I have written about Sathya Sai Baba in my blog. The first was 'The other side of SSB' and the second was on the response to my blog. There were several comments, two of which needs mention.
The first was by 'SaiBaba Exposed', who has a blog in which he discusses the allegations against SSB. He has done quite a good job in detailing the allegations. He says "The examination of Sai Baba's inconsistencies in regards to his philosophy, theology and personal behaviour has received sparing treatment.In this regard I have attempted to make some headway on my blog, where I discuss such inconsistencies as and when I come across them.As of today (Dec 20th 2005) I have just posted the second part to an essay that shows how Sai Baba himself discounts the explanation that his senior followers give as a justification for his practices of homosexuality and paedophilia."
The second was by 'Equalizer' who said, "The person who posted just prior to me, soliciting his blog "SaiBabaExposed", is Sanjay Kishore Dadlani. People are completely unaware of his very disturbing online behavior, lies and attacks against Sathya Sai Baba. Be prepared to be thoroughly shocked:" and gave a link to a site dedicated to exposing Sanjay Dadlani.
Sanjay Dadlani seems to have a one-point agenda. Discredit SSB. He does a good job of it. His blog reads well and he has taken pains to prove his points.
The site mentioned by Equalizer throws lot of mud on Dadlani with enough proofs. Though it manages to nail Dadlani to some extent, it fails in convincingly replying to the allegations.
Responding to Dadlani's quoting of a few English books published by the SSB organisation, it says the English translations are not accurate because of heavy editing. And to know exactly about SSB, one must refer to the original Telugu versions, it says.
I find this arguement stupid. It means only those who can read Telugu can understand the 'real' teachings of SSB. But then, what about the millions who can't read Telugu? Does it imply that what they have read is wrong? Which means what they really know about SSB is wrong.
And why doesn't the SSB organisation take pains to publish 'correct' versions? It is idiotic to publish books and then say they are wrong.
Will saisathyasai.com explain?
Friday, January 13, 2006
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4 comments:
Obviously, dear Dinakaran, you have not read Anti-Sai Sites and the contradictory position they take regarding the English translations to Sathya Sai Baba's Telugu discourses.
Brian Steel (an Anti-Sai Activist) wrote a lengthy article, entitled The Packaging of Sathya Sai Baba's Telugu Discourses - A Stronger Case. This article stated that the English Translations are "packaged, highly edited, polished, condensed, enhanced, inaccurate, distant, different, adorned, significantly added to, snipped and hybridized". After Brian Steel made his case against the accuracy of the English Translations, he completely flip-flops and begins citing these very same "highly edited" and "inaccurate" English Translations as inerrant references to what Sathya Sai Baba literally and actually said in Telugu! Sanjay Dadlani does the very same thing.
On my site, I wrote a detailed article about this topic: An Open Critique Of Brian Steel: A Stronger Case.
I agree that the English Translations are not Sathya Sai Baba's "actual and literal words". The discourses are not translated "word for word". However, I believe that the essence and import to Sathya Sai Baba's discourses is fully conveyed in the English Translations and are not being misrepresented. Therefore, it is my opinion, that despite the heavy editing, what Sathya Sai Baba meant to convey IS being conveyed. The English translations are heavily edited because they are the proof-plates from which translations are made into various other languages.
So, Dinakaran, I am saying that if one wants to attribute factual discrepancies to Sathya Sai Baba, one must reference these discrepancies directly from the Telugu discourses. Doesn't that sound fair to you? Anti-Sai Activists made the case themselves that the English translations are not accurate and are highly edited. So why do they use these same inaccurate translations to attribute factual discrepancies to Sathya Sai Baba? That is the question that no one has answered.
Dinakaran, as a matter of fact, Sanjay posed this very same question to me on the SathyaSaiBaba2 yahoo group. He failed to respond to my answer: Reference. One will also notice how Sanjay often uses the ploy of writing lengthy and wordy replies, that drain and drown the issue completely. It is not possible to have a rational discussion with him head on.
Also, Sanjay Dadlani fails to use the same standard against his Hare Krsna Gurus and scriptures that he uses against Sathya Sai Baba. Sanjay argues that since SSB made errors (taken exclusively from the English translations) then this must mean that SSB is a fraud. However, when one points out factual errors from his Gurus (said in English) or scriptures (translated word for word), Sanjay excuses these errors and makes numerous arguments to defend the errors and discrepancies that support his beliefs. I discussed this issue as well: Reference.
So there you have it Dinakaran. Let me know if you have any other questions. SaiSathyaSai.com.
20 January 2006
Dear Sir:
A friend informed me that Gerald Joe Moreno (aka ‘Equalizer’ in this incarnation) is still recklessly spreading misinformation about my research into the Packaging of the Discourses of Sathya Sai Baba.
Please allow me to quote from a recent Appendix to the document which he misrepresents in his critique. This should give you and your readers at least an inkling of the reprehensible tactics employed by ‘Equalizer’ in his crusade. Better still, why not read the Appendix and its predecessor?
Namaste,
Brian Steel
(Excerpt from http://bdsteel.tripod.com,/More/packageapp06.htm Copyright © 2006 Brian Steel)
Both the SSO (usually obliquely) and their defenders (more brazenly) continue to turn a blind eye in public to the substantial body of clear evidence offered in my Dossier on the Packaging of SSB's Discourses. [ ../More/packagenew04.htm]
My basic point was (and is) that there is an essential difference between what SSB says in his frequent unscripted Telugu Discourses and what is subsequently published in English and other languages for devotees to read and study. This in turn indicates that the real SSB is different in certain aspects from the officially projected version of him. Most devotees have been totally unaware of this and therefore inadvertently quote the officially published commercial versions of the Discourses as if they offered SSB's exact words (and style). His real words (insofar as we are allowed to glimpse them from time to time) show personality aspects which differ from those which have been promoted internationally, including a rambling spoken style and an even greater propensity to human error and confusion than that already visible in the official translations. Such basic comparisons of the different Discourse versions further undermine his own claim of Divine Omniscience and those made by associates and echoed by devotees.
This curious phenomenon, when pointed out with the newly available evidence at our disposal, is so evident that for three years no one offered any detailed criticism of my research. There was an understandably embarrassed silence from the SSB camp. Then an Internet campaigner, whose motives still remain obscure, suddenly materialised in late 2004, claiming a burning desire to find out the TRUTH about SSB. Over the past year, on two of his websites, he has delivered and widely publicised a torrent of dismissive pronouncements on a large number of articles which question the officially promoted image of SSB. Shortly after the beginning of his crusade, this person turned his attention very briefly to my published work on the Discourses. During a somewhat frenzied three-week correspondence (December 2004 - January 2005), he repeatedly refused my requests that he should take into account the detailed information in my Dossier, including the extracts from the literal translations. His subsequent public verdict on the Dossier and on my research was therefore based on a gross but quite deliberate misrepresentation of my work.
Those SSB devotees who may still find solace in the official SSO low-key denials of unusual editing practices may be encouraged by the provocative antics of this Internet exhibitionist. However, they - and more particularly other readers - would be well advised to take the precaution of reading the original Dossier and this Appendix of further evidence on the true nature of SSB's Discourses if they are really interested in getting closer to the truth of the matter.
***
[I should specifically point out to readers of your blogspot that I have quoted extensively in both of my articles from literal translations from Telugu made and briefly posted by SSB devotees between 2000 and 2002. Their existence and importance are ignored by Equalizer (Moreno) when making his kangaroo court judgement on my writing. These and other aspects of his wilfulness and ‘spin’ are also shown quite clearly in our brief 2005 correspondence - which, in a characteristically foolhardy way, he himself has published on his website.]
Brian
Hi Dinakaran,
I haven't been keeping up with the discussion as it last left, perhaps I will take it up again when I have some more time.
In the meantime I thought you might be interested to view this link:
Sai Baba's Naughty Children.
Whereas there is a systematic campaign of slander and defamation carried out by Sai Baba activists against ex-devotees of said Baba, and whereas they claim that their slander and defamation (usually with little or no proof at all) is for the benefit of public interest, similarly this article is offered to bring forward true and verified information about the perverse fascinations of Sai Baba devotees for the public interest.
Hope you have a good read!
Dinakaran, I have similarly decided to fully respond to H.H. Swami Saiexposedananda (aka Sanjay Kishore Dadlani).
Sanjay Dadlani Exposed
Whereas there is a systematic campaign of slander and defamation carried out by Sanjay Dadlani (aka H.H. Swami Saiexposedananda) against devotees and proponents of Sathya Sai Baba, and whereas his claim that his slander and defamation (usually with no proof at all) is for the benefit of public interest, similarly this blog is offered to bring forward true and verified information about the perverse fascinations of Sanjay Dadlani for the public interest.
Have a good read!
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