10 Aug 2006
Devotees’ Enquiry
[The following question was asked by Devi and Nikhil to Swami:
Padanamaskaram Swamiji,
We are aware that You have said that Shri Sathya Sai Baba is a complete incarnation of Lord Datta and we completely believe that. We beg Your forgiveness for the impudent nature of this question. It is based on the perceptions of the majority of ignorant people, including ex-devotees of Shri Satya Sai, who have claimed that they were abused by Shri Satya Sai. Apparently, there are pending court cases in relation to these scandals and illegal activities.
Human incarnations of God establish and protect dharma (justice). They usually do not violate dharma themselves. Although Lord Rama killed Vali from the back, which was a violation of Kshatriya Dharma, it can be argued that He did so only to protect Sugriva who had approached Him for help. So Lord Rama was only proving that He can even violate dharma for saving a devotee who approaches the Lord. Moreover, Lord Rama also suffered the consequences of this violation during His next incarnation as Lord Krishna. In the case of Lord Krishna’s stealing butter and having ‘affairs’ with the Gopikas, it was God testing His highest devotees for their ability to overcome their bonds with their family and wealth for His sake. There could even be other cases under which the human incarnation might violate dharma for the greater good. With this context, how can the allegations of the scandalous actions of Shri Satya Sai Baba be explained?
At Your Divine Feet
Nikhil and Devi]
Lord Datta Answers
To answer this question, Lord Datta Himself has to come forward. I prayed to Lord Datta to answer it through My mouth and now Lord Datta is speaking through My mouth:
I enter the human body to establish both dharma in Pravrutti as well as the path to please Me through Nivrutti. By following the Pravrutti Dharma, the souls will not displease Me, because the foundation of the society which is the stage for My divine play is to be protected. I enter several human bodies at a time for various programs from time to time according to the requirement. This type is called as Purnaavatara. I am always associated with the liberated souls through whom My power carries on the program designed by Me. Such liberated souls possessing the knowledge given by Me and super powers granted by Me are called as Kala and Amsa avataras. There is no difference between My direct incarnation and these indirect incarnations. Whether I speak directly or My speech is delivered indirectly through cassettes is one and the same. All the spiritual preachers propagating My knowledge are the liberated souls who serve Me in mission. These preachers represent Me and should be respected as equal to Me. There is no difference between Myself and these divine souls who serve Me in my mission. If any question is raised against the cassettes played by them, I have to answer because their knowledge is from Me only. Each preacher has a specified cassette, which is meant to a particular level of the devotees. The devotees of a particular level cannot concentrate in one place, since they are scattered all over the earth. Therefore, these preachers tour all over the world and attract the devotees of a specified level for whom only they are sent. As the level goes down, the attracted souls increase in number because the majority of souls are at the bottom level only. Schools are many. Colleges are few. Universities are rare. Generally the Purnaavatara comes for Nivrutti and the liberated souls come for Pravrutti. But this is not a rule. When the Purnaavatara comes it may concentrate on Nivrutti only like Shankara or may concentrate on Pravrutti only like Rama or may concentrate on both like Krishna. The liberated souls also may preach to certain specified levels in Nivrutti. Vyasa is a Kala Avatara. Kapila is Amsa Avatara. However, I do not like to make any distinction between Myself and the liberated souls who are My top most devotees, serving Me in the mission. Service is the real proof for devotion.
Shri Satya Sai is a Complete Incarnation
Shri Satya Sai Baba is the reincarnation of Sri Shiridi Sai Baba, who was a Purnaavatara. This means that there is no need to tell that Shri Satya Sai Baba is a purnaavatara. He has started with strengthening the foundation to protect the faith of God, which is the basic stage. For this purpose, the majority of the society is in the underground level requiring the level of foundation only. If the foundation is not there, today no body will hear the knowledge delivered through this Datta Swami. For such foundation, which is the faith in the existence of God, the demonstration of a variety of miracles is needed involving the super power, especially in the present atmosphere of scientific achievements. Shri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swami erected walls on this foundation, which involve the representative worship for the higher level. Once the existence of God is accepted, people like to worship God. In this stage, the concept of human incarnation cannot be introduced because the level of jealousy and egoism is not at all subsided in this level. People accept God but cannot accept the human incarnation. Therefore, the human forms represented by statues have to be worshipped so that training is given to develop the psychology to worship the human form of the God. In course of time, during this training the jealousy and egoism are expected to come down. Swamiji has introduced the word Datta in this level. He told that every form represented by the statue is Datta only. Rama, Krishna etc., are God given (Datta) to human beings. Shiva, Vishnu etc., are God given (Datta) to souls in energetic bodies existing in the upper world. These energetic forms are also in human structure only. Since, these forms are not human forms on the earth; the jealousy is satisfied in the beginning. But the human form is already introduced. Slowly the human forms on this earth are introduced, when the jealousy comes down to the lowest level. But still since these human forms on the earth do not exist at present, the jealousy gets pacified on this point. I have laid the foundation through Sri Satya Sai and erected the walls through Swamiji. Now the roof on the walls is left over which is being done through this fellow, Datta Swami. At this level the real meaning of the word Datta is revealed, which is that Datta is God given to the human beings on this earth through the present human form only. Please do not misunderstand that the roof is at the highest level. The roof cannot exist without walls and walls cannot exist without the foundation. Thus, the roof completely depends on the walls and foundation only. Thus, the strength of this Datta Swami is only these two human forms of God. Therefore, egoism cannot enter the mind of Datta Swami due to this logical analysis. Without these two there is no need or existence of this roof.
Baseless Allegations
Shri Satya Sai has strengthened the human values which are the stones of the foundation. How can He break the very human values? He is building up the spiritual foundation, which is Dharma in Pravrutti. How can He Himself violate His own program? It is equal to saying that Rama married several girls after losing Sita. I assuredly say that all this is built up against Him by atheists, who are the embodiments of jealousy and egoism. How many false witnesses are not created in the cases existing in courts? How many tricks of photographs are not fabricated? Even in Nivrutti, Lord Krishna danced with Gopikas in view of a special back ground only. Gopikas were sages who requested the Lord to cut their bonds by His powerful attraction since they themselves were unable to cut their bonds. Therefore, Krishna attracted them by His beauty and flute and forcibly cut their bonds with their families. He stole the butter (Money) so that their bonds with money were forcibly cut. He has done so on their prayers only. For Krishna even the dancers of heaven will come down with immense pleasure if He gives permission by just moving His eyebrow. Do you think that He was attracted by Gopikas who were not actually beautiful? The Lord was attracted by their beauty of devotion. Sri Satya Sai was pained to see even the bulls carrying the heavy loads on the carts and was advising people not to do so, when He was a boy. Can you imagine that He has abused children and committed murders? It is equal to saying that the fire is ice cold. If He wishes, even the dancers from heaven will stand in line just to embrace Him for one second. Such person is having homosexuality! One should be ashamed even to utter such words. The hell with liquid fire is meant for such people only, where they have to stay forever. The human beings who are rubbing this homosexual nature on Me must have the same very nature. Most of the human beings have the sages as their ancestors. The sages became homosexual on seeing Rama in forest (Pumsam Mohana Rupaya…). The gene- characteristics naturally come down according to the present accepted concept of science. Therefore, these human beings have got that feeling from their ancestors. For a fellow who has red spectacles on his eyes sees the whole world as red only. Therefore, those who have the homosexual feeling find the Lord also as homosexual. I have met a lady in Vijayawada, who said that Swamiji [Shri Ganapati Sachchidanada Swami] called her for sex when Swamiji visited her house. Is it believable? Swamiji has done so much intensive sadhana from the childhood to control the senses about which I am the witness. How can anybody fool Me by such false remarks?
The program of Sri Satya Sai was to install the faith in God and this involves majority of the society. Therefore, the fame is inevitable. I am not fond of fame because I was bored in the upper world with continuous praises from angels and divine sages. I come down to the earth bored with the fame in the upper worlds. In such program the fame is inevitable. I never try for fame. This unlimited fame naturally grows the jealousy to climax. Therefore, such reactions come out. I keep silent to such abuses because My children who are suffering with jealousy-fever should get some relief. Such abuses pacify their jealousy and they gain normal health. Therefore, I am happy that my children have been relieved from the stress of jealousy. A dancer came to attract Me in Shiridi. She failed in the very first step. A saint came from Himalayas and scolded Me for My involvement in the function arranged to honor Me. He fell on My feet on seeing Me inside the body. Even the sage Udanka tried to curse Me on the charge that I have got killed so many people in the war of Kurukshetra. Gandhari cursed Me that I have killed her sons by cheating. Vali cursed Me for killing him hiding Myself. The demon Hiranyakasipu was furious on Me for killing his brother. Tulasi, the wife of Jalandhara cursed Me for spoiling her in disguise and she forgot that she craved for Me in the previous birth. Therefore, all these are not new to Me since the history always repeats.
Causes of Criticism
If you realize that all the incidents in this world are designed by Me only for My full entertainment, which always needs a variety always, you will not be perturbed over these incidents. A picture contains villain also. A meal contains chilies also. Both summer and winter, praise and abuse, worship and insult are for the full entertainment only. In fact, I come down to this earth in quest of chilies only because I am bored with the sweets in the upper world. Once, I asked all My devotees in the upper world to scold Me once so that I can have at least one hot dish because I was bored with the continuous praise-sweets. No devotee came forward with fear. But the watchman standing before My gate came forward to please Me with the required service. I told him that he should give one hundred hot dishes continuously, since I cannot get those again. The watchman was born as Shishupala and scolded Me hundred times as desired by Me. Immediately, after doing this exceptional service, I was so much pleased to unite him in Me. Even during scolding, people have observed Me smiling, which indicated My happiness on enjoying the hot dish. I have created Satan who is also remunerated like the villain booked in the cinema. If you understand My divine leela, you can never get any disturbance.
Such insults are planed with several background uses also. Even the best devotee develops some jealousy hidden in the subconscious state of mind. Especially when such immense fame is observed, this is inevitable. Even though the devotee is pained, the jealousy in his subconscious state gets satisfied and thus I protect My devotees in this way also. Such incidents also test the firmness in the faith of My devotees. Thus, any incident in My creation is multidimensional. Such incidents of Rajas and Tamas are fabricated and superimposed on Me due to My will only. Then My personality looks like a multiple choice question which contains one correct answer and three wrong answers. Your digested knowledge about Me is tested by this. Do not forget that the wrong answers are also prepared by the same setter of question paper, who examines you after teaching the subject. Therefore you should not misunderstand those people who fabricated all these wrong answers to confuse your faith, which has to be tested. I know the extent of your faith and for me there is no need of this examination. The examination is only for your sake because you are thinking that you have perfectly understood the subject. The examination reveals the extent of your understanding to yourself only. This helps you so that you will rectify the deficiency and progress further. Thus this examination system (Datta Pariksha) is not for my entertainment based on sadism. It is only meant for your spiritual progress. Often you think too much about yourself and feel that you have perfect faith on Me. Due to this egoism also enters into yourself. This leads to your fall. Only to save you, is the test conducted so that you will realize the real position of yourself and put further efforts to rectify your deficiency. Thus you have to understand My tests in the right direction which are totally aimed at your spiritual welfare only.
The cases in the courts, police station and jails are not new to Me. I was born in jail when I incarnated as Krishna. A case was filed on Me in court and I was enquired when I was in Shirdi. In fact such insults give Me immense pleasure because such things are impossible in the upper world. You can find Me with a radiating smile in such situations, which indicates My full enjoyment. The souls acting as My enemies were also appointed by Me and they are given good remuneration for performing the duties of their roles in My service. Therefore you can never find hatred in Me. This is the secret of My constant bliss. The Lord does some special actions in some special cases based on the requests only in their previous births. They forget the previous births and therefore they are worried. All the Gopikas were sages who requested Me to give the salvation. But when I tried in that line, some were attracted but some quarreled with Me. All these have forgotten the previous births. In such ignorance only the real nature of the soul comes out. Otherwise all will behave in the same way and they cannot be differentiated according to their spiritual levels. When I killed Vali, it was justified even in Pravrutti Dharma. It was not because a devotee came and soaped Me for doing favour to him. In that race when a brother dies, his wife becomes the wife of the other brother (Devaran Nyaya). When Sugriva came, he thought that Vali was killed and therefore the wife of Vali (Tara) became his wife. But when Vali returned, he drove away his brother and made forcibily Sugriva’s wife (Ruma) to become his wife. This is against the rule because Vali forced the wife of his brother while the brother was alive. Vali was not even listening to what Sugriva was telling. I explained all this to Vali at the end and he was completely convinced before his death. His son Angada was my devotee but was pained often about the incident. To remove the negative feeling from my devotee, I gave him a chance to kill Me in Krishna Avatara. When the action of Rama was correct, how can He be punished? Even in Nivrutti, the Lord will never do anything against the Pravrutti Dharma. People misunderstand the Lord without knowing the background of the previous birth. The Lord remembers all the previous births but not the souls (Bahuni me—Gita). Since the devotees do not know the background, there is every chance for them to misunderstand the Lord. Again this point is used to test the firmness of their faith. Another secret dimension also exists. The Lord transfers the sins of His closest devotees. Suppose some closest devotee has to be insulted for His sin. The Lord attracts that to Him and allows the insult to take place on Him and thus protects the devotee. Therefore every action, every word and every plan of the God has innumerable dimensions. One should not criticize the Lord seeing Him through a limited angle and unnecessarily accumulate the greatest sin.
Phenomenon of Incarnation
When I enter the human body, there are two ways. I may enter a created human body in the womb of My mother. Such human body also is a composite of gross, subtle and causal bodies. The qualities in such subtle body are not accumulated from the previous births because such a created body has no previous birth. Yet such human body contains all the three qualities to be mixed in various proportions, required for my play and it differs from an ordinary human being. In ordinary human being these three qualities exist in certain already mixed proportions, which are the Vasanas from previous births. Sometimes I enter a human body of a liberated soul, which also is a composite of those three bodies containing all the three qualities to be mixed in various proportions as and when my play requires. The liberated souls have the three qualities and their mixtures do not exist due to already burnt Vasanas. Thus, there is no difference whether God enters a created human body or the human body of a liberated soul. Rama was the example for first case and Bala Rama was example of the second case. Lord Narayana entered in to the body of Adisesha and therefore, Bala Rama is in equal status with Rama in the ten incarnations. Some times, I enter the body of even an ordinary human being who is my devotee. Parasu Rama was a sage and has the Vasana of egoism already. When I came out from his body after my work, his vasana was expressed in the natural way. When I killed the egoistic people through the body of Parasu Rama, I have used his egoism which was required for My work and which already existed as a prepared mixture. All these three are respected as equal incarnations because I existed in all those human bodies. You are respecting Me through the human body and therefore you should not worry about the qualities of the human body. When I enter the human body, the qualities of the human body or Upadhi do not change. When the current enters the wire, no property of the wire like length, thinness etc. is disturbed. The current flows through the wire and does its work by resolving the fan without any disturbance to the nature of the medium. Therefore the devotees observe the medium with its own properties without any variations even if I am present in it. I am experienced through the medium and only the medium is perceived. The devotee must perceive the medium and experience Me through that medium. When you sip the coffee from a cup, you do not taste the cup but you taste the coffee from it. Ignorant people observe the medium and experience its properties only. By the influence of such observation of the properties of the medium, some do not experience Me and some neglect My experience. Therefore, such a situation is the test for the knowledge of the devotee. The devotee expects the medium to be totally different and expects that the medium should exhibit new properties or at least should not exhibit its properties. The devotee expects the human incarnation to live by taking the energy directly which is a new property of the medium. At least He expects that the human incarnation should not eat the ordinary food. A lady-devotee broke a coconut on the feet of a human incarnation! The body of human incarnation suffered a lot for ten days with the swollen feet!
I told in the Gita (Manusheem Tanum Ashritam) which means that I have entered the human body. I have not become the human body. I have become one with the human body without changing its properties. You have to experience the current which is flowing in the wire without changing the nature of the wire. When you touch the electric wire, you can experience the current by shock. But if you are insulated with the cover of egoism and jealousy, you cannot experience Me and then the human incarnation is as good as any human being. The difference lies between God and soul existing in the human bodies. The two human bodies are one and the same. The difference is only in the inner God and soul. The king and beggar are different but their shirts may be one and the same. If you cannot recognize Me and experience Me without neglecting the natural properties of the medium, there is no other way for you to experience God because one cannot experience God directly. When a political leader does some good work to the country, the people are appreciating neglecting his personal life, because he belongs to their category of souls. All the souls constitute the opposition party, since God is the ruling party. A party neglects the defects of their own party-members but magnifies even a trace of defect which is not even real if there is a chance to criticize the ruling party.
Avoid Criticizing God
If you understand the God in the cosmic form (Vishwarupam), you can realize that all the three qualities (Good Satvam and Bad Rajas and Tamas) are created by Him only (Ye Chaiva—Gita) and exist in His body only. The Veda says that the creation is like His body (Prithivi...Shariram). Everyone recites “Vishwam Vishnuh” which means that the universe is Lord. When all the qualities are seen existing in the universe, does it not mean that these are existing in God? The basis for the bad qualities also is God. Where can they exist leaving the basis? The human incarnation is a micro form and it is simultaneously the macro cosmic form. Krishna appeared in micro form as a human being but showed His simultaneous macro cosmic form (Vishwarupam). Does it not clearly mean that all the good and bad qualities are existing on the basis i.e., is God only? In such case, where is the feeling of hatred? Unless you go beyond the difference between Dharma and Adharma, you cannot digest the concept of God (Sarvadharman—Gita). That which pleases God is good and that which displeases God is bad. The hunter, Kannapa, killed the innocent animal and offered the flesh to Lord Shiva. He was given the final abode due to the love which is the basis. Dharmaraja did not tell a lie even though Lord ordered. He went to the temporary heaven only. After all, the aim of following Dharma is only to please God. How can you keep Dharma above its aim? In the case of the souls, you have to follow Dharma and maintain the balance of the society. If you disturb the balance, you will be punished. Demons were killed for the same reason. But when you enter the Nivrutti, you have to keep God above Dharma. None and nothing should be greater than Him (Na tat samah—Veda). If you cannot cross Dharma for the sake of God, you must remain in Pravrutti. Did God force you to come to Nivrutti? You yourself have recognized the value of Nivrutti and entered into it. It is told that Pravrutti is expected nature of human beings, where as Nivrutti is highest unimaginable fruit (Pravruttiresha…). Now you should not talk about Pravrutti. If you cannot stand in Nivrutti, go back to Pravrutti. God will not stop you. If you remain in Pravrutti, God is neutral to you since everything happens according to the constitution and Pravrutti is only the expected behavior for which there can not be a big reward. If you do your job, you need not be specially rewarded. He will not punish you for not entering into Nivrutti. You can question the Lord in Pravrutti and the Lord will answer your argument standing in the upper court. You can also point out the Lord even in Nivrutti. He will show the background and will submit His argument. Thus both Pravrutti and Nivrutti come under the rule of justice only. In one birth you request for something from God and when He gives it in the other birth, you are scolding Him. When the Gopika desired for Lord, the Lord refused for which the Gopika became angry and scolded the Lord. In that birth also she was a married lady. Why she neglected dharma? In the next birth she scolded the Lord for fulfilling her previous desire criticizing that the Lord violated the same Dharma. If she is a real devotee, she should not criticize the Lord in any birth whether the desired fruit is given or not given or given in undesired way. This shows that her devotion is mixed with ignorance and egoism. The situation is also to be viewed in another angle. Her own husband went to Kailasa to fight with Lord Shiva, since he wanted to marry Goddess Parvati. The war was going on; Lord Shiva was unable to kill him due to the power of Tualsi. Thus she is supporting the same injustice for which she is scolding the Lord. Unless that is done, Lord Shiva cannot kill him. Therefore, the action of the Lord is perfectly justified from all the angles. The action of Tualsi is perfect injustice from all the angles if analyzed properly. The Lord is the protector of justice. The justice has surrendered to Him in the form of a cow. It is ridiculous if you criticize Him for injustice and try to protect the justice. Please do not take My criticism also in the real sense because you should not forget that all this fight is within this world which is for Me, a cinema only. Therefore, you can find only the arguments from Me but not any trace of anger on My face. Even though an evil soul is abusing Me, I am not disturbed because the entire world including the primary energy (Mula Maya) is unreal from the view point of Myself. Here the soul is acting according to its accumulated anti divine vaasanas. When he suffers in the hell, then also I smile at him since the hell is also unreal in My view. But, the soul suffers in the hell since the world is real for it because it can never cross the level of Mula Maya. But some times I Myself book My own devotee to play this role! In such case, I enjoy the entire scene because I am the producer, director and story-writer of such divine play arranged within the limits of this world-cinema. In such divine play, those who criticized Me were also directed by Me in the rehearsals behind the screen. Therefore, My anger on such critics is not true with respect to the background. Therefore, I enjoy My criticism also in the same manner as I enjoy the praise. The devotee and the demon are acting in their roles and are uttering the dialogues written by Me only. I will be really angry if they show any deficiency in enacting their roles in such divine play. Thus, I am pleased in such divine plays, if My critics have played their roles well with a lot of sincerity. From My point of view, this entire universe is relatively true like an imagination. Therefore, any body scolding Me does not disturb Me because both the scolding person as well as the scolding are unreal in My view of My absolute reality. Whether the person abusing Me is a liberated soul like Shishupala or not, there is no difference for Me, because both the divine play arranged by Me and the world-cinema are unreal to Me. The sense of scolding by Shishupala is My drama within this drama of Universe, which is also My drama in the final absolute sense. Shishupala has reached Me after the role, but the followers of Shishupala reach the liquid fire in the hell. The liquid fire is also unreal in My view of the final absolute reality. Therefore, the followers of Shishupala are not reaching Me. Of course from My view both Shishupala and his followers are unreal and hence, I enjoy equally. But Shishupala played the role on My desire. The followers play their roles on their own desire. Do not scold even a pseudo-human incarnation, because I am there to take care of such fellows. Krishna punished Poundraka Vasudeva who was a false incarnation. The follower of Shishupala should take the divine play up to killing the Shishupala so that he should know that he will be punished. The spectator should take the drama enacted on the stage only but should not see behind the screen. By not scolding the pseudo human incarnation, one does not go to hell. But by chance if it happens to be real human incarnation, then the hell is inevitable. Therefore, if you doubt any body, leave him silently. If you have faith, worship Him. But do not abuse anybody, in which high risk is involved. To analyze and decide the human incarnation, lot of care is needed because you may miss the real human incarnation by just a hair margin. Either worship if you have faith or leave the human incarnation if you have doubt, but never criticize Him due to the high risk involved in it.
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