Sai’s ‘Swiss Bank’ Revelations!

Spiritual Empires of Gold or God?

Spirituality is now cover for cash, God & religion   most profitably marketed commodity! Is believing without reasoning & reasoning without believing irreconcilable? If religions are dead why not reincarnate Humane Humanity after the one whom political expediency advertised by the betrayal:”Behold the Son of Man!” 

Dr.James Kottoor

“Ali Baba and 40 thieves!” I have heard of it, not read it. Never could have I even dreamt of associating the story with Sai Baba, but not after his Swiss Bank revelations

Whom to believe? God whom you can’t see or   God-men galore in saffron or glittering bridal makeup whom you see working eye-catching miracles? Long live Sai Baba and the adoring millions who benefited and continue to benefit, I hope, from his monumental institutionalised good works of mercy, kindness, compassion and service to the needy.

 Equally long live sceptics and critics, alive or dead (Abraham T Kovoor, a Sri Lankan atheist), of Baba’s mammoth spiritual empire built on   smartly hidden worldly foundations of Gold, silver and mammon of iniquity, now revealed to public view. What to make of it? Which is to believe and which to rubbish?  Believe in blind faith? Or in revealing reason? These are the perplexing questions we are now faced with.

 For rationalists, blind faith is the license one gives to all and sundry   to believe anything without compelling evidence. For believers faith begins where reason ends. It is a leap of a trusting soul into the dark, yes into the inscrutable mysteries of an incomprehensible God seeking joy, peace and security, nay care and concern a child feels from the warm embrace in the blissful bosom of a loving mother/father. Theoretically nobody should have any quarrel with both.

Now to a peep into the post-mortem revelations of Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s treasure trove. Reportedly it contained 98 kg of gold, 307 kg of silver and 11.56 crore cash. The gold was valued at Rs. 20 crore, and silver stocks at 1.6 crore.  It is reported that Satyajit, the only one Baba had trusted in his last few years, was specially brought in by the SSB trust to identify all the places where the “divine treasure” had been stashed away.

Baba died on April 24/11. He was buried with state honours on following Wednesday April 27 and his treasure trove in his  personal chamber 'Yajur Mandir' in the sprawling Prasanthi Nilayam, apparently a Pandora’s box, was opened under tight security  and a veil of secrecy on June 15th nearly after two months since he passed away. According to reports and rumours circulating, it is suspected an enormous amount of his wealth other than those officially found, had been already lifted out of his chamber between April 24th and June 15, or even during the time he was seriously ill in the hospital.

 It is based on different incidents, in which around 5.35 crores worth cash has been seized from vehicles going out of ashram after the god man’s death. Speculations are high that large amount of gold, diamonds, chains, lockets, rings and precious jewellery had been kept heaped in secret hiding places besides money and they were also transported out of ashram before officials opened Baba's personal chamber.

Mini Swiss Bank?

 To a Deccan Chronicle reporter the Yajur Mandir appeared to be a mini-Swiss bank for top political leaders, celebrities and industrialists from India and abroad to deposit their black money as the government had exempted the trust from reporting its income and expenditure details. There were also reports of seizure of a huge amount of cash from some people close to the trust members. .All these are prompting the AP government to think of the possibilities of taking over the controversial Trust. It looks it is waiting for some one to file a Public Interest Litigation to jerk it into action.              

  Now the multi-billion dollar question for the general public is: why the saintly Baba, who disdained money and property and persuaded people to do so, kept this huge amount in his private abode with no accountability or transparency. The canard spread was that the Trust accepted donations only through cheques.   So here come a plethora of astonished outbreaks from friends and foes who are shocked out of their wits by the sights and sounds of what they least expected to see or hear.

Babas, Swamijis, Gurujis, Sanyasies, spiritual healers, Seers, and Saints in all religions were known for their simple living, high thinking and ascetic way of life. So were Ramakrisna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda, Sankarachariya, Jesus and Buddha. They dreaded even the thought of touching money for fear of getting contaminated. They believed:”You can’t serve God and Mammon.” To the lame beggar crying for alms at the temple gate, Peter, leader of the Apostles said: “Gold and silver I have none, what I have I give, get up and walk in the name of Jesus.”  So did the beggar and went away hale and happy. Why then does a spiritual guru Saibaba need air-conditioned facilities and sleep with a mountain of unaccounted (therefore black) money and worldly wealth? How is he different from a political Yoga Guru Ramdeve who presides over a vast worldly empire and travels in his own jet planes? Is it not the height of hypocrisy to preach one thing and do just the opposite stealthily under cover?

What do People Say?

SiliconIndia website’s June 25th Weekend News circulated an article: Sai Baba’s personal chamber: India’s Swiss Bank? With 145 readers’ comments. Some of them are abridged here.  Writes one: 1.Sai Baba has done an awful lot of services to society where governments have failed miserably. So he is 100 % better than our politicians who have been looting the country since the time of independence and giving back nothing.

2. All these modern babas are bunch of crooks, what Sai! What Ramdev! They are advising public not to be greedy and lusty, whereas they are sitting on  heaps of money and wealth. Heights of hypocrisy.... courtesy ignorant Indians. First of all, a god-man is not GOD. This is the one thing that all followers of these god men can't get into their head.

3. On reading the news of Andhra swiss bank, my long held doubt was cleared why  political leaders and capitalists  go to Puttaparthy with utmost obedience...  but why all the media are after HIndu religion? Is there no "Swiss Banks" operating in other religions? Probably nobody will be allowed to check those hoardings. Hindu religion is an open book. Anybody can read, understand and even ridicule it. There is no wonder that these filthy media will en-cash it.

4. So what do you say: trust Fathers & Pastors? There are several books, about the goings on in Vatican or Mecca; will you ever publish a portion of them?  Vatican, Mecca and Thirupathi have certain functions…. A man with loads of stinking money can go and dump there, or donate it in legitimate ways… But in Saibaba’s place, it looks, rich guys kept their money with Baba/trust, show they donated it and take it back and get the tax exempted and share the stuff with Baba/trust. It is illegal in a Govt. frame work. That's the main concern.

5. For all his talk about staying away from money, in the end Baba turned out to be just another money-hungry, fame-hungry pedophile. Don't talk about doing good for the people. Anyone can do well with other people’s money. This one also did a lot of bad to the kids he damaged. Samabavimi Yuge Yuge. All that happened, happening and will be happening are good, leave it to happen as per destiny. Truth will prevail but very late. Hence none need to neither be offended nor see contradictions to their own faith

 6.:So, you think if he was alive and caught with all this black money and other unaccounted stuff, we should all just forgive him and let him enjoy the money, just because he has done some good deeds? As per law, Saibaba was an Indian citizen and nothing more. He is equally bound by the law as we all are. If a Politician does it then it’s a crime - hoarding money, but if a God-man does it then it’s not a crime? Nonsense!

7: Our Baba was known for creating gold balls out of nothing. So he has created that 98 kg gold out of nothing, similarly he created silver, printed money with nothing whatsoever.....so what is the problem with you guys? Just think straight, okay?

8. Minority trusts are closely monitored by Govt. organizations but it is very sad it does not apply to Hindus to cover sadus like Baba, Tripathi, Om sakthi, Amrita, Chandrasamy, Nithyanandha, etc. So, far the funds from abroad were 90% cut down for minority trusts, but how come big donations flow from abroad to Hindu sadus. India's babas, gurus, yogis, samiyars have ALWAYS been found to be frauds and we ignorant Indians keep trusting them.

9. This is totally an incorrect statement. There are gurus like Adi Sankaracharya who was not even wearing chappals and he walked crores of miles to meet devotees and slept on the floor. Do not generalize, there may be exceptions. Always remember India is a land of thousand Gods.

10: At least now the Indian Eyes must open up to the fact of so much hyped Corruption. The best way to divert attention from their own is to create the furor of the educated illiterates. It’s all a case of Kettle calling the Pot black.

Rational behind Rot

We are back again to the all pervasive corruption-combat.  Whether in politics or in religion the accusing finger should start pointing to ourselves first as we all play politics, believe blindly and accuse each other. ”Cultivating churches (Palli Krishi) for harvesting dollars (Dollar Koithu) not souls,” is the latest fanciful description of the rot in churches. Can we stem this rot and prove wrong the great Kerala poet Vayalar who inspired by the Marxists maxim: “Religion is the opium of people” sang: Man created religions, religions created gods and both men and religions concocted to divide this earth and our minds (our political and religious belief systems) to each one’s benefit through a delicate balance of terror?

The rationale behind it is: “You scratch my back and I scratch yours.” Some have christened it calling: “Peaceful coexistence.” The ultimate leitmotif in all is what another poet Kunjannambiar said: “Marvelous indeed is the Light House; I too must get my share of money.” No bird flies over money. When money speaks everyone listens in pin drop silence.  Woe betides us all, if we are going to settle for this rational. Can’t we put a stop to this marketing God and Religion as the most profitable commodity with or without the assistance of a Baba Ramdev or Baba Hazare? In this context, have you ever heard  the voice of  Churches in the country claiming to be the conscience of the nation speaking up, if not roaring like a Baptist in the desert? If they are part of the solution and not of the problem, shouldn’t their voice  resound?

What should Religion be?

We better end this piece with a few stray thoughts on what religion ought to be. “This is my simple religion: there is no need for temple, no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our religion; the philosophy is kindness,” said Buddha. “Religions have debased themselves to the detestable exercise of preaching and predicting without even a tinge of honesty and sincerity,” wrote Teilhard De Chardin. “We have just enough Religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another,” said Swift a17th century writer.

 “Religion is the best armour that a man can have, but it is the worst cloak,” John Bunyan, thinker and preacher of Gospel of 17th century. “Religions are part of society and influence society through their activity. So what affects society becomes big new,” says Mark Hedman (think here of Sai baba). Lastly says the Bible: “If any one thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is in vain. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep one unstained by the world. “(James 1: 26-27).

Humane Humanity

Religion is for man and not man for religion. If a religion does not make man humane, that religion is the most inhuman aberration to be detested. Therefore Humane Humanity which ought to be the core of all religions should be given top slot among present day religions which have beacome dead shells without substance or rather replace all of them. What is dead should be buried before it starts stinking. Aren’t you all feeling their suffocating stink? So just forget all religions. Let bygones be bygones. Usher in a  Humane Humanity. Don’t call it religion, nauseating to all. Call it new enlightenment, a product of evolution.

 A crazy guy (yes some people called him “crazy” when he was alive) had the audacity to describe himself as the SON OF MAN, by which he must have meant “a Man for all times, places and peoples” because some others have said of him with equal force: “no one could accuse him of sin”. Can we strive to live up to his stature? Just forget about his name as some would be only too happy to pounce on it to make him once again a “sign of contradiction” which he was all through  his life time fighting priestly and political class, and will continue to be till the end of time, if there is going to be an end, even without adding my “betrayal” of blurting out his name, to history’s famous or infamous religious and political betrayal: “Behold the Son of Man!”

The writer can be contacted at: jkottoor@asianetindia.com