SATHYA SAI BABA'S DIVINE COSMIC IGNORANCE ON DISPLAY
From the Mahasivarathri Sathya Sai Baba (SATHYA
SAI BABA) discourse on 21-02-2001
Analysis by Jorge Reyesvera - (using easily-available
public astronomical data)
Published: 08-07-05
[Words of Sathya Sai Baba in the boxes with greenish background]
ÒEven though
getting by heart all of the Vedas and Vedic philosophy,
Even though able to recite poems and prose,
Without purity of heart, one will be ruined.
The word that conveys the Truth
Is this word of Sai.Ó
Bhutakasha, Chitthakasha, Chidakasha
There are three Aakashams (dimensions or planes of
existence): Bhutakasha (the gross or physical aspect of the universe), Chitthakasha (the subtle or mental aspect of the universe), and Chidakasha (the causal or finest aspect of the universe). That which swallows Bhutakasha is Chitthakasha.
That which swallows Chitthakasha is Chidakasha. This Bhutakasha is
very vast. These mountains, these mounds, these forests, these oceans, all of
these are in Bhutakasha. This part of Bhutakasha (earth) is a vast area. Its length is
800,000.
SATHYA SAI BABA pretends to "know about all scriptures" and he constantly "recites poems and prose" but there is major evidence that his heart is not "pure" and he will be ruined. Here he claims that he conveys the truth, so we may examine what he states and compare it with known scientific fact.
The earth has a geodal form but for practical issues
it can be assumed to be a sphere. So he could mean either diameter, meridian, radius, length. But he doesn't even say to which measure he
refers! Futile prattle. There is no datum about the earth's dimension which fits '800,000'!. Check this from the following correct data about the earth-
- surface area: 196,935,000 sq miles - circumference: 24,901.5 miles -
diameter: ca. 8,000 miles - weight ca. 6,585,600,000,000,000,000,000 tons.
However, the sun is greater than this. This sun is many
times bigger than the earth. However, due to our being 9 crore
miles away, it is seen as small.
So how much is its dimension? Its dimension is 8,000 crore.
(Note: One crore is equal to ten million.)
Even such a vast sun as that also is a part of this Bhutakasha.
A bit awkward that SATHYA SAI BABA chooses to use the "mile" when in
India the metric system has been adopted since long ago. May be he is just
remembering something he saw or read and it was too hard to divide by 1.609 in
order to give the figure in Km.
Some basic data about the sun (SATHYA SAI BABA is close in the distance to the
earth but is vague or confused as to its dimension, but he does not give units
of measurement in this nor explain us which parameter is measuring):
The Sun (one of more than 100 billion stars in
our galaxy alone) - age ca. 4.5 billion years - diameter: 1,390,000 km (810,000
Miles). mass: 1.989e30 kg: temperature: 5800 K
(surface), 15,600,000 K (core) - distance from the earth: 150,000,000 Km
(93,000,000 Miles). - The Sun contains more than 99.8% of the total mass of the
solar system (Jupiter contains most of the rest). - The Sun is, at present,
about 75% hydrogen and 25% helium by mass. - The Sun's
magnetosphere (i.e. heliosphere) extends well beyond
Pluto. - It will continue to radiate "peacefully" for another 5
billion years or so.
So then there are stars. These stars are so far away. These are also so many times bigger than the sun. Yet they are seen like decorations of small, small diamonds. In only one second, in the time it takes just to open the eyelids, the light from the stars makes a journey of 160,000 miles per second. Even when making a journey with such speed, the radiance of these stars, the radiance of a few stars, has not reached the earth up till this day. In what way will you be able to describe it, an 'earth'
Greater than this Bhutakasha
is Chitthakasha. This sun, this
moon, these stars, these mounds, these oceans, these forests, all of them
also are small forms in Chittha. Therefore, Chitthakasha is many more times greater than Bhutakasha. Then everything is contained in this Chidakasha.
However, you are feeling that the sun only gives radiance to everything. Even
the sun is without radiance. Sun is not giving his radiance to anything. Even
the radiance of this sun is from the Atma (Chidakasha).
Therefore, this Atma is greater than anything else.
No one can say that its vastness is this much or that much.
It seems that SATHYA SAI BABA really does not know what happens in the sun and oversimplifies with the word "radiance", then asserts that the "radiance" comes from the Atma! Here are some interesting scientific data about the Sun for the benefit of SATHYA SAI BABA and anyone who believes what he teaches:-
Our planet Earth is part of a solar system which contains eight other planets. The Sun is a star and there are many others like it in the universe. The closest star to our own is called Proxima Centauri. Together with approximately houndreth billion other stars they make up the Milky Way. The Milky Way is one of about ten billion of similar galaxies in the visible universe. Galaxies cluster into groups; our group is labelled the Local Group and contains about 30 galaxies. Clusters of galaxies also cluster forming super-clusters. The main force holding all of these systems together is gravity.
The size of astronomical building blocks is very large and becomes difficult to comprehend with everyday units of measurement. Astronomers have created many more units of measurement for astronomical scaling. One of these units is called an Astronomical Unit (AU), the mean distance between the Earth and the Sun, 150 million kms. Instead of using larger units like the AU imagine that the distance between the Sun and Earth is the thickness of a sheet of paper, the distance to the nearest star is scaled to a stack of paper 24 m. high, that the diameter of the Milky Way would be represented by a stack 500 Km high, and that the nearest galaxy would be scaled to over the distance from the Equator to the North Pole. The edge of the known universe would then be about one-third of the way to the Sun.
That example shows how futile is to talk about the size of the universe in practical terms and what if it was the half or the third part of that size? SATHYA SAI BABA refers that as "Bhutakasha" and then he says that "chitakasha" is "many times greater" but fails to say how many.
However, in this world there are numerous forms. Even every single form is made up of atoms. These things are only combinations of atoms. Even the five elements are only made up of atoms. This Atma is even without atoms. This 'I' also does not have any atoms. Atma is without any form. Therefore it is not possible for any atom to enter into it at all.
In other discourses Sathya Sai Baba asserts that even the mind has atoms!So, what does 'Atma Darshan' (beholding the Self) mean? It is only a type of
quality of radiance. In every single man, also in every cell, in every atom
also, there is nature of Atma. We begin with
form and we are trying to dissolve the form. All the things that are in this
universe are with forms. However, after some time, these forms merge in the 'Karana Swarupa,' causal form.
There is no form at all in this causal. All things become without form. This
means they merge in Atma. Hence, even man wanting
to merge into Atma is trying to remove his form.
All the actions that are performed with this form only are Pravritti (the outer or external, worldly path), Bhutakasha. Chitthakasha is the
form relating to feelings, that which contemplates inside.
All in the world are forms only. All are the combination of atoms. Therefore,
where will the combination of these atoms be merged into? They will be merged in the causal form.
Why does SATHYA SAI BABA not explain in which units "radiance" is
measured? His vagueness was seen earlier when he mentioned before as
"radiance" from the Sun? He confuses the forms of objects and things.
Not all things are objects, objects are material
things and can adopt different "forms" as well as some things which
are not objects.
1. a. The shape and structure of an object.
1. b. The body or outward appearance of a person or
an animal considered separately from the face or head; figure.
object (noun)
1. Something perceptible by one or more of the senses, especially by
vision or touch; a material thing.
2. A focus of attention, feeling, thought, or action: an object of contempt.
thing (noun)
1. An entity, an idea, or a quality perceived, known, or thought to have its
own existence.
2. a. The real or concrete substance of an entity.
2 b. An entity existing in space and time.
2 c. An inanimate object.
Therefore, everything that we see today in the whole world is that with
forms. This Atma is not that which moves. It
doesn't have motion.
Therefore, the Veda calls this: Nirgunam, Niranjanam, Niraakaaram Without
attributes, without stain, formless... (Sanskrit
Sloka)
Atma is infinite.
Therefore how can you determine a form for the Atma,
which is infinite? It means Ananda, Bliss, which
has no form. That is your
Atma. Bliss also has no form. That is also Atma only. That which is
without a form is the quality of Atma.
To recognize such a quality of Atma, numerous Rishis (sages) underwent
numerous attempts. At last they said:
Vedahametham Purusham Mahantham, Adithya Varnam Thamasa Paarasthath.
I know the Supreme Being, who shines with the effulgence of the sun and
who is beyond Thamas, the darkness of ignorance.
(Sanskrit Sloka)
"Oh people! You are undergoing numerous troubles regarding the Atma. Even the Veda is with a form." This Atma Thathwa (quality of Atma) is beyond this. Atma is that which is the Kantha Swarupa form of light rays. You can see it anywhere. To see it, there is no need to go to the forest. No need to do Tapas (austerity). No need to do sadhana. If this darkness that is covering the Anthah Karana is made distant, Atma will be manifest."
Sai Baba does not specify which of the numerous problems people are "undergoing regarding the Atma"? But he has a problem himself, for he evidently can't make up his mind regarding the form of the Atma? Nor does he explain what he means by "light rays".
"Divinity In Bhutakasha:
So the Divinity in human beings is so sacred. We are always trying to behold
this with forms, with names, and with Parayana
(daily reading of sacred texts). Therefore, we are succumbing to a lack of
hope and a lack of enthusiasm, and we are finding ourselves unable to be
without any Chintha (worries or thoughts).
Therefore, first and foremost, the Divinity that is in Bhutakasha
has to be recognized well. Every single atom is shining with such brilliance.
See, the stars are seen by us to be very small. They are so many times bigger
than the sun. Their form is seen to be small due to their being so far away. The
brilliance of the sun can be seen by us in a moment.
However, the radiance of the stars does not reach the earth even after a few
hundred years. In the blinking of an eye, this radiance makes a journey of
160 thousand miles (per second). If the radiance like that of the stars
hasn't even reached the earth today, you can imagine how radiant it is and
how far it is!
So, Bhutakasha is not so small. It is very big.
When we see the earth on maps, we feel that it is small. It isn't, it isn't!
No one has the authority to determine its (Bhutakasha's)
measurement or vastness.
We are finding ourselves unable to recognize the Divinity of a Bhutakasha like this. When human beings cannot recognize
the humanness (or human values) inside himself, in
what way can he recognize the Divinity? The first and foremost thing that
every single human being should recognize is 'humanness' has to be
recognized. "
Another typical vague SATHYA SAI BABA generalization. It is certainly easy to find people who are not succumbing to a "lack of
hope and lack of enthusiasm".. And it is very
unlikely that anyone with lack of hope and lack of enthusiasm would be able to
figure out what SATHYA SAI BABA here refers as "Divinity in Bhutakasha" anyhow. Nor can one figure what all that
has to do with "humaness".
And SATHYA SAI BABA keeps giving the wrong value (in miles) for the
speed of light in vacuum and even in other mediums we can not find the figure
given by SATHYA SAI BABA (about 257,000m/s) .
Medium Speed of Light
speed of light in a vacuum is 299 792 458 m/s
speed of light in air is 299 702 547 m/s
speed of light in ice 228 849 204 m/s
what is the speed of light in water 225 407 863 m/s
what is the speed of light in glass 199 861 638 m/s
Why is SATHYA SAI BABA so completely inaccurate? There are many stars close
enough the earth for their light to tale much less than "hundreds of years
to reach the earth" There are thousands of millions so far that its light
takes millions of years to reach the earth. A few of the nearest known stars
from the earth are:-
|
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Distance (light years) |
Apparent Magnitude |
Absolute Magnitude |
|
Proxima Centauri |
V645Cen |
4.2 |
11.05 (variable) |
15.5 |
|
Rigil Kentaurus |
Alpha Cen A |
4.3 |
-0.01 |
4.4 |
|
Alpha Centauri |
Alpha Cen B |
4.3 1 |
.33 |
5.7 |
|
Barnard's Star |
LFT 1385 |
7.7 |
13.53 (var.) |
16.7 |
Only when this Bhutakasha is recognized, it is possible for us to recognize the Chitthakasha. Chitthakasha is a small speck in Bhutakasha. In Chitthakasha, Chidakasha is seen to be even smaller. That Chidakasha only is called Atma. Other than that, there is no other way to say something else (to describe Chidakasha).