Does anyone here follow Sai Baba? (Jesus, mystic, contradiction, incarnation)

[Paraprakrti]

I just have some questions about Sai Baba.

[Jyothi]

i do - if both of us are going in the same direction and he is ahead of me.




no i am not joking - think about it

there are two sai baba's, one is still alive - which one are you talking about??

[Paraprakrti]

Uh... the one that is still alive and declaring himself to be an incarnation of God.

[Arkangel]

I do like the one that is dead, he was a real messenger of peace and love. I would have followed him but not the one alive. But he is not wrong in declaring himself as God. According to Vedanta all of use are subsets of god in varying degree. When Jesus said 'I am son of God, he was not lying' but what most in the west fail to understand is that all are sons of God. All are his creation but some are higher in there degree of being a son and some are still getting there.

This is a part of my belief, my religion of something.

[Paraprakrti]

Originally Posted by Arkangel

I do like the one that is dead, he was a real messenger of peace and love. I would have followed him but not the one alive. But he is not wrong in declaring himself as God. According to Vedanta all of use are subsets of god in varying degree. When Jesus said 'I am son of God, he was not lying' but what most in the west fail to understand is that all are sons of God. All are his creation but some are higher in there degree of being a son and some are still getting there.

This is a part of my belief, my religion of something.

Well, Sai Baba's lack of clarification is dangerous. We are God only in the sense that we are part and parcel of God. We are never equal to God. The problem is that Sai Baba is an impersonalist. He can be defeated by the text of the Bhagavad-Gita, which he supposedly accepts as authoritive. Sai Baba teaches that jnani yoga is the highest form of yoga, but Krishna explains to Arjuna in Bhagavad-Gita that bhakti yoga is the highest. So immediately just on this point Sai Baba is defeated. There are various other points that he contradicts as well. I will be writing an article on this soon. I just wanted to see if anyone here can add better arguments. I have been discussing Sai Baba with some of his followers on other websites and none of them have any answers for me regarding these obvious contradictions. Instead, they make an appeal to sentiment. Another thing that is really sad is how people accept him as an avatar. Why? Because he performs some mystical feats? Even if these things he does are legit, that doesn't make him an incarnation of God. Even Sai Baba translated Bhagavad-Gita 4.6, the words "atma mayaya" as "by My internal energy". This is where Krishna describes the nature of His appearance. He explains that He manifests by His internal potency instead of accepting a material body like conditioned souls, yet Sai Baba reasons that Krishna's body is also material illusion. So apparently, Sai Baba contradicts himself. Whether he is really performing those "miracles"; whether he is or isn't guilty of the molestation allegations; the devastating point is that he contradicts the authority he superficially accepts.

[Paul Maxwell]

Sai Baba is not very credible imho. I would also state that ANY person who claims to be the totality of what "God" is, is pulling your leg. It is my suspicion that even the various avatars that have visited this small world would be very wary of making such a claim. They do know better. As usual, I couldn't care less what "the books" have to say on the matter.

That being said, there is a state of consciousness that can be described as the "I am God" state. It is tied to the state often described as "Oneness". The thing is, this is a primary state of consciousness. Those who are at this elementary stage will believe that THEY ARE GOD. It is their direct experience. However, that state is merely the tip of the iceberg. The real fun begins when one goes beyond such limited thinking and experience. As I say, this is merely the first stages of a journey that has no end. Even concepts of some supposed "perfection" begin to evaporate in light of reality.

If this seems impossibly rich for some of you, all I can say is you have some remarkable times ahead of you. Fasten your seat belts and try... TRY not to get "hung up" on your perceptions about what you experience. Those perceptions will only hold you back in the long run.


YmirGF (on holidays in LotusLand)

Originally Posted by Paraprakrti

I will be writing an article on this soon. I just wanted to see if anyone here can add better arguments.

I will await your comments with great interest. Any ETA?

[Paraprakrti]

Originally Posted by Paul Maxwell

As usual, I couldn't care less what "the books" have to say on the matter.

Well, whether you care or not, the point is that Sai Baba contradicts himself by superficially accepting the authority of Scripture but then teaching something that is contrary to it.

Originally Posted by Paul Maxwell

I will await your comments with great interest. Any ETA?

ETA? Sorry, I don't know what this means.

[ALifetimeToWaitFor....]

Everything i've read about the man makes me scared of him. Not him out in public, but his private sessions with ex-devotees. Scary S@#t.

[Paul Maxwell]

Originally Posted by Paraprakrti

Well, whether you care or not, the point is that Sai Baba contradicts himself by superficially accepting the authority of Scripture but then teaching something that is contrary to it.

My only point for saying so is that so many would have you believe in their supposed "authority"... both in and not in print and yet cannot possibly substantiate their claims. It is quite amusing really and "they" will talk with such authority and dire seriousness. Hilarious. (It certainly keeps me laughing... no matter how seriously such folks take themselves. The more serious they are with their claims... the funnier they make themselves.)

Aside from this, I DO agree when they support a given text and then dare to rewrite it in their own light. How self serving, not to mention, incredibly convenient.

Originally Posted by Paraprakrti

ETA? Sorry, I don't know what this means.

ETA = Estimated time of arrival.

[Jyothi]

In Hinduism, one could say just about anything, about any philosophy

so if Sai Baba says he is god, well so be it.

it is from a western perspective that some might find it annoying or dangerous, for a hindu (again a western classification) it does not matter.

cheers