CULTURAL TRENDS STUDY: INDIA'S SAI BABA MOVEMENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00792R000400280002-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 27, 1998
• Sequence Number: 2
• Content Type: RS

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CULTURAL TRENDS STUDY: INDIA'S SAT BABA MOVEMENT (U)
KEY JUDGMENTS
(U) A worldwide mass religious movement is growing around the
Indian holy man and alleged miracle worker, Sathya Sai Baba, whose
devotees regard him as a full incarnation of God.
SG1 B
(U) Sai Baba's well-organized and financed movement probably will
continue to grow, and may even become another worldwide religion.
(U) The Sai Baba movement could help provide stability to a
troubled country, and his influence may also counterbalance the
appeal of Hindu chauvinists and ethnic separatists.
SG1 B
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,(TONE BOX)
(U) Cultural trends and mass movements reflect changes in outmoded
cultural norms. Cultural trends may be imported from foreign
countries, as with the westernization of traditional societies, or
they may be an indigenous creations, such as rising Islamic
fundamentalism. They are normally not directed, and spread by
diffusion. However, cultural trends may also become mass
movements. These are usually the creation of a charismatic figure
or an organized group, and are consciously directed against some
aspect of the culture as manifested in the political, economic, or
social status quo. The Iranian revolution led by Ayatollah
Khomenei is an example of a cultural trend transformed into a mass
movement. Emerging cultural trends are important indicators of
impending changes in a society that may manifest as mass movements
with political and military implications for a nation's stability.
(U) The culture of India is highly diverse, as befits a nation
with 14 major languages and at least 200 dialects, 6 religions with
innumerable sects, and a conglomeration of ethnic groups. However,
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the indigenous Hindu religion, with about 80% of the population,
dominates India. Hinduism is more of a culture than a singular
religion since Hinduism is itself splintered into numerous sects
devoted to different Gods, Avatars, and saints, or espousing one of
the six Hindu philosophical systems which are further divided by
differing interpretations. The national and regional caste system
also divides Hindus into factions.
(U) An ongoing cultural trend since exposure to British rule has
been the abandonment by many educated Indians of the Hindu religion
and its traditional culture in favor of western materialistic
values. As with many traditional cultures, the advent of modern
communications has increased exposure to European and American
culture, which has accelerated the trend. Many educated Hindus
also emigrate to the west, and their acculturation while abroad is
reflected upon returning to India.
SG1 B
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SG1 B
(U) However, Hinduism is very diverse. Uneducated Hindus, which
includes much of India's population, practice simple supplication
and worship of personal and household Gods, of which there are
thousands. But aside from this popular version of Hinduism, the
religion has a sophisticated philosophical and ethical system,
called Vedanta, based on the Upanishads section of the four Vedas.
The ancient Vedas form the foundation of Sanathana Dharma (Eternal
Righteousness), as the Indians call Hinduism, and are elaborated on
by numerous sastras (scriptures) and puranas (stories). India has
produced great rishis (sages) and yogis (enlightened persons) who
espouse Vedanta, such as Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Meher Baba,
Ramana Maharshi, Aurobindo Ghosh, Anandamayi Ma, Amritanandamayi
Ma, Paramahansa Yogananda, and many others. Each of these gurus
(teachers) has a worldwide following in addition to India.
However, their appeal has been generally limited to those on a
personal spiritual quest, and while widely respected in India, they
have not sought to generate organized mass movements.
(U) India also has innumerable sadhus (holy men) and sannyasins
(renunciates) who lead ostensibly ascetic lives, either out of
genuine religious ardor, or because begging with religious dignity
is a traditional way of making a living. The BJP puts such persons
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on display at rallies, presumably to advertise the BJP's Hindu
credentials. With very few exceptions, these religious persons
don't attempt to attract a wide following.
(U) According to the Bhagavad Gita, sometimes called the fifth
Veda, and Hinduism's best known scripture, God incarnates
periodically as a human being to save the world and restore
righteousness when evil is rampant. This incarnation of God,
called an Avatar, may display some or all of the powers ascribed to
the divine, depending on the reason for the incarnation. Hindus
generally regard Jesus and the Buddha, for example, as partial
Avatars whose mission was to found a religion. Most Hindus
consider Rama and Krishna as the most recent of nine fully divine
incarnations, known as Poorna Avatars. Now, however, many Hindus
believe that another Poorna Avatar has incarnated. He is Sathya
Sai Baba, born in 1926 at Puttaparti, a small village in what is
now Andhra Pradesh state, southern India. Devotees consider Sai
Baba to be the tenth incarnation of Vishnu, the aspect of God that
Hindus believe preserves the universe. As with the Christian
return of Christ, the Jewish Messiah, the Buddhist Maitreya, and
the Muslim Mahdi, this tenth "Kalki Avatar" has been awaited to
mark the end of the age, and to create a new world of peace and
justice.
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(U) As the self-professed Kalki Avatar, Sathya Sai Baba has
generated a mass movement, and a multi-layered organization, to
accomplish what he says is his mission. Since he claims that India
has abandoned its cultural heritage, his first goal is to evoke an
Indian spiritual renaissance by restoring the traditional vedic
culture of India. He also claims that he will eventually rule over
the earth in a golden age. In fact, he says he is the Biblical
second coming. W4ile such claims may be incredible, most of his
devotees believe him.
(U) Sai Baba's large following and claim to be a Poorna Avatar is
primarily based on his alleged capability to perform miracles.
Hindus believe that spiritually advanced people, including partial
Avatars, are capable of creating miracles, but only a full Avatar
has omniscience. It is Sai Baba's alleged display of omniscience
that has convinced many devout Hindus that he is a Poorna Avatar.
(U) According to numerous anecdotal accounts, Sai Baba has the
capability to appear anywhere instantaneously, change his shape and
appearance at will, be in more than one location simultaneously,
and to transfigure himself into a glowing ball of light. He is
reputed to tell people details of past events in their lives,
including what they were thinking at the time. He is said to read
minds and answer devotee's questions before they have the chance to
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voice them, and he supposedly appears in people's dreams even
before they have ever heard of him. He is supposed to be able to
materialize objects such as icons and jewelry, hot food, and live
animals out of thin air by a wave of his hand, and to teleport
objects instantaneously from anywhere. Devotees tell of him
changing the weather at will, multiplying food to feed large
crowds, healing terminally ill people, and raising the dead,
including one decomposed body. He reportedly can speak any
language, and some devotees say that when Sai Baba discourses in
his native Telegu, the words meant for the devotee will be heard in
the devotee's own language. Sai Baba's miracles are said to occur
anywhere, not just in his presence. Vibhuti (holy ash) and amritha
(a nectar-like substance) are reported to exude from many of his
photos around the world.
(U) Such claims have not been scientifically verified in a
laboratory, although a team of western parapsychologists observed
some of these events in a field study. While the scientific
paradigm may reject the possibility of such capabilities,
traditional Hindus accept them as entirely plausible. However, the
Indian propensity for expounding the miracles of a yogi probably
has raised Sai Baba's alleged feats to the status of folklore, so
it is difficult to determine the degree of exaggeration in such
claims. But whether Sai Baba can perform miracles or not, his
followers believe he does, which gives him enormous authority as an
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accepted Avatar. It probably also generates many followers who are
only seeking miraculous favors.
(U) Despite reports of his alleged miracles, Sai Baba is a
controversial figure. His detractors, especially those westernized
Indians who discount the supernatural, claim that his miracles are
fraudulent and that his ability to predict the future, for example,
is frequently inaccurate. India has a small industry of fake holy
men who perform magic tricks for a living. However, as they become
prominent, they are usually exposed by critics. Sai Baba's
supporters point out that he has been performing miracles 30 or 40
times each day for over 50 years in front of millions of people,
and that despite considerable efforts by his critics to discredit
him, he has never been proven to be a fraud. According to other
Hindu critics who otherwise accept the reality of miracles,
spiritually advanced siddha yogis (miracle workers) don't normally
display their powers, so Sai Baba is sometimes accused of being a
practitioner of tantric black magic. Some critics also accuse him
of being a homosexual pedophiliac.
(U) While Sathya Sai Baba's controversial status limits his
credibility with some segments of Indian society, his doctrine does
have potential widespread appeal in a society riven by communal
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violence. while his ethical teachings are essentially the same as
those found in the Christian Bible, his overall doctrine is Advaita
(non-dualistic) Vedanta. A tenet of Vedanta posits that all things
are God, and that all people, through spiritual progress over many
reincarnations, will eventually realize their own divinity. For
that reason, Sai Baba's devotees are told to love all people as
facets of God, regardless of religion or caste. Another tenet
stresses that all religions are equally valid so long as they do
not disparage other faiths. In fact, Sai Baba, as a Poorna Avatar,
says he represents all names and forms of God, and prefers people
to live up to the ideals of their own faith rather than switch to
the Sai Baba form. Despite that admonition, Sai Baba's devotees
include members from all religions. Since Sai Baba's message
supports the concept of a harmonious, multi-religious and multi-
ethnic India, it has the potential to counterbalance the appeal of
Hindu chauvinists and ethnic separatists.
(U) Another aspect to Sai Baba's appeal to Indians in a land of
widespread poverty is his relatively austere lifestyle and constant
service to his devotees. He is reported to have almost no personal
possessions, nor does he ask for money, disdaining what he calls
"beggar yogis" who make a business of their services. Room and
board at Sai Baba's ashram (hermitage) is virtually free to
visitors, so even the most impoverished Indian can stay.
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(U) Sathya Sai Baba has developed a genuine mass religious
movement based on devotion to himself and his teachings. The Sai
Baba organization claims to have 50 million devotees worldwide,
although most are in India. The actual number of devotees is
unknown, but press reports indicate that between 600,000 and one
million people came to Prasanti Nilayam, Sai Baba's main ashram at
Puttaparti (140945N/0774715E), for his 1990 birthday. There are
normally several thousand visitors to his ashram every day,
including hundreds of foreigners, so the number of devotees is
probably quite large.
(U) The Sai Baba movement is organized into a World Council, with
national organizations having Presidents and other office holders.
However, it is run from private homes where devotees meet, called
centers. Aside from devotional activities, members are enjoined to
perform service to the needy. Consequently, under an umbrella
organization called Seva Dal, about 6,000 indigent villages
throughout India have been adopted by Sai Baba centers whose
members care for the villager's needs. The Sai Baba organization
is also building schools and clinics throughout India, and in
November 1991, a 100 million dollar advanced research hospital was
inaugurated at Prasanti Nilayam. There is also a university system
with several campuses offering degrees up to the doctorate level.
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The university accepts only India's moral and intellectual elite,
since Sai Baba expects the graduates of his university to assume
positions of leadership in every facet of Indian society. All
services and institutions are free.
(U) Another aspect of Sai Baba's effort to transform Indian
society is the Education in Human Values (EHV) program. Intended
to imbue good morals in children, the program has been adopted by
many educational, systems in India. Teachers from all over India
come to Sai Baba's Bombay ashram for training in the EHV program.
Further, Indian Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, indicated in
1991 that India's new educational policy would be based on a
synthesis of spiritual and scientific values modeled on the Sai
Baba educational system.
(U) Sathya Sai Baba is influential with many Indian leaders. In
the case of politicians, it isn't clear whether such influence is
based on spiritual devotion, or whether the politicians perceive
Sai Baba's devotees as a large vote bank. Nevertheless, Indian
Prime Minister Rao may be a devotee. He attended Sai Baba's
November 1991 combination birthday celebration, inauguration of the
new hospital, and educational convocation. In an address at the
Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Rao said, "I believe that
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Bhagavan (God-man) decided to shower his blessings on me
personally. So I am here, and the convocation is but a pretext.
I am deeply grateful to him for having remembered me and for having
chosen me for his benediction today, at a time when I fervently
believe that I am in need of it and the country is in need of it."
The elderly Rao may merely have been ingratiating himself with the
crowd, but his interpreting the invitation as a personal blessing
suggests a devotional relationship.
(U) Sai Baba's known devotees have included vice-presidents of
India, state governors, supreme court and lower court justices, a
Chief Air Marshall, army generals, heads of various ministries,
prominent scientists, industrialists, academicians, former Indian
royalty, and various Hindu religious figures. Sai Baba virtually
never mentions political matters in his discourses, and publicly
disdains politics, so it is unlikely that any of these devotees
ever acted on explicit orders from Sai Baba. But they are likely
to have acted according to Sai Baba's ethical principles, since
devotees believe that Sai Baba is always watching them.
SG1 B
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SG1 B
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(U) Former Panamanian Defense Forces Chief, Col Roberto Diaz-
Herrera turned against Gen Manuel Noriega in 1987 after becoming a
Sai Baba devotee. The colonel claims that, to prove his divinity,
an emissary from Sai Baba disclosed in advance that a light plane
from West Germany would soon violate Soviet air space (referring to
the May 1987 incident involving the West German, Mathias Rust,
landing on Red Square), and that Col Diaz should tell this to
Soviet President Gorbachev. Diaz did not say whether he notified
Gorbachev, and in any case, he made the claim after the incident
occurred.
SG1 B
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SG1 B
(U) The Sai Baba movement is likely to eventually become another
worldwide religion. Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, and
Jainism, were all founded by a charismatic holy man, usually to
reform an established religion. As its charismatic focus and
living source, the immediate viability of this emerging religion
depends on Sai Baba's health, which is apparently good, and his
continuing credibility with devotees. In the longer run, his
influence should be carried on by his devotees who will, in this
information age, have a well-documented legacy of his teachings.
(Sai Baba claims that he will leave his body at 95 years of age in
the year 2020, only to be reborn one year later as Prema Sai Baba.
As part of a triple incarnation, he says he was also the Indian
saint, Shirdi Sai Baba, who, before he died in 1918, said he would
be reborn in eight years.)
(U) The ability of the movement to continue its rapid expansion is
apparently not constrained by finances, since the ability to
finance a major hospital and airport simultaneously is an
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impressive display of wealth. The source of the money is not
clear. Wealthy devotees are allowed, but not encouraged, to donate
money to the Sathya Sai Trust, administered by the Bank of India,
which funds Sai Baba's projects.
(U) The expanding provision of free education, free medical care,
and volunteer service by Sai Baba devotees will continue to promote
a favorable perception among Indians towards the Sai Baba movement,
despite the controversy over his miracles and claim to be an
Avatar. As the movement continues to grow, it will become
increasingly influential with Indian politicians. So even if Sai
Baba is not involved in politics, his followers are likely to
support politicians who advocate policies promoting social harmony
and an emphasis on alleviating social ills. Moreover, devotees
will also increasingly come from the ranks of India's influential
citizens.
(U) In the longer term, if the Sai Baba educational system
produces large numbers of leaders who have progressed from the
elementary schools through the university system and into Indian
government and business, there may be a cadre of Sai Baba devotees
in more key positions. They will then be in a position to
influence policies in many aspects of society.
(U) On the other hand, the social ills of India are monumental,
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and will require enormous efforts to solve. Whether the movement
will attract a sufficiently large critical mass of people to
overcome the ingrained prejudices of different ethnic and religious
groups is uncertain. Hindus typically disparage any guru or sect
other than their own, and the leaders of other non-Hindu religions
usually denounce Sai Baba. Some Christian fundamentalists, for
example, claim that Sai Baba's ability to perform miracles is
evidence that he is the Antichrist, and the idea of an Avatar is
anathema to Muslim fundamentalists. There is always the
possibility, too, that the movement will collapse if Sai Baba is
SG1 B
convincingly demonstrated to be a fraud.
SG1A
SG1A
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