The Swami, Sri Sathya Sai Baba is the contemporary spiritual teacher of the Holy Land of India (Bharat), who was called in the New York Times 2002 article, "the Baba, a friend in India to all the world," is addressed colloquially and affectionately by all as simply "Swami," and was born November 23, 1926, named Satyanarayana Raju, in the tiny remote village of Puttaparthi in the Andrah Pradesh territory bonded as such by their Telegu language, which is augmented by the people also learning the Hindi language common to the nation state of India, and other languages such as the Sanskrit of India's ancient Vedic Scriptures predating most other holy scriptures worldwide, and of course the English of the "modern world". At the age of 14 he began his formal teaching career after announcing that he is the second Sai Baba of the "Triple Sai Avatara" of the Shirdi, Sathya, and Prema Sai Babas, each of whom offer different human teaching positions and relationships to the world, but all of whom teach that each human being should follow only the true teachings of their own conscience reawakened to a "divine identity" by loving all and serving all with equanimity as one family of humankind.
Although the Baba strictly forbids his students from publicizing his name, he encourages all in the faiths of their own religions to live by the innate human values of truth, right conduct, love, peace, and nonviolence.
Even though he also strictly forbids the use of his name for any kind of fundraising or even solicitation of offerings at meetings about him, and he refuses reportedly 90% of the financial offerings to support his people's works in India and abroad, nevertheless in his name have been built free schools and high tech free medical hospitals, water projects, all staffed by service volunteers eagerly offering their time and service due to the wonderful feelings of personal reward from selfless service as per the Baba's teachings and personal example.
Perhaps the most controversial teacher of modern times, Sai Baba is reliably reported by literally millions of witnesses over his career to possess capabilities out of the ordinary for human beings such as the daily practice of the direct materialization of objects "from thin air" which he bestows as gifts, "his calling cards" as he says, and examples of all manners of "miracles" from healing the sick to raising the dead, guidance in dreams and telepathically of his devotees by whose faith this is accomplished, the materialization of objects at a distance such as the sacred ash (vibuthi) being continually produced from his photos and other objects on altars around the world, and most importantly thereby authoritatively inspiring in hundreds of millions of people the practice of "loving all and serving all" as the way of the true human being. In August of 2003, new internet facilities were dedicated that will, before long, enable daily live netcasts of his audiences with world leaders, and with the students who come in throngs daily to experience the radiance of his presence and the thick atmosphere of love among the audience as palpable and life altaring. (See http://www.sathyasai.org )
Read about Sri Sathya Sai Baba in the message from
Dr. Hymon Johnson of Santa Barbara's Antioch University who has known him for many years and visited him many times in India. At that linked page you will also find an awesome photo of Sai Baba conducting the procession ("peace walk") part of the commencement ceremony November 23, 2002, for his university graduates with the President of India and free Sai University officials in academic ceremonial attire.
See the New York Times and International Herald Tribune articles about Sathya Sai Baba, apparently the first news articles in the mainstream Western Press in his 63 year teaching career, linked from Hymon Johnson's page above when posted soon.
See expert laboratory chemist and witness David Crockett Williams' report on his trip to India and interview with the Baba in September 1996
, with an actual photograph of Jesus Christ at age 29, the same photograph produced on repeated occasions by the Baba onto the unexposed film of his devotees' cameras, and the story of his dream that led Williams to find the book in India with this telekinetically produced photograph in it.
The Red Silk Road Global Peace March Project
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Silk-Road-to-Peace
August 24, 2003 - October 31, 2004 - Hasta La Paz Global Ya!
USA, California, Japan, Korea, China, Nepal, India, Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jerusalem, Europe, USA, La Paz.
Desde La Paz, Hasta La Paz -- "Si, Se Puede!"
