Devotion

Prayers are nothing but a heart to heart conversation with God. Sathya Sai Baba encouraged people to start and end the day with prayers. Multi-faith prayers are also included in the devotional offerings at various Sai Centers. 

Devotional singing is viewed as food for the mind and connects with God. It helps to remove negative thoughts, soothes the nerves, purifies the mind and fills the body and heart with a love for God and for everyone. All center members are encouraged to participate in devotional singing which occurs on a weekly basis. Both children and adults can participate in devotional singing (leading and following). Additionally, there are other special occasions when these devotional singing sessions are hosted both at the Sathya Sai centers and at other locations.

“Let the different faiths exist, let them flourish, and let the glory of God be sung in all the languages and a variety of tunes. That should be the ideal. Respect the differences between the faiths and recognize them as valid as long as they do not extinguish the flame of unity.” - Sathya Sai Baba

Sathya Sai Baba emphasized the Vedas as a source of Dharma and the foundation of the universe, urging their study and practice to promote individual and global well-being. He considered the Vedas to be eternal truths, applicable to all times and places, and stressed their universal nature, emphasizing that they are not limited by religion, caste, or nationality. Baba encouraged everyone, regardless of background, to learn and chant the Vedas, seeing it as a path to spiritual growth and a means of experiencing divine bliss. Baba highlighted the power of Vedic chanting, stating that even without understanding the meaning, the sound of the mantras can bring peace and happiness. He also stressed the importance of understanding the meaning and practicing the teachings.

The purpose of Study Circle is to learn Sai Baba's teachings so that we may deepen our understanding and implement them in our daily lives to aid in our own spiritual growth. It is important that participants not only learn from the study circles but transform into exemplary examples of spiritual discipline. These might occur once or twice a month.

“A study circle does not mean only just reading and discussing and taking information into the head, but also putting into practice what is learnt.” - Sathya Sai Baba

Sathya Sai Baba encouraged the practice of daily, steady and regular meditation. He said “Pray to the God within, and you will receive guidance.” This can be done individually on a daily basis and it might be a part of the weekly devotional Sai Center activities.

Sathya Sai Baba mentioned that in the present times “requires only Namasmarana/repetition of God’s name to win Liberation. When the Name of the Lord is remembered with all the glory that is associated with it, a great flood of happiness wells up within the mind. The Lord is full of Bliss and in fact He is Bliss itself. All this Bliss is to be tasted through the Name.” We can do this anywhere, anytime, and with all types of daily activity. This helps with the constant heart to heart connection with God at all times. This practice helps get rid of all our negative qualities like anger, hatred, jealousy, desire, ego/arrogance and attachment and helps us get closer to God, our own inherent divinity and love for all. This can be done individually and it can be done as group chanting for universal well being and healing.

Sai centers might have devotional songs practice sessions, musical programs, devotional workshops, member inspirational spiritual experience sharing, retreats, conferences, etc.