up in the form of an old man in the likeness of a drawing I had made. I didn’t recognise him at first. Swami asked me how old I was. I said "Seventy years." As he shook my hand, He repeated "Seventy years! Very happy!" There were many children who wanted to wish me a happy birthday, six or eight, all the same height, who lined up and shook my hand. They were, in my mind, like little deities, since they were all the same height, with eyes filled with light and wisdom. Each one insisted on shaking my hand as I walked down the line.
When I went to Muddenahalli the second time, I came with a friend who was not a devotee. Many devotees were waiting for the program to start. We sat in the outside of the bhajan hall where Isaac Tigrett and Madhu and Murthy were speaking. Madhu came outside afterwards to give a ring to the Vedic musicians in the back of the veranda, just three feet away from me. I was feeling the devotion from the people inside and around me, but Madhu seemed stiff and in a trance to me. I have been surprised at the response of so many people as the teachings of our Lord Sai began to be ignored by this new phenomenon.
So many of Sai’s warnings have been overridden by the MH group that I have not embraced the so-called “subtle body” as so many of my old friends have. After all, in His lifetime, Sai urged us not to follow a form. Yet I remembered what Baba had said: something to the effect that the purity of feeling and belief of the devotee saves him, but the false guru accrues his own bad karma. The problem for me is that all of the western advertising gimmicks are being employed by the MH group: direct solicitation of funds by E-mail, as well as using Baba’s students to directly approach visiting devotees, gathering money in Baba's name--these are the main issues for me that keep me watching the worldly scenario.
I have read the article by Bob Bozzani about his experience. What I wrote above is my experience. What he did not state clearly in his article was whether Baba had come to him in a dream or vision in his own form and said anything about Madhu being his new form. Bob talked about Baba accompanying Madhu as though he was actually seeing Him and described Swami as if he saw Baba in the flesh. I felt that he was simply giving words to the "feeling" or "belief" that he felt strongly that Baba was indeed walking beside Madhu or actually sitting in the chair set for Swami. To me, all of this seems to be the acting out of what Swami, in his form with us, cautioned and warned about over and over. It's happening in front of our eyes, but the devotees, in my view, are missing the warnings because of the influence of the dark forces at the end of the Kali Yuga age. Baba's old devotees are now following another form.
How ironic. This is how the dark forces work. Bob Bozzani did respond to my E-mail questioning this point. His response was focused, not on answering my questions, but rather on living in love, as God is Love – Live in Love. He reminded me that Swami has told us that we all are God. He said that each one should have their own thoughts about the subtle body, that we all are God, the only difference being that He knows it and we do not. I finally came to feel that this was more important to me at this stage of my life than engaging further in the MH controversy. Yet there may be some merit in sharing my main concerns with other devotees who are playing their roles on the worldly stage, perhaps caught up in the “mob mind” of blind acceptance, under the influence of the Dark forces, which ignores Baba’s warnings all during his lifetime, before he left the body. Though Baba has said to "Love my uncertainty," I am not convinced that he would go against his own teachings made while he was with us, in the Baba form we know and have experienced before the “subtle body” came on the scene.
My Baba friends are, on the whole, very loving human beings. I know that Bob Bozzani is truly convinced in his point of view, but I questioned where his discrimination has flown, under the influence of the dark forces. Many of us remember how Isaac Tigrett for years has been so fond of saying that Baba said to him "You are a magnet for evil." Tigrett announced at Christmas that he was going to open a casino in Las Vegas, the money which would go to charitable projects. Surely Isaac has not taken Baba's words about being a magnet for evil literally, but has viewed such an astounding statement by Baba as a positive thing. It seems to me that what Baba says is TRUTH. For Isaac to be told such a thing has put him in denial. Yet, can one not see how our LORD SAI would never have anything to do with using his name to collect money!...no matter what the intentions are. Isaac is penniless. Where do you think his money to build a casino is coming from? The Muddenahalli people own the Solar company Lotus. Business men. They are using worldly ways to get money in Baba's name! Sai Baba of Shirdi announced his next incarnation in another form. Sai Baba of Puttaparthi only announced his next incarnation as Sai Prem. He did not mention a word about any "subtle body" interim form. He did warn not to trust cheats who would imitate him, collect money in His name. Let them collect money under their own name, but not to trade on the impeccable name and reputation Baba spent a lifetime building.
That the MH group has solicited funds from known donors and done it by E- mail violates everything Baba stood for. They are operating, not by the promptings of the hearts of the wealthy, but by every known western advertising scheme from the worldly sector. They are trading on the gullibility of westerners who are trusting and easy "marks" for charlatans, especially “devotees" who are under the influence of the "Dark forces," which tends to dull their discrimination and throw all of Swami's warnings about such charlatans out the window. Please know that I love and admire my friends who follow this MH charade. I still do. But I disagree with what they perceive to be a good thing. There are consequences on a spiritual level for the MH group. I hope my Baba friends and other devotees will open their eyes and use their intellect, their Buddhi, to reflect on these matters. They are now just following another form, and I do not think it is the one he left us with.
Baba insisted on students, office bearers and all devotees to know his teachings and to be able to speak in front of people. We all can talk of our experiences and repeat His teachings ad infinitum. It is also strange that Baba's policies regarding his Centres and officers demand that when two parties disagree, whether in Centres, the Sai organization, even his Schools and Universities, one of the parties must leave. A house divided against itself cannot stand. The MH group goes totally against Baba’s directives...and yet, the gullible devotees accept these infractions. I pray that we all wake up to what is happening. BABA IS WAITING FOR HIS DEVOTEES TO WAKE UP.
There is an old joke that goes something like this: a man dies and meets God in the afterlife. He complains about all the horrible things happening on earth...so many people starving, injustice everywhere, etc., etc.,—and why doesn't God do something about it? God replies: "I did. I brought it to your attention!"
Baba wants us to handle our own issues. He has given us the guidance and left us on our own to handle our own future. The split in our organization has been brought to our attention. It is up to Baba’s devotees to do something about it. Baba is waiting for us to wake up and see the reality. How often He has referred to our propensity for worshipping what is really “tinsel and trash”. All that glitters is not gold. BABA IS WAITING FOR HIS DEVOTEES TO WAKE UP. Money, comfort and flattery do not count in Baba’s estimation. Baba as the young Bala Sai admitted that he gambled once and it was a sin. Only money that is earned dharmically is acceptable to the Lord. Using gambling money profits for charity is a complete misdirection of intentions. The MH group is not acquiring money by dharmic means. This will destroy them and their efforts in time. I hope and pray that Baba’s true devotees will examine the truth of what lies before them and begin to see into and through the methods being deployed by the MH folks.
