THE DOWNFALL OF A GURU SAI BABA

By: Koert van de Velde

Published in dutch newspaper on September 6th, 2000
Copyright TROUW, the Netherlands, e-mail address internetredactie@trouw.nl

(translation by Ella Evers)

Welcome to the club of mourners, e-mailed ex-Baba devotee Leo, a new victim(of betrayal). He does not want his (full) name in the newspaper. "For me it has been a week since I have been an ex, and that after eleven years. In regard to all the rumors he heard, he had surfed the net despite Sai Baba's ban on doing so. It was shocking. "I could not push it away as being a plot of negative forces and disappointed devotees. He is now in mourning (grieving)." Baba was not only my mother and father, but also the base of my view of the world. I have torn up all his photos". Hundreds of Dutch devotees did the same tearing up all the Sai Baba photos off the walls and throwing out his books. The amounts of testimonies on the internet of regular devotees is growing as well as those in "higher places", who knew Baba well.

Swami regularly pulled their pants down and fondled their genitals. Some were forced to perform oral sex. (Generally speaking) any one who meets Sai Baba in private is a lucky one. Thousands had to satisfy themselves with a fleeting glance of this God when he was giving his blessings (darshan).

Ranada van Kralingen, who broke up with Sai Baba a month ago understood why it could remain a secret for so long. Many of the misused (sexually molested) men are adults and hetero sexuals and are incredibly ashamed. Now that others are coming out of the closet, more will follow. Having noticed the decline in (numbers) of devotees, the country's Sai Organization sent a mail-out. This letter of August 8th, by the local coordinators, suggests that the disappointed ex-devotees are trying to measure acts by God with human measurements. Swami always remarks that between him and his devotees no other person can bring a message. "We have a direct line to God". That is why his (the devotees still with him) devotees have no message to the accusations, according to the Head (of the Sai Organization) in the Netherlands. Sai Baba is God in human flesh, and can do no wrong.

Rananda van Kralingen who is trying to organize the opposition against Sai Baba in the Netherlands says filled with indignation: "According to the leadership you best only look at yourself". An (all too) easy strategy to bury your head in the sand not seeing any of the misery Baba is causing others.

Van Kralingen together with other ex-devotees has mailed a letter to all the (still with Baba) devotees they knew. They call all these devotees to please watch the video in which it is very evident (plain) that Sai Baba does not materialize anything but (only) plays tricks. "Many friendships have been ruined, the stress between ex-devotees and devotees can be cut with a knife, they are writing.

Spiritual coordinator Wim Goedbloed faithful to Sai Baba says that he does not have time to watch the video on the internet. "It is as old as the way to Rome: whatever you see in the mirror is that which lives in yourself". Goedbloed returned the letter unopened. "The energy did not feel good, I do not need it and I am not taking any position (on the matter).

Now that many eyes have been opened, the truth around Baba's materializations stand revealed. Gold watches and precious stones Baba was said to have materialized from thin air, appear to belong to the category of trash after careful inspection. The shops in which the Sai Baba Organization is purchasing these items have been discovered.

A former high ranking devotee from Australia, describes on the internet, how to his amazement that the watches he was taking to Sai Baba at his bidding were later on used to be materialized and gifted to his devotees.

The alarmed (ex-devotees) wrote in their letter to the still faithful to Baba: "Many are afraid to be accused of having little faith" and see it as a betrayal to Baba. We understand that it is an enormous blow to discover your God is an ordinary criminal and a very active pedophile.

Coordinator Goedbloed does not deny that Sai Baba touches the genitals of male devotees, but (explains) he is only doing that clearly our of grace and compassion. "People who are sexually frustrated are visiting him. Sai Baba is breaking their obsession by opening an energy point between the anus and penis so that Kundalini energy will be flowing. But this Sai Baba is not healing on demands "The ‘witch hunt’ according to Goedbloed is due to the disappointments of devotees who did not receive from Baba what they expected.

Matthijs van der Meer considered himself a victim of Sai Baba's inappropriate sexual approaches seven years ago, and (since) left the Organization. "Nobody wanted to listen, but now we have the internet and I am no longer alone... Boys and men from the ages of seven and thirty, if they look handsome, could count on "special attention" from Sai Baba. He is very fond of light colored skin and blue eyes".

Van der Meer understands why many adults were molested by this man. "In my way of feeling I had no choice (in the matter). How could I choose not to follow God?", he wrote in the New Age Magazine "Spiegelbeeld" (The Mirror Picture) of next month." The acute sense of loss that overtook me will stay with me the rest of my life".

According to Wim van Dijk, author of a book about Sai Baba, a person like Van der Meer simply did not understand anything about Sai Baba. "It has nothing to do with sex. Baba has no thoughts that have anything to do with the senses. The whole of creation is in the palm of his hand. That is why he has no needs or desires".

Joke Broeke of the Sai temple in Lelystad admits that Sai Baba has sex with boys. "Recently a boy came to the temple, who had a difficult relationship with his father. He never educated (the boy) about sex. So Baba did it. Baba rubbed oil on his penis and the boy experienced it as love. He is now balanced and he even has a stable relationship.

That some men experience Sai Baba's bold behavior as abuse (misuse) is something Broeke understands. "It is ok to have negativity, it belongs to this time of transformation. It is very necessary and good".

Painful is the news about rape (molestation) by Sai Baba with the Indian boys. The Sai Baba School in the village of South India where the ashram is located, was mainly a Warehouse (like a harem) for boys. Ex-Baba devotees have collected various testimonies of victims. A doctor in Delhi stated that he treated a seven year old boy for a torn anus. The boy had a private interview the day before by Sai Baba.

Through the avalanche of statements, pieces that were unclear in the past, are coming together (are beginning to fall in place). The attack on Sai Baba for example in 1993, in which four students of the Sai Baba School were shot by the police. Perhaps the four came for revenge because they felt sodomized (abused) and humiliated by Sai Baba. The Sai Baba Organization always stated that the boys were jealous because they had fallen out of favor with Sai Baba.

Joke Broeke: "A worldwide transformation of love is at hand". It is a law of nature to call up the positive as well as the negative energy. It is perfect, it must be so". That Unesco, due to the many allegations, withdrew their support for a Conference in Sai Baba's ashram, was unknown to her, but it does not make her doubt. "That also is perfect in accord with the times in which we live".

Most of the former Sai Baba devotees have not entirely disposed of the sacred aura of their former idol. Perhaps Sai Baba is indeed playing an important role in the new age, Leo wrote in his statement. "I do not believe his miracles are tricks. That means he can be something entirely different, like for example the Anti-Christ. They say of him (the Anti-Christ) that he will do all miracles and declare himself to be God".