Record of talk with V. K.Narasimhan - 1995
Transcript of the scan below text follows:-

Before leaving on 6'th December. N. told again how he had argued with Swami about Advaita, saying that without the diversity, which glorifies God, there would be nothing but the same unchanging Oneness. That advaita had ruined India by making people think that nothing is real and hence what does anything matter?

Next day, Baba changed tack!! (See discourse 31/8/1981) on it being a sin to say the world is not real, see:-

Sai baba quotation

Sathya Sai Speaks Volume 15, p.112.

Compare the above with Sathya Sai Speaks Volume 1, p.10 "World is unreal - samsara" and "The world as 'illusory product' of mind" My Baba and I, by J.Hislop. p.123f. Also "The world is a creation of the mind (Moolam Idam Jagat)" Sanathana Sarathi July 1999, p. 180. Also "a mystery that the world is a mental image, in Sathya Sai Speaks Volume 12, p.307.Or
"The world is a projection of the mind" in Sanathana Sarathi, October 1992 p. 227.]
N. Holds that one should assert 'Diversity in Unity' rather than the opposite, as Baba does.

cont. from before: Sai introduced his very first half-dozen students as "Ph.Ds" to visitors - but they had hardly enrolled. Only a couple ended up as Ph.Ds.
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Sai is spending 50 lakhs a month on his own protection with 50 private security men in plainclothes etc. in the ashram and in his building, says Narasimhan. Why, if nothing can harm him? Sai said it was for the benefit of devotees. (??)

Why did Sai announce in an interview that hundreds would be killed during an attempt in October 1995??

Between 26 and 28/11, Narasimhan variously told me how Baba had given his name to those who had planned a huge conference complex for 5,000 crores of rupees at Whitefield. N. said he was present when Sai was showing the plans and was as impressed as a child and gave his name. This enabled the finance of the project too - since the v. rich Japanese and S. Korean financiers would invest in it.

On 2/12/1995 a Mr. Reddy - a 'liquor king' from Madras was shot dead by a young naxalite. He had been on their list a long time. N. told me that he had been taken in Sai's car to Madras last time to visit Mr. Reddy - a super-rich politician living in a palatial mansion. He had said to Sai that he wanted to get out of politics etc. He donated 1 crore of rupees to the Water Project. Earlier, N. had complained about this to me saying that Gandhiji called the earnings of racing and liquor "tainted money".

Ralli no longer goes to see Swami, it seems - (due to what?). Narasimhan said that Shah is a good showman - able to put on convocations very effectively.

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As to Swami's teaching, N. claimed that there are some big inconsistencies. Between Advaita and the dualism of bhakthi - and between the teaching of the world's unreal nature (Shankara's advaita) and the dualism implies by an Avatar needing to save the world (in Narasimhan's view). N. told me he has often said to Swami "How can you teach that the world is not real if it has to be saved by an Avatar, is not the Avatar unreal/or saying something that is unreal)??"

I gave my views against the inconsistency claim. (The non-systematic eclecticism of Sai avoids one single doctrine or faith - hence caters for all & avoids a new religion or sect).

Comment: I was still rationalizing as best I could to defend Sai, but Narasimhan was right, I now see clearly. Sai Baba uses a " pick-and-mix full menu" teaching - packed with inconsistencies (and absurdities) because everyone will find something they like and only the very fewest people will even study more than small parts of his 'teaching' and discover the fact that it is a hodge-podge. See my article on this hall of mirrors problem

Narasimhan also rejected what he called the theory & "stupid analogy" of the screen and the image. If there are no images, what is the screen for? I told (text continued In diary)

VKN on advaita and more

VKN on Lucal Ralli

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