Indian guru, spiritual figure, mystic, philanthropist and educator.SATYA SAI, Prashanti Nilayam, PuttaparthiSATYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM

READ THIS IN HINDI, MY STORY [MERI KAHAANI] Mera nam Satya Raju, Kaam mera, jaadu, Gharana Sai Ram, Jan jagrati laana Bahati Chitravati Satya, dharm, shaanti, stream, prem Jahan mera Dhaam. Ka Paath sunaana Koyi mujhe daante Parvaah nahi karna

Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born inSouth India in the tiny village ofPuttaparthi in 1926. His given namewas Satyanarayana and his familyname was Raju.At the age of 14 he claimed that hewas the reincarnation of an Indiansaint who had died in 1918 namedShirdi Sai Baba. Satyanarayana Raju Shirdi Sai Babathen proclaimed his mission, andbegan teaching on the basis of hisnewly announced Divine status.

Puttaparthi, village in Andhra Pradesh

On October 20, 1940morning, Sathya standingon the doorstep, He flungaside the school bagcontaining books and inringing tones declared, "Iam no longer your Sathya. Iam Sai. I dont belong toyou. I have My work. Mydevotees are calling Me. Iam going. I can no longerstay here."

MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGEBaba since he was a and life centers that,young boy, has built his according to him, arelife around his beliefs. He used by thousands of hishas worked for decades dedicated followersto establish his reputation around the world.as God incarnate, orAvatar. He has raisedorganizational funds andwith them built asuccessful empire ofhospitals, libraries,religious and educationalinstitutions, hostels,

Puttaparthi, where Sathya Sai Baba was born andlived, was originally a small remote South Indianvillage in Andhra Pradesh. Now [2010], there is anextensive university complex, a specialty hospital,Chaitanya Jyoti (a world religions museum thathas won several international awards for design),a Planetarium, a railway station, a hill-viewstadium, an administrative building, an airport, anindoor sports stadium and more.

Mission of Bhagavan Satya Sai BabaI have come to light the lamp of love in yourhearts, to see that it shines day by day withadded luster. I have not come on any mission ofpublicity for any sect or creed or cause; norhave I come to collect followers for anydoctrine. I have come to tell you of thisuniversal unitary faith, this path of Love.

Believe that all hearts are motivated by oneand only God, that all names in alllanguages and all forms man can conceive,denote the One and Only God. Cultivate theattitude of oneness between people of allcreeds, all countries and all continents. Thisis the message of Love I bring.Mission of Bhagavan Satya Sai Baba

The way to love God is to love all and serveall. Students should imbibe this ideal. Manshould strive to become good and virtuous.Only when a man is filled with good thoughtsand feelings and performs good deeds will hislife become meaningful. These good qualitieswill serve to make a better man of you

Pray for the Welfare of AllGive up selfishness and work for the unity of yourcountry. Pray for the welfare of all and lead anideal life. Human life is not gifted to you to hankerafter worldly objects. You have to set an ideal tothe world. What is the ideal that you have to set?You must help all to your utmost capacity. Thebest way to love God is to love all and serve all.

God Illumines the Life of EveryoneThe same Atma is present in all. When you takethe Atmic principle into consideration, all are one.So many individuals are present in this Hall. TheAtma in all of them is one and the same. There isone sun in the sky. It gives light to the entire world.Similarly, God is like the sun who illumines the lifeof everyone. We engulf ourselves in darknesswhen we criticise others. Therefore, love all andserve all.

Imagine a life touched by the grace of God, a bodyat one with all of existence and all of nature.Contemplate that we are all part of God and God ispart of all of us. Envision your soul as a vessel thatcontains the essence of God. Consider a healthyexistence in which mind, body, and soul are in perfectequilibrium. Know that this can be attained throughdevotion that transforms the human spirit andtranscends all political and sociocultural boundaries.This is the philosophy of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

THUS SPOKE SRI SATYA SAI

The Internet transmits the mission of Sai Babaaround the world. In this era of globalization, theborders have been penetrated by advancements intechnology. Today, an information highway thatfosters a global community interlinks members ofthe international citizenry that have access to theWorld Wide Web. Baba has utilized this worldwidetechno-social network to circulate and promote histeachings.

Babas philosophy emphasizes the idea thatonce a persons inner divinity is awakenedhe/she may become one with God and with all ofexistence, realizing that they were always at onewith God, which they formerly could not realizedue to karmic bondage and illusions. Baba alsoteaches to serve the society in which we live.In this pursuit, Baba lays out Ten GuidingPrinciples his followers should abide by:

Ten Guiding Principles1) show love for your native country / dont talk badabout other countries; 2) be tolerant of all worldreligions and spiritual practices; 3) treat all ofmankind as you would your own family; 4) Cleanyour house regularly; 5) engage in selfless serviceto humanity; 6) live honestly; 7) dont be a jealous,hateful, or envious person; 8) become more self-sufficient and reliable; 9) be a good and activecitizen; 10) love God and dont commit sin.

If you wish to lead a sacred life and havesacred experiences, you must engageyourself in sacred actions. The good andevil in the world can be changed only bythe change in mens actions.Transformation of society must start withtransformation of individuals.

Baba teaches the idea that one mustrenounce actions based on desires. In theGita, Krishna says: Breaking free fromaddiction to the senses achieve salvation.By renunciation, one ends addiction to thesenses; performs inborn dharma, break freefrom the bonds of karma and finally realizeoneness with God.

The Hindu doctrine of karma teaches thatwhat one does in this life affects subsequentlives in the cycle of rebirth.This cycle of rebirth, or samsara, ends onlywhen a persons soul reaches perfection andbecomes one with God.Baba teaches the idea that one mustrenounce actions based on desires.

Children of Immortality! Remember that You arecreated in My Image and Likeness.Perfect. Live up to this Image in all planes. Live likeMasters!Walk this Earth with Your Heads held high, YourSpirits soaring, Your Hearts open to Love, and believein Yourself and GOD with You. Then all will go well.See Me everywhere, talk to Me and Love Me who is inEach.Then from Each I will respond and bring You intoGlory.

ALWAYS WISH GOOD OF OTHERSYou have to understand the power of goodthoughts. Thoughts travel from one person toanother. If you are thinking ill of others that canharm the other person, but ten times more harmwill come to you.Some of you will be indulging in the thought ofharming others and wishing that those peopleshould come to ruin.Such thoughts will harm us tenfold. Never allowthem to come near us.

ALWAYS WISH GOOD OF OTHERS Always wish good of others. Love all. For this set an example. You love even the wicked people. Love all the more people who criticize you. I love such people who are making fun of Me. Therefore, I am always happy. That is why I say, My Life is My Message. Always be full of sacrifice, renunciation, and giving for others. Never have selfishness.

CELEBRATION OF BIRTHDAYS OF SAINTS

It is only by practising these ideals that one cantruly celebrate His birthday. The Divinity withinshould be reflected in every action. The seat ofTruth is in your heart. Worship means loving otherswith your full heart.You must live in love and lead a life of selflessservice based on love. This is the right way ofcelebrating the birth of Christ

LEAD PURE AND SACRED LIVESOne should regard love for God as the greatest treasure onecan have. When you love God, you will have love towards allbecause the Divine is in everyone. Therefore bear in mind:Love all; serve all. The best way to serve God is to love all andserve all. Your devotion will get diluted if you entertaindifferences between people. Devotion to Rama or Krishnabecomes meaningless if you do not practise their teachings.The worship of the Lord should be accompanied by leading aGodly life. Only then the bliss can be experienced.

Krishna said, Mamaivamso jeevaloke jeevabhuthasanathana (human beings are the sparks of My Divinity).The best way to love God is to love all and serve all. Ifyou lead such a life, all your actions will be pleasing untoGod. You need food, clothing, shelter, and some moneyto purchase medicines if you were to fall sick. That is whyI said in the beginning, O man! Never be over-ambitious,lead instead a noble life by making proper use of theintellect. Happiness lies in contentment. Dissatisfactionwill lead to misery. In order to experience peace, keepyour desires under control

Where There Is Purity, There Is DivinityThere must be harmony between ones thoughts,words, and deeds; then there is purity and Divinity.Whatever others do to you, consider it as good foryou. See that you do not lose your humanness underany circumstances. In fact, humanness is your mostvaluable property. Love all and serve all. Then onlyyou can lead a healthy and happy life. You have topartake good, sathwic (pure) food that is offered firstto God.

You dont offer all sorts of food to God, do you?Sathwic food that is prepared in a clean vessel withpure feelings is offered to God. The food so offeredto God has to be partaken as prasadam (sanctifiedfood). Good food brings good health, and fromgood health arises good thoughts. Unfortunately,today there is dichotomy between our thoughts,words, and deeds. We say something and dosomething else.

Have a Pure Heart Filled with LoveAll your penances are of no avail unless youhave a pure heart filled with love. It is likepreparing food in an untinned vessel. It isbound to get spoilt. It is to develop a lovingheart that you have to embark on the spiritualpath. This pure love is the direct path to God. Itis love which is unbounded and divine.

Love God whether your prayers are fulfilled or not.Remember what ordeals the sages and saintspassed through in their devotion to God. Theybraved all difficulties as great devotees.Life is a challenge - Meet it!Life is a game - Play it!Life is love - Enjoy it!Life is Awareness!The best way to love God is to love all, serve all.

Service Will Lead You to DevotionYour life is a long journey, and your desires are theluggage. Less luggage, more comfort makes travel apleasure. So, reduce your desires. Human birth is gifted toserve others, not just to eat, drink, sleep, and make merry.The best way to love God is to love all and serve all. Mansforemost duty is to serve his fellowmen and make themhappy. Your life will be redeemed only when you involveyourself in the service of society. The highest sadhana(spiritual practise) is to transform love into service. Servicewill lead you to devotion.

Use Your Knowledge for the Good of OthersEvery man should recognise that the body hasbeen given to him to render service to others. Youmust use the body for promoting the welfare ofsociety. Of what use is the endless study of booksif you do not use your knowledge for the good ofothers? A mind that is not utilized for imparting joyto others or a body that is not used for the serviceof others is totally useless.

If someone abuses us, let him do so. Abuses willmerge in thin air. Therefore, always think thatnobody can criticize you. Have faith that God willalways protect you. Develop unflinching faith inGod. Many people deny the existence of God. Ifthere is no God, where have you come from?What is the place of your origin? If you dont havefaith in God, all your life becomes a waste.

Duty Is God; Work Is WorshipEducation should fill ones heart with love andcompassion. Two parts of hydrogen and one partof oxygen add up to make water. Greatness lies insharing water equally, not in making it. Everyonehas an equal right to water.Today, everyone is fighting for rights, but whatabout responsibility?

You need not fight for rights. Discharge yourresponsibilities, and rights will follow. Do your duty.Duty is God; work is worship. What is your right? Tomake everybody happy is your right. Serveeverybody and make everyone happy withoutexpecting anything in return. Service is God. Thebest way to love God is to love all and serve all.Speak softly and sweetly. You cannot always oblige,but you can speak always obligingly.

Serve Your MotherlandStop hankering after foreign lands after you complete yourstudies. Serve your Motherland. Lord Rama said, Jananijanma-bhoomischa swargadapi gareeyasi (mother andmotherland are greater than heaven). So, work for yourMotherland and serve the poor. The best way to love God isto love all and serve all. Serve others when it is necessary.You are born to experience love. Your life is full of love. But,you are not able to understand this Principle of Love. Thereis nothing greater than love in this world. Love is God, Godis Love. So live in love.

You are not thrust in an Iron Cage of DestinyTo say that God is the prime cause of everything istrue to a certain extent; but you are not thrust byHim into an iron cage of destiny from which there isno escape.He has endowed you with viveka and vairagya(discrimination and detachment) and, with a senseof awe and wonder, you have to use these forattaining Him. Though bound, you are not entirelyincapacitated.

A cow that is tethered to a post by means of arope can walk around it and graze on all the areawhich the rope can traverse; when all the grasstherein has been eaten, perhaps the master mightloosen the knot and tether it to another post a littlefarther off. Graze freely as far as the rope allows,but do not stray far from the post and pull at therope and inflict pain on your neck.

Man should think of putting into practice the fivehuman values of1. Sathya (Truth),2. Dharma (Right Conduct),3. Shanti (Peace),4. Prem (Love) and5. Ahimsa (Non-violence) in day-to-day affairs. Thisstage calls for the integration of Thought, Word andDeed.

Atmasakshatkaar (Self- Realisation).It makes me reveal that I am independent ofBody, Mind, Intellect, Ego, etc., which areNashwar (perishable, temporary) and not Ishwar(Permanent, Eternal). This revelation illuminesthat I exist perennially (Sat), I am conscious(Chit) and because of these two, I am alwaysin Bliss (Anand). So, I am Ishwar i.e. God.

(1) daily meditation and prayer, (2) group devotionalsinging or prayer with family members once a week, (3)participation in Sai Spiritual Education by children ofthe family, (4) participation in community service work,(5) regular attendance at the devotional meetings in SaiCenters (does not apply if there is no local Sai Center indevotees community), (6) regular study of Sathya SaiBaba literature, (7) the use of soft loving speech witheveryone, (8) not speaking ill of others, especially intheir absence, and (9) practice placing a ceiling ondesires -and utilizing savings for service to mankind.

Love - for all.Service - to others.Put a ceiling on ones desires.The world is maya (illusion), only God is real.Every person is God in form, though most do not experiencethis as their reality.Meditation - two techniques, soham (Upanishad mantra forrepetition and focus) and jyoti (Light meditation).Accept all religions as paths to realizing the One (God).Ahimsa (non-violence), shanthi (peace), dharma (rightconduct, living in accord with natural law), and sathya (truth).

. Sai Babas motto of Love all, serve all is evident in hishumanitarian work, which at this time has far-reachingimportance. In the early 1970s, Sai Baba founded the SriSatya Sai Central Trust as an umbrella organization for thesupervision and management of the resources of hischaritable work. The head quarters of this trust are located inPrasanthi Nilayam, his main residence in Puttaparthi. SaiBabas humanitarian work can be divided into four categoriesthat address educational development, health issues, relief tothe rural impoverished, and public utility projects, especially inthe field of water resources development.

EDUCARE MEANS EDUCATION WITH HUMAN VALUES (EHV).Bring out and develop In brief, further, it enables anlatent human values an individual to apply his Head (Intelligence), Heartindividual is born with. (Conscience) and HandsThese human values are (Action) to take appropriateSathya (Truth), Dharma decisions and implement(Right Conduct), Shanti them for the(Peace), Prem (Love) and bettermentAhimsa (Non-violence). of all.

While dedicating his entire life to this selflessservice, his newest accomplishment has centeredon expanding his movement through use of theWorld Wide Web. Through the Internet, he hasconceptualized cyberspace as both sacred spaceand marketing space. You elaborate in yourlectures this unique power of Sai, the incidents thatare described as miracles in the books about Meby some persons. But I request you not to attachimportance to these.

I use My Shakti (power) to attract people and todraw them towards the Godward path. Thesemiracles are merely baits with which I lure themtowards me. Once their faith is firmly established,they begin to look beyond the miracles and slowlystart stretching their hands out for what I have reallycome to give Knowledge and Bliss. The role ofmiracles, which are trivial when compared to myglory and majesty, as a mosquito is in the size andstrength to the elephant upon which it squats.

W e meditate on that Supreme Effulgence of the Radiant Being . . . the indwelling Controller and Director of all things. May He stimulate our intellect entirely (to realize the Truth) - Gayathri Let us bring the unknown side of Sai Baba also to light.LEAD US FROM UNTRUTH TO TRUTHLEAD US FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHTLEAD US FROM DEATH TO IMMORTALITYOM PEACE PEACE PEACE

Sai Baba Accused:unkept promisesunproven paranormal claimssleight of handMurdersbeing a homosexualbeing a paedophilebeing the devil ! GOOD & BAD?THE WORLD IS MAYA (ILLUSION), ONLYGOD IS REAL.

Paranormal claims and Claims made about Sai Babas psychic powers Stories told by devoteesoften irritate rational and scientificallytempered people. It will be helpful to havethese writings detached from the theology

If the theology is sound, it will stand on its own.But the psychic claims also stand on their own,in the sense that we can raise the questionwhether these miracles ever occurredindependently of discussing what they illustrateabout Sai Babas theology.Sri Sathya Sai Baba, "Whoever he is, he iscertainly more than the mere parlour magicianmany of his critics claim that he is.

Sai: These paranormal and psychic claims (miracle)are merely baits with which I lure men towards me.Once their faith is firmly established, they begin tolook beyond the miracles and slowly start stretchingtheir hands out for what I have really come to give Knowledge and Bliss. The idea that Sai isallknowing is taken to mean that he must know everything trivial about everything and every onebeforehand; he should be able to act. Baba is notlearned or highly educated. He is a nonmatriculate.

Critical comments and accusations concerning Sai BabaSatya Sai Baba isAccused of: Sathya Sai Baba unkept promises often instructs his unproven paranormal claims devotees: "Do not sleight of hand see bad, see only Murders good; do not hear being a homosexual being a paedophile bad, hear only being the devil ! good" and so on.

MESSAGE FROM INTERNET SOURCE # 55 United States citizens should be aware that there have been unconfirmed reports of inappropriate sexual behavior by prominent local religious leaders at an ashram or religious retreat located in Andhra Pradesh. Most of the reports indicate that the subjects of these approaches have been young male devotees, including a number of United States citizens.

Sathya Sai Baba publicly responded to theallegations on 25 December 2000: Some peopleout of their mean-mindedness are trying to tarnishthe image of Sai Baba. I am not after name andfame. So, I do not lose anything by their falseallegations. My glory will go on increasing day byday. It will never diminish even a bit if they were topublicize their false allegations in the whole world inbold letters.

HIS PERSONAL LIFESTYLE, FLEET OF DESIGNER CARS, ANDGENERAL LIVING QUARTERS ARE VISIBLY EXTRAVAGANT. RUMORSOF MONEY LAUNDERING, POLITICAL AND GOVERNMENTAL COVER-UP INVOLVEMENT AND BACKING IN INDIA (FIGURE ) HAVE ALSOSURFACED IN RECENT YEARS.

India (Prime Minister Singh) and many supreme and high court judges were devotees of Sri Satya Sai Baba.Sai Baba had institutionalised all theactivities with help from trustedprofessionals, including eminent juristslike ex-chief justice of India P.N.Bhagwati and, in earlier years, SupremeCourt judges V.R. Krishna Iyer and V.Balakrishna Eradi, retired AndhraPradesh High Court judge Y.V.Anjaneyulu, besides politicians of allhues and bureaucrats

In an official letter made public in December 2001,A.B. Vajpayee (then Prime Minister of India), P.N.Bhagawati (Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ofIndia), Ranganath Misra (Chair Person, National HumanRights Commissioner of India and Former Chief Justiceof the Supreme Court of India), Najma Heptulla(President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union; UNDPDistinguished Human Development Ambassador) andShivraj Patil (Member of Parliament, India; Formerly ofthe Lok Sabha & Union Minister) all signeda letter which stated as follows:

We are deeply pained and anguished by the wild, recklessand concocted allegations made by certain vested interestsand people against Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Wewould normally expect that responsible media wouldascertain the true facts before printing such calumny especially when the person is revered globally as anembodiment of love and selfless service to humanity. Sincethis professional ethic has not been observed bya section of the media, we have elected to go public withthis signed statement.

When reviewing all data, keeping in mind theattempt to balance Sai Babas successes in serviceto humanity, with the escalating reports of hisalleged abuses, one must remember always tostrive for an objective perspective. While Sai Babadid contribute large amounts of money forcharitable, educational, medical, and religiousenrichment and establishments, a huge amount ofhis funds are invested in personal endeavors.

While his dedicated followers continue to stick byhim and worship at his lotus feet, others continueto come forward in hopes of exposing him as apedophile and fraud.One thing is certain, his message of love,tolerance and peace, although perhapshypocritical, remains a message more people inthis world need to live by.

Sai Baba has predicted that Prema Sai will be born in Karnataka about 8 years after He leaves this body. The third Sai will be born in Gunaparthi, a village in the Mandya district of Karnataka. Thus, Sri Sathya Sai Baba refers not only to his past, but also to the future form he will assume as Prema Sai.

In cities in North America and Western Europe thereare organized Sathya Sai Baba groups with membersoften numbering in the hundreds. There are scores ofpublications associated with the Sai Baba movementthat contain records of the public and private talks anddiscourses given by Sai Baba. But in a good many ofthe publications paranormal claims are made. Whatmakes Sai Baba particularly interesting is the widerange of claims made about him by devotees, claimswhich he is, apparently, happy to endorse.

Claims made about Sai Baba are as follows:He is omnipotent and omniscient: "I am everything,everywhere, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent,and so whatever I will instantly happens." (Sai Babaswords, quoted in Sandweiss, Spirit and Mind, p. 243).He has resurrected two different people including onewho was pronounced dead by two doctors, and whosecorpse was placed in a storage room, his ears andnose plugged with cotton to await funeral rites. (Kanu,p. 12 and Hislop, My Baba and I, pp.2831; etc.)

Claims made about Sai BabaHe has complete telepathic knowledge of all his devoteesdoings, and can advise even scientists, physicians,engineers, etc. on their professional matters. (Hislop, MyBaba & I, p. 74). He has materialized countless smallobjects jewellery, rings, pendants, etc., and holy ashfrom his palms, and holy ash in amazingly large quantitiesfrom an empty urn.As well he has `given birth through his oesophagus toseveral inches in diameter egglike objects, called`lingams.

Claims made about Sai Baba(These reports are detailed in scores of devoteeaccounts. See, e g., Murphet, Man of Miraclesthroughout, and Sandweiss, Spirit and Mind, p. 170,for a typical description of a lingam `birth.) He hasperformed countless miracles of all and sundry sorts:he has turned water into gas when a car was emptyof fuel. He once dropped petals onto the ground andthey spelled out a message in meticulous calligraphylanding on the ground;

Claims made about Sai BabaHe has made carved glass bowls appear out of thin air;he has pulled statues out of sands; he has appeared inbodily form in two places at once; and on and on in averitable cornucopia of anecdotes of the miraculous.(Murphet, Man Of Miracles, etc.) He has performedcountless paranormal healings and `rescues at adistance when devotees of his have been in danger.(Many devotee accounts refer to such healings andrescues, e. g., Kanu and Hislop, works cited.)

Q: I am sorry to be so persistent, Swamiji, but isntthe gift of an Omega or HMT watch an act ofcheating the company or breach of its patent?BABA: I assure you there is no such thing. It wouldbe cheating the company or breaching the patent ifit were a case of transfer of the watch from oneplace or the other. But I do not transfer; I totallycreate. Whatever I will, instantly materializes. I knowof no company that has complained about anybreach of patent.

In order to produce an effect such as theproduction of the lingam, all that is required is theswallowing of the lingam ahead of time, and itsregurgitation at the appropriate point in theceremony.Note that the description of Sai Babas swallowingof water prior to the regurgitation, and the churningof the stomach muscles both correspond to thestandard hatha yoga technique

To be omniscient is to be all knowing. Such a claim isimpossible to confirm with certainty, for it would involve testingthe persons knowledge about absolutely everything! But it isvery easy to refute if it is a false claim. All that is required is toshow that the person making the claim lacks some knowledgethat it is possible for a person to have. For example, one whois omniscient will know all the human languages of the world.But Sai Baba, by his own admission and that of his followers,only knows two or three Indian languages fluently. And in acountry where vast numbers of people speak fluent English,Sai Babas English is too broken and unsteady for use inpublic discourses!

SAI: There is much nonsense about Swami beingomnipresent and omnipotent! People start tothink they need do nothing, that Swami will doeverything! Then they do not bother to do even theirdaily duty. In spiritual life, the relationship betweenyou and Swami is heart to heart. But in worldlylife, Swami has given you work to do. This requireswork in the world, activity in the world. Youare required to do your duty to the very limit of thetask.

Healing(Excerpt from Faye Baileys article)I have not seen him do a genuine healing onanybody in all my time of being close to him, andhaving had innumerable interviews. I have seen himtell people to stand up, and get out of wheel chairs,but the effect is not lasting.He generally ignores the sick and frail ones, givingout as reason, their karma. [Sai establishedhospitals.]

Sathya Sai Baba who was in critical condition for 28days and passed away on April 24, 2011 at 7.40 am. Hewas admitted in a super-specialty hospital atPuttaparthi which he himself had created for thecommon people. After being on ventilator support formany days with all his vital parameters failing, SaiBaba died of cardio-respiratory failure.

The Sathya Sai Baba Organization is the principal forcebehind a growing religious movement that is steeped in theHindu tradition. Today, the organization claims to oversee avast global network of Sai Centers based in over 170countries, with 160 located here in the United States. SaiBaba was at the helm of a financial empire that is worthbetween six and fifteen billion dollars. The movementoriginated in 1940 at Puttaparthi, a small village in southernIndia, when a fourteen-year-old boy, by the name ofSathyanarayana, proclaimed himself to be Sai Baba.