Spiritual Wing

“The Organisations named after Me are not to be used for publicising My Name, or creating a new cult around My worship. They must try to spread interest in japam (recitation of God’s Name), dhyaanam (meditation) and other sadhanas (spiritual practices), which lead man Godward; they must demonstrate the joy derivable from bhajan (devotional group singing) and Naamasmarana (remembering God’s Name), the Shaanthi (peace) that one can draw from Sathsang (good company).

If the service and education wings take care of the society’s needs, the spiritual wing caters to the individual’s needs. he power of spirituality is inexplicable and infinite and can transform an animal into man and man to a divine being. This wing therefore helps nurture the inner self of all members. This is done through group activities such as devotional singing, study circles, public lectures, seminars and meditation.

The Sai Organisation is a service organisation with a spiritual base. The activities of its Spiritual Wing are the very foundation of its existence. Participation in spiritual activities increases our capacities and motivation for service, while participation in the service activities enables us to make greater progress on our spiritual path.

When all the participants in a bhajan sing in unison, sacred vibrations are produced and divine energies are released.

Swami says ” Study with faith and devotion. Delve into the significance and meaning of what you read, and always have before you the goal of putting what you read into practice. Unless you do so, the Study Circle will remain a half Circle forever, it cannot be a full Circle.

Baba explains: What is a Study Circle ? It is not just reading books. Each person gives their point of view, and finally values are derived from this. If there is just reading there is doubt. But if each one gives his view, doubts will be answered. The study circle looks at different facets. It is like a diamond with its different facets, but there is one facet that is flat, the top facet, and from this all can be viewed. To discover the top facet is the task of the study circle.

From ancient days meditation has been considered as the highest goal in many cultures, especially in Bharat. It is not something that one does by sitting for a couple of minutes or hours.

Bhagawan has suggested an easy-to-practice Light or Jyoti Meditation for the members, which is considered the foremost spiritual discipline geared towards gaining inner peace.

The jewel in the crown of all these is the Sri Sathya Sai Village integrated programme (SSSVIP). This is a rare opportunity of serving the rural poor through a systematic and integrated approach in the areas of medicare, sociocare, educare, agricare, individual care, employment care and spiritual care. The SSSVIP – Sri Sathya Sai Village integrated programme was formulated after a primary survey was conducted in 113 villages of the East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh where an extensive list of problems afflicting different aspects of the tribal population was prepared. This problem complex formed the basis for formulating the core areas of activity and proposed objectives under each core are. The areas of activity were formulated with an aim of bringing about holistic transformation of individual lives and community living, by attacking the root cause of the persistent problems. This SSSVIP programme could aptly be termed the “SAI lent revolution” In each state, the service wing identifies the needy communities of the society and conducts activities accordingly. Rendering selfless service or seva is best described in Swami’s words “Seva eppudu kashtapadi cheya vaddu, ishtapadi cheyali”, meaning ‘Never render service as an exertion, but do it with linking’. Seva should be done with a feeling of empathy and not superficial pity. What motivates the sevadals to wake up early on a Sunday morning, travel 50-100 km in the dust, and walk miles under the scorching sun to serve the people living in mountains, villages or slums? It is nothing but the smile on the face of the beneficiaries at the end of the activity that gives them that much-needed energy to come gain the next Sunday. After all it is a place where Love is personified. Bhagawan has not just defined for all of us but has shown us the how. The Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation takes inspiration from His life to do as directed by the Divine Master. The Service wing’s efforts is through ACTION – working at all times to live up to the motto of the SSSSO – “Transforming Self to Transform the World”

Sadhana is the spiritual effort the seeker puts in, derived from the root word ‘sidhi’ which means ‘to be accomplished in seeking divinity. Sadhana camps are organised over a period of 2 to 3 days activities like prayer sessions, yogic exercises, Jyoti meditation, pranaadhyana, seminars, workshops and talks, are planned to help build discipline plus perseverance. The sadhana camps place great emphasis on individual and character development. Bhagawan says “Anything that awakens the awareness of the universal, the infinite, the transcendental and any work which takes you out of your narrow self into the vaster magnificence..ideals must become higher and grander. Desire must become more and more sublime. Attachment must be transmuted into nobler and subtler emotions”.

Retreats offer us time step back from the course of our daily lives and enter into a world where we could rediscover our life purpose, direction and accelerate spiritual learning. A community experience that through reflection, prayer and meditation redefine the way forward. It provides us with great opportunity to practice Swami’s teachings of ‘unity in thought, word and deed’ and living His message of universality in our thoughts, words and actions, where we can together reinforced the feeling of ‘we are one and the same sparks of the divine’. Retreats offer us the opportunity to meet with hundreds of Sai devotees across regions. a recent example was the first national retreat that was held at Whitefield for all the office bearers of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva organisation.

The goal of studying Sai Literature is Self Transformation. Bhagawan says in order to fully benefit from the study of Sai Literature, three steps need to be followed. They are proper plan of study, reading reflection, and its regular application in life. He says that study is work and inquiry into the value and applicability of what is studied is worship. The experience of the validity and value of practice is wisdom.