Concerning the background of an open letter to the followers of Sathya Sai Baba by Sri Acharyaji (Dr. Frank Morales) posted on Vaishnava News 2001

Many followers of Sathy Sai Baba were utterly shocked when world-wide revelations of sexual abuses of young men and boys by Sathya Sai Baba broke on the internet in 2000. One of Sai Baba's favourite devotees, the Welsh classical musician, David Bailey, who taught at Sai Baba's college (and also taught the Princes William and Harry in UK) and who had been to more than 100 interviews with Sai Baba published his denunciation of Sai Baba as a sexual abuser, fraud and liar. He had been approached by a number of the students he was teaching asking him if he could do anything to stop the continual sexual abuses they were undergoing at the hands of Sai Baba. (see Bailey's phone testimony)

All attempts to get the Sathya Sai Organisation and its leaders to address the issue were in vain and the few who ever responded to letters gave some most extraordinary rationalizations of Sai Baba's behaviour. Such was the explanation given by a totally-committed believer and Sai Baba VIP follower, Ron Mead, whose wife has posted how Ron was (apparently) healed of lung cancer by Sai Baba (no medical documentation was ever produced, however, and there had been only one preliminary diagnosis before Ron Mead went to see Sai Baba, who he told about it. Sai Baba then pronounced in the interview that he had just cured Ron of lung cancer. It seems Ron Mead did not have cancer, so the diagnosis could have been mistaken... one can never find out the facts because the claimants never publish any documentary proof. Ron Mead sent a letter to the long-term devotee Glen Meloy, who had become an active dissident due to the exposure of Sai Baba, which he had also followed up by meeting victims of the abuses. The issue was the 'oiling' of genitals and the perineum (and rubbing of them etc. etc.-) in private interviews by Sai Baba :-

Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 22:53:07 -0700 (PDT
To: Glen Meloy

Subject: Re: BABA DOUBTING

Glen I have dealt with the issue you are dealing with for many year numerous times and have searched for clues and “I" have talked to some of the males involved. I did not jump to the same conclusions that you have. My first case goes back as far as 68 and 69. When possible I always ask question but did not always get answers because the boy involved would not or could not relate their thoughts and fantasies prior to the act that would be described as sexual. Remember sex is a mental process. You face the same situation. Those boys did not tell you or anyone else their thoughts or fantasies, related to sex, that repeated themselves perhaps most of their life. Homosexuality is brought on by an Aberration of the mind, (thoughts) in some form related to sex. AND can only be controlled in the same manner. I COULD GO ON AND ON FOR HOURS. I WANT YOU TO KNOW IT IS NOT MY INTENT TO CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING BECAUSE I THINK YOU HAVE YOUR MIND MADE UP. IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT YOU
CONSIDER Sathya Sai Baba TO BE AN ORDINARY MAN OR A LITTLE EXTRA ORDINARY IF AT AGE 74 HE COULD HAVE AN EJACULATION WITH THOSE FEW MOTIONS OF THE PELVIS. THE ACT WAS NOT FOR HIS GRATIFICATION. I will just consider this time wasted motion. If I had the time a conversation with you I think it would be interesting just to find out how you are reasoning. R. MEAD

Glen Meloy commented:

“The strange logic employed by Bozzani and the Meads is interwoven with excuses for the oilings, but no outright denial that they took place. And somehow they seem justified in their minds because they believe Sathya Sai Baba to be pure and that he is only involved in a healing ritual and does not receive any physical gratification for himself. This reasoning is absurd.... Even if the oiling was the only act performed, one could still legitimately question why if he was really God, does he need to actually touch their genitals? would not a gesture or a look from the all powerful God of the Universe be enough to effect a healing without touching the individual? Surely, the God of the Universe would not have to engage in oral sex and/or ejaculate in the mouths of his devotees to effect a healing?. Where is the healing in an act which most prudent persons would characterize as pure self gratification? Barry, I want you to know that I am grateful to have Timothy Conway's documented research on the record, but we still need an authentic voice from the hierarchy in the Hindu priesthood in India to speak out on these alleged kundalini raising procedures employed by Sai Baba. I think that the Hindu spiritual leaders owe it to all the faithful followers of Hinduism to set the record straight.

It's time for them to come out of the closet and dispel the false notion that shaktipat can only be done by touching the genitals or the muladhara region. It's actually an insult being hurled by Sai Baba to all the Deities such as Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Lord Jesus, Lord Buddha, Moses or any of the names of God. Let's put this kundalini raising claim to rest once and for all, so that the leadership of the Sai Organization cannot hide behind those false assertions. As Timothy so aptly stated...... Barry, you have my permission to distribute this to anyone on your mailing list and to also post it on any web site, both pro and con. Much Love and Light, Glen Meloy"

Various authentic Hindu authorities expressed their rejection of the suggestion that such sexual touching was in any way justified by Hindu scripture. The Shankacharya of South India strongly rejected the claims of Sai Baba. One of the clearest defenses of Hindu Sanathana Dharma against Sai Baba's reported actions and claims of performing miracles was stated by a widely recognised Hindu teacher, Sri Acharyaji (Dr. Frank Morales), as seen in the scan shown on the right.

Glen Meloy also wrote the following (to Barry Pittard):-

"After some of the letters reached many of her California friends, all of us started hearing excuses for these so called kundalini raisings from Sai coordinators such as Bernice Mead who asserted that Sai Baba was out of the goodness of his heart saving all these boys from their overactive hormones and bad karma by oiling their genitals. She even claimed the boy was overprotected by his mother, but never once denied the actual molestation events. "

The US psychologist and child counselor, Shirley Pike, replied to the letter:-