Sathya sai international organisation

On Swami travelling to other countries

Madhusudan Naidu claims that since He has 'retired from His job' at Puttaparthi, Sri Sathya Sai Baba is now free to travel the world:

So now I am free to travel wherever I want. I am retired from that job and now I am free. Now I have come wherever I was called. Besides, it will have taken a lot of effort for all of you to arrange My visit here. And if I visit one country, all other countries will feel bad. How could I abandon those poor and needy and the people in distress, for whose sake, I have primarily come.

He also tells the foreign devotees that now they have to visit him in Muddenahalli:

Now that I have come here, you have to come to me.

Q and A session with Madhusudan Naidu in Tokyo, Japan, March 15, 2015, p.5
Madhusudan and his supporters are using a statement made by Sri Sathya Sai Baba at MahaShivarathri 2007 in order to justify travelling to other countries around the world to gather donations:

I intend to undertake a world tour, shortly.

SSS 40.5: February 16, 2007, http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume40/sss40-05.pdf
While Swami did say that He would undertake a world tour, He did not elaborate and no plans were made for this to happen. On previous occasions when Swami was asked when He would come to their country, He would reply "Do I need a plane to come to your country"?
Something similar happened at MahaShivarathri 1962. After producing the lingam, Swami stayed seated, seemingly stiff and unresponsive for 55 minutes, having left His body as He used to do in those days. Those around Him thought that He must have gone to the rescue of a devotee in danger. After 50 minutes people were getting anxious and some devotees were in tears. Finally after 55 minutes Swami seemed to regain awareness of His surroundings:

Fifty five ... Ah ... a slight movement of the fingers ... of the left hand! The hand came down ... I broke into tears ... His eyes opened ... He saw! He smiled! Fear and doubt vanished shamefacedly from the gathering. Baba rose ... the fateful minutes were over!

Baba went into the Nilayam, and when some of us, including Dr. Bhagavantham followed Him, He said that He had gone on a Manasa-sanchara (mind tour), round the World!

Sathyam Sivam Sundaram pt 3, pp. 228-229, http://www.vahini.org/downloads/sathyamsivamsundaram-III.html
Dr John Hislop once asked Swami when He would come to America:

Hislop: Swami, please excuse this question, but it is in everyone's mind. Will Swami come to America soon?

SAI: Baba will delay until a further base is built in America . However, I can go informally anytime. The devotee need only call me and I will appear at once. Swami has his work to renew India. This must be finished before he is willing to do the same in a foreign country. People generally go to a foreign country with a desire of some sort. Baba has no desire. Of course foreign individuals come to Baba.

CWBSSSB p.50, http://media.radiosai.org/journals/Vol_03/10OCT01/conversation.htm
Swami said that He would not travel to other countries until He had reformed India. What did Swami say of those who travel abroad gathering donations?

There are some people who are doing business in the Name of Sai. They are cheating others, pretending to be devotees of Sai. I do not approve of such behaviour. They are not devotees at all. They are going to different parts of the country and also abroad to make money in the name of Sai. It is a big crime. I do not ask for even a single paisa from others. I never approve of such business. Whoever it may be, if somebody approaches you with such a crass motive, tell him to get out at once. Do not allow business to enter the field of spirituality. Swami never solicits donations from anybody, nor does He have agents for propagating His Message. I do not have any association whatsoever with these deceitful persons.

SSS 35.11: 22 July, 2002, http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume35/sss35-11.pdf

SUMMARY 1. Madhusudan Naidu says that Sri Sathya Sai Baba has retired from His role in Puttaparthi and is now living in a subtle body in Muddenahalli. He says that this subtle body can travel anywhere in the world in no time. 2. Sri Sathya Sai Baba says that the subtle body disintegrates after death and only functions in the dream state while the person is alive. 3. Madhusudan and his team travel abroad to various countries, saying that they are accompanying Swami's subtle body. Donations are collected while they are on these trips. 4. Sri Sathya Sai Baba said that those who travel abroad to make money in His name are perpetrating a crime and that He never solicits donations from anyone, nor does He have agents for propagating His message. 5. Madhusudan Naidu and his followers claim that they are travelling to overseas countries to fulfil Sri Sathya Sai Baba's statement that He would undertake a world tour. 5. Sri Sathya Sai Baba said that He had to finish His work to renew India before He would consider going to a foreign country. QUESTIONS 1. Why is Madhusudan Naidu travelling around and collecting donations, something that Swami clearly opposed? 2. Do we really believe that Swami's work of reforming India is finished and therefore that He is now willing to travel to overseas countries?

Miracles

Madhusudan Naidu and psychic powers?

People quote Madhusudan's ability to know what was said in interviews as proof that he is in communication with Baba. Swami has often spoken about siddhis not being any proof of claims to divinity and downplayed the importance attributed to miracles:

So called 'miracles' are not miracles, nor do they prove divinity.

CWBSSSB, p.73, http://media.radiosai.org/journals/Vol_04/01FEB06/conversation.htm

This has been the case, in all ages. People may be very near (physically) to the Avathaar (divine incarnation), but, they live out their lives unaware of their fortune; they exaggerate the role of miracles, which are as trivial, when compared to My glory and majesty, as a mosquito is in size and strength to the elephant upon which it squats. Therefore, when you speak about these 'miracles,' I laugh within myself out of pity, that you allow yourself so easily to lose the precious awareness of My Reality.

SSS 12.38: June 19, 1974 http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume12/sss12-38.pdf
Swami also said that His powers are not given to anyone else:

If somebody says Sai Baba's powers have been given to him, then we run to him. Sai Baba's powers are such that they are not given to anybody else. Nobody has the ability to take powers from Sai Baba, nor the ability to give them to someone else. Sai Baba's powers are not given like that, and you should not be led away by such statements. Each one's power is within him; it is not possible to give such power to another person. In this manner, by allowing a weak mind to get control over us, if we begin running from place to place, where are we going to get strength of mind, and control our own mind?

SSS 13.6: March 28, 1975, http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume13/sss13-06.pdf
Sathya Sai Baba was asked about the nature of His powers by R K Karanjia in 1976:

Q: So these are not siddhic powers or magical tricks, as your critics suggest?

Baba: They are neither magical tricks nor siddhic (occult) powers, which can come to everybody with the appropriate discipline and yoga exercises, but My powers to protect, heal and save people and materialize objects originate in God and can be used only by an Avatar. They are in no way designed, disciplined or developed, but flow from cosmic power.

Q: Some say that you command invisible spirits which can transfer objects from one place to another on your orders.

Baba: There is no need for Me to command invisible spirits since My own divine will materializes the objects. I am everything, everywhere, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent; and so whatever I will, instantly happens.

God Lives in India, pp.14-15, http://www.saibaba.ws/articles2/blitz.htm
Sri Sathya Sai Baba said that His powers are not given to anyone and can be used only by an Avatar. He also warned of the dangers of individuals cultivating or displaying siddhis (miraculous powers):

Some people remark that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said that siddhis are obstructions in the path of the sadhaka (spiritual aspirant). Of course they are; he may be led astray by siddhis; he has to keep straight on without being involved in them. His ego will increase if he yields to the temptation of demonstrating his siddhis. This correct advice, which every sadhaka should heed.

SSS 4.45: December 13, 1964, http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume04/sss04-45.pdf
There are examples of individuals in the past who have developed psychic abilities, however as Sri Sathya Sai Baba has said, this is no proof of Divinity.
Madhusudan claims that He is able to hear the voice of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and relay what He is saying. This is how he explains his apparent knowledge of people's interactions with Sri Sathya Sai Baba, as well as His ability to give discourses in a similar style to Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He pauses and listens and then conveys what he says Baba is saying to him.
There have also been well known individuals who have demonstrated apparent Divine powers, however subsequent investigation has shown that there was a very worldly explanation for their claimed Divine knowledge.
A prime example was Christian televangelist Peter Popoff, who attained great popularity from his ability to call people out of his audience and tell them their names, ailments and other personal details. He would pause, listen and then call people out of his audience by name, talking about their condition and personal details. Investigators using electronic surveillance equipment found that he had an in-ear receiver and was simply listening to and repeating what a person in another room backstage was saying to him.

SUMMARY 1. People quote Madhusudan Naidu's apparent knowledge of what was said in their interviews as proof that he is in communication with Sri Sathya Sai Baba. 2. Sri Sathya Sai Baba said that miracles are no proof of Divinity. 3. Madhusudan Naidu claims that he hears what Baba's subtle body says to him and then communicates this information. 4. There have been examples of people in the past who have duplicated this ability by using a wireless in-ear receiver, while having information fed to them by another person.