Devotion

1
Devotion

• Among all forms of Sadhana, bhakti or devotion
  to the Lord is the easiest and the holiest.
  Bhakti is derived from the root bhaj, with the
  suffix ti. It means seva or service. It
  denotes a feeling of friendship coupled with
  awe.
• Worship the divine through seva (bhaja sevayam).
  Devotion calls for utilizing the mind speech and
  body to worship the Lord. It represents total
  love.

2
Devotion Wing Presentation
New Officers Orientation Mini Retreat

• Jeff Lucas
• Regional Devotion Coordinator

3
Meaning of Devotion

• Devotion should also be the unified expression of
  love for God, action in the service of God and
  total surrender to the will of God.
• Devotion, worship and awareness of the self
  together demonstrate the oneness of the divine

4
Purpose of Devotional Practices

• Nine ways of Devotion
• Swami says,
• You are God. Understand this truth in the first
  instance. Everyone is divine.
• You have to worship Him till you understand and
  experience this unity.
• (You) should firmly believe I am God

5
Devotion and Society

• We cannot realize the Divine if we are
  self-centered.
• Value of Community Prayers- A service for the
  welfare of the World
• We must try to rise to higher stages from
  natural devotion through para bhakti. Perform
  your bhajans, perform your pujas, but when you
  enter society, recognize society as a form of
  God, and thereby acquire good qualities in
  society.

6
Duty, Discipline, Devotion

• Duty, discipline and devotion, all three are
  absolutely essential for everyone in our
  organization.
• You may have devotion, you may discharge the
  duty entrusted to you. But, unless you are
  saturated in discipline, the other two are
  useless.
• Guidelines - necessary until the members realize
  the spiritual unity of all.
• Devotion has to be guided and controlled by
  discipline and duty.

7
Devotion Coordinator Role- What is it?

• To help any devotee or person who attends a
  Center meeting experience their faith
• In the process- being as inclusive and expansive
  as possible
• Giving each a role to play
• Major facilitator role in Sai Center

8
Devotion Coordinator Responsibilities Include

• Being well versed in Swamis teachings regarding
  devotion and the devotional components of the
  Center program, including bhajans (devotional
  singing) and study circle.
• Read any of Swamis discourses or writings.
• Make a sincere study and self-inquiry around His
  teachings. Strive to apply what you learn.
• 2. Striving to create and maintain a
  disciplined, reverent and quiet atmosphere at
  devotional meetings

9
Devotion Coordinator Responsibilities Include

• Striving to create and maintain a disciplined,
  reverent and quiet atmosphere at devotional
  meetings
• Bhagavan desires from all of you only
  discipline. Hence, when the discourse is over or
  when the bhajans end, you should go out in
  silence. As a rule, observe restraint in speech
  everywhere. You should realize that the voice of
  the divine is heard in the depths of silence.

10
Discipline

• Be an example- speak softly and sweetly
• Treat all with respect
• Talk only when necessary
• Encourage devotees to observe silence          
• Observe time boundaries encourage punctuality

11
Altar

• Creating an Altar for the devotional program,
  including its setup and removal in cases where
  the Altar must be set up and taken down after
  each Center meeting
• Simplicity the guiding word
• Only a picture of Swami, and perhaps of Shirdi
  Sai Baba, plus a candle and flowers is
  sufficient.
• Sarvadharma symbol may be displayed

12
Coordinating Devotional Singing

• Establishing and maintaining a regular program of
  bhajan practice, led by devotees who are
  musically competent (instrumentally and vocally),
  to foster a high quality of devotional singing in
  the Center devotional meeting itself.

13
Devotional Singing

• Bhajans visiting card for many new devotees
• Bhajans- Foundation of Sai Center- very important
• Promotes Namasmarana (Baba)
• Do Practice at least monthly and more often if
  possibe

14
Baba on Devotional Singing

• Bhajans (devotional songs) charge the atmosphere
  with divine adoration that is why I insist on
  group singing of the Names of the Lord.
• Bhajans are highly sacred. Bhajan singing makes
  the heart sacred. What is important is that it
  should come from the heart. Bhajan is not just
  rhythm, tune, and beat. You should sing Gods
  name with love. You will see the manifestation
  of Divinity with your physical eyes when you sing
  His glory with all love.

15
Devotional Singing

• Singing from such DEVOTEES will certainly
  liberate the individual and transform the
  community and the world

16
Group Devotional Singing

• In order to realize the potency and efficacy of
  the Lords Name
• Purity of thought, word and deed
• Name that is uttered by the tongue is meditated
  upon by the mind.
• What is uttered and dwelt upon should be hailed
  by clapping the hands.
• Thus - Unity of mind, speech and action
  purifies the heart and nourishes the feeling of
  devotion.

17
Group Devotional Singing

• Group / Community bhajans should
• Be fully absorbed in the devotional process and
  the ecstasy of that experience
• Be vibrant and soulful
• Combine feeling (bhava), melody (raga) and rhythm
  (tala)
• What delight can be experienced when all sing in
  chorus, with the same feeling, in the same tune
  and to the same timing! When there is such unity
  the divine can be experienced.

18
Baba on Bhava (Feeling)

• Bhava is the quintessence of bhajan singing.
  The heart of the Lord is like soft butter. The
  warmth of bhakti and devotion expressed through
  bhava will melt this soft butter. It is the cry
  of the devotee with deep yearning for the Lord,
  which makes the Lord rush to the rescue of His
  devotees. This is the effect of Bhava.

19
More Aspects of Bhajans

• Feeling should come across in bhajan Like
  talking to a friend
• To develop bhava, dwell on Swami, His Glory, and
  what He has done for you 
• Encourage devotees to know 20 bhajans well-
  choose common bhajans of simple or medium
  complexity
• Avoid difficult bhajans
• Voice exercises

20
Devotional Singing - Coordination

• Coordinating musicians, bhajan singers and
  bhajans, including English devotional songs, to
  create a more uplifting devotional program
• Let the different faiths exist and let the glory
  of God be sung in all languages and tunes.
• How do we implement this beautiful message from
  Swami?

21
Devotional Singing

• Singing in Sai Centers a great honor
• Sai devotional singing greatest music in the
  world- combines music and mantra
• Bhajan singing a service
• All bhajans should be rendered perfectly
• Song list should be inclusive and expansive
• Should look like a check mark
• 75 of bhajan selection of songs
• With average singers you can make bhajan very
  good
• Keep regular singers 60 of the time

22
English Devotional Singing

• Songs should be sung in English as much as
  possible
• Unless one understands the meaning, one cannot
  develop bhava
• In Centers where none of the songs are being sung
  in English at present, training should be
  provided to the singers so at least one or two
  could be sung, to start with
• Unison Bhajans

23
Universaility of Babas Teachings

• I have not come on any mission of publicity for
  any sect or creed or cause nor have I come to
  collect followers for any doctrine. I have come
  to tell you of this universal unitary faith, this
  path of Love.
•  
• There is only one religion, the religion of
  Love

24
Universalizing Devotional Singing

• Making efforts to universalize the devotional
  program such that it is welcoming to people of
  all religious backgrounds and languages
• Sai Centers, as Public Face of Swami, need to
  represent Him authentically and credibly

25
Examples of Universalizing

• Include bhajan selections and prayers from
  various spiritual traditions
• Where universally accepted chants/prayers are
  part of the program, the meaning of such chants
  in English should accompany the actual chants
• Minimize the use of rituals
• No Particular Prayer is Required

26
Universalizing our Programs

• Sai Centers have great flexibility in determining
  the content of their devotional programs.
• Center members can discuss amongst themselves in
  membership meetings the content of a universal
  devotional program reflecting Babas teachings
• Examples North/West Suburban Chicago Centers,
  Northwest Region of U.S.A.

27
Study Circle

• Maintaining a regular Study Circle that is
  conducted in accordance with the Guidelines for
  Sathya Sai Study Circles in America
• Ensuring that the Coordinator for Study Circle
  should be prepared in advance
• In small centers the Devotion Coordinator may
  play the role
• In large centers where Study Circle Coordinator
  is selected as an extended Officer, he / she will
  take the full responsibility to coordinate Study
  Circle
• As Study Circle comes under Devotion wing, Study
  Circle Coordinator should work closely with the
  Devotion Coordinator in planning and conducting
  the Study circles

28
Study Circle

• Sadhana 75 Self Inquiry (Baba)
• If you are earnest, study circle will take off
  and become a transformative force in your Center.
• Groups are powerful
• Important to our Spiritual Practices
• Emphasis on study and application of Babas
  Teachings
• we can move the vehicle of our spiritual life
  quickly down the road

29
Sadhana of Love

• Pure Love is like a well-paved, one-way road
  with no speed bumpsYou can rush along it to God
  at whatever speed you want. (Baba)

30
Study Circle Guidelines

• Encourage all to participate as presenters
• Present about Swamis teachings while including
  your personal experience of practicing them
• Raise relevant questions about Babas teachings
  around the issue of practice

31
Guiding Principles of Study Circle

• Principle of compassionate leadership on the part
  of the facilitator
• The principle of equal opportunity for
  participants to express themselves
• The principle of non-argumentative exchange of
  views
• The principle of opportunity for everyone to be a
  presenter

32
Books / Audio / Video

• Overseeing the sale or loan of books, videos,
  DVDs and photos that are purchased from the
  Sathya Sai Book Center of America (Tustin)
• In small Centers, Devotion Coordinator may be
  directly involved in lending or sale of books and
  other related material
• Library Coordinator- extended officer role
• Need to be at Center regularly to play this role
  actively follow-up with devotees as needed, etc.
• Make announcements as appropriate at Center
  Meetings

33
Newcomer orientation

• Establishing and maintaining a program of
  newcomer orientation       
• Jody Cleary and Ted Henrys welcoming sadhana
  hand-out approved by Baba.
• DVD- Who is Sai Baba?
• Newcomer packet could include appropriate
  information on Baba
•  Be Friendly, Be Smart, Be creative!

34
Regional Involvement

• Being available to provide support to regional
  officers regarding conferences, retreats,
  projects and reports, and other matters as
  requested, as well as actively participating in
  regional conferences, retreats, etc.

35
Plans for Devotion Wing

• National Program being developed around the theme
  of Unity, Purity, Divinity
• Developing more universal devotional programs
• Working to release the English devotional songs
  recording
• More English Bhajan songs for region song sheet
  of English spirituals/folk songs for community
  service
• Mini-public/Open House meetings with any speakers
  who express Swamis message

36
To Conclude

• My Life is My Message Expansion is My Life

37
To conclude

• Seen through the eyes of love the world is one
  vast kin.
• This is a great chance. Be confident that you
  will be liberated. Know that you are saved.

38
May Our Lives Be Swami's Message