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The Sri Sathya Sai Organization of USA is a non-denominational, voluntary organization of over 200 centers located in all 50 states and coordinated by the Sri Sathya Sai Council of America established in 1975. It is part of the Sri Sathya Sai International Organization (SSSIO) based in 126 countries. It's members come from all faiths and share a common purpose: to reach the ultimate goal of realization of their innate divinity by practicing love, self reflection, and selfless service. The members of the Sri Sathya Sai Organization of USA strive toward the transformation of the heart through the expression of love in action, and join with members in over 2000 centers around the world in practicing the inspiring lessons of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Membership is free and open to all. Sri Sathya Sai Centers in the USA provide a space for spiritual meetings of like-minded individuals, a communion of god-desiring people of all faiths. The goal of participation is ultimately the transformation of self and society. In Sai Centers sincere seekers, students of spirituality and service-minded volunteers gather for spiritual singing, devotional spiritual activities, participation in community service activities, and to study the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

The main objective of the Sri Sathya Sai Organization is to help humanity recognize its inherent divinity. It is established to translate the principles of love and non-violence into daily practice. Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Prasanthi Nilayam, November 20, 1970

Sri Sathya Sai Baba is one of the most revered spiritual teachers in the world. He is also known as Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Sai Baba, Swami, Bhagawan or simply as Baba to millions of people in the world. His followers come from all faiths and races and meet regularly for devotional singing, to study His teachings, and to engage in service activities in order to practice His message of Love and Peace to unite all mankind.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born as Sathyanarayana Raju on November 23, 1926 in the village of Puttaparthi, in the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India. Even as a child, His spiritual inclination, contemplative nature and miracles set Him apart from other children of His age, and He was known as ‘Guru’ and knower of Brahman or Godhead (“Brahmajnani’) among His peers and others in the village. However, it was not until October 20, 1940, the day He made the historic declaration of His Avatarhood, (Avatar - Divinity Incarnate) that the world at large learnt of this divine phenomenon. He proclaimed His message – to bring about the spiritual regeneration of humanity by demonstrating and teaching the highest principles of Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love, and Non-violence. With that announcement, he left his childhood home and began his mission.

Baba says, “Wherever you are, develop divine feelings and a steady mind. Divinity pervades the entire universe. Verily all this is Brahman (the Supreme Self). God is not confined to a particular place. He is with you, in you, around you. Just as the eyelid protects the eye, He protects you always.”

In order achieve this objective, the Devotional wing of the Sri Sathya Sai Baba Organization facilitates spiritual activities such as devotional singing, weekly readings from Sai literature, study circle and reflection, meditation, and workshops on spiritual topics, all in the spirit of equality and unity of all faiths known to mankind.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba advises us that it is our duty to take up spiritual activities and demonstrate by example to the younger generation that spiritual effort and study have made us more joyful and courageous in the adventure called life. Sai Baba teaches us that it is the responsibility of all pious men and women, parents and grandparents, to demonstrate in and through their lives that piety is not weakness but strength; that it opens up a vast spring of power and that a person with faith in God can overcome obstacles much more easily than a person who does not have faith in God.

In essence, Devotion according to Baba is “the ability to treat joy and grief, gain and loss, with equal fortitude”.

Nine Forms of Devotion:

1. Listening to stories about God
2. Singing the name
3. Remembrance of God
4. Serving the holy feet
5. Reverence toward nature and all life
6. Worship
7. Dedication, servitude
8. Befriending
9. Surrender to the Self

Thus, an important activity of Sai centers is group devotional singing (Bhajan) or Remembering God’s Name (namasmarana). Bhajan is the process of singing one’s prayers to God, praising His glory and compassion, and pleading that He may fill one with His Grace. A good resource for Bhajans is the Radiosai web site.

Service is the very essence of devotion to God, and the goal of devotion is realizing one’s innate divinity. Sri Sathya Sai Baba emphasizes that every act of selfless service, performed with unconditional love and the attitude of serving God in all beings, blossoms compassion and love, confers peace, removes the ego and establishes the sense of oneness with everyone and everything else.

Although selfless service is to be considered an attitude – the very spirit of sacrifice – and not just an activity, organized service activities strengthen our spiritual discipline and help develop society, which is the very fabric of God.

SSSIO members engage in a variety of service activities, including some of the following: providing food, water, and clothing to the needy, orphans and handicapped; visiting hospitals, nursing homes, or shelters for the homeless; organizing medical camps and blood donation drives; initiating disaster and humanitarian relief programs; adopting and establishing transformational programs for underprivileged communities; participating in community development and environmental protection initiatives; visiting prisons; and tutoring, mentoring and supply drives for students and schools.

Some useful links to consider:

1. Sri Sathya Sai Humanitarian Relief Organization
2. Sai Universe

Sri Sathya Sai Baba has fostered a unique approach to education called educare, drawing out divine qualities of truth, right-conduct, peace, love and non-violence which are latent within the individual. Educare aligns the heart, head, and hands. True education must in Sai Baba’s words, “broaden the heart and expand one’s love.” True education is “that which fosters the sense of oneness, draws out one’s divine qualities and promotes the blossoming of human personality.”

Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) is the program focused on building character and inculcating the five human values in children aged 6 to 17 years. The program is based on Sai Baba’s teachings of the universality of the human values – Truth, Right Action, Peace, Love and Nonviolence – and the consequent unity behind all religions and mankind.

The children learn to inculcate the human values in their daily life, and to serve all fellow man equally treating them verily as God. The goal behind the SSE program is to develop the spark of Divinity inherent in every child so the child blossoms into an honest and humble citizen of the country he / she resides in.

Online SSE Classes

Onsite SSE classes are organized by the Sai center and held weekly at a time and place suitable to the participating families. The SSE program is an integral part of the Sai center and is for the children associated with the Sai center.

Students are enrolled in the program in four SSE groups according to the grades they are attending in secular school:

• SSE Group I - Grades 1 through 3
• SSE Group II - Grades 4 through 6
• SSE Group III - Grades 7 through 9
• SSE Group IV - Grades 10 through 12

The SSE coordinator organizes the students into classes with trained teachers. A special study group is conducted for parents and at least one parent is expected to participate each week.

The online SSE program supports students who are unable to attend a center for various reasons (e.g., no center nearby). This special program is not a substitute for the in-class program so if you have the opportunity please attend an SSE program at a center nearby.

Please find the details of the program in this Online SSE Program Description

You can apply to this program if you would like your child to be considered. There are a limited number of seats and we are consider students on a case by case basis. Please fill out the Registration Form.

Study Circle

What is a Study Circle?

"What is a Study Circle? It is not just reading books. "Circle, Study Circle" means taking a point and each person discussing what is the meaning of the point to them. Like a round-table conference. 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 topic is viewed; 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.

The general process is to read a passage, and then go around the circle, giving each a chance to comment on the passage. People should refrain from jumping in when it is not their turn; if this happens once or twice, the facilitator can let it go, but if it becomes a problem, the facilitator has to put a stop to it.

Generally, people should refrain from personal remarks that may harm someone. Also, it should not turn out to be a social therapy session. Ideas like the following cam from participants in one Study Circle

• Give an opinion on what something in the passage meant
• Discuss what you don't understand in the passage and why
• Mention a question that the passage brings to mind
• Describe the effect of the passage on you
• Discuss something that happened to you that relates to the passage
• Discuss how this passage may affect you in the coming weeks
• 7Answer a question that someone previously posed

Since the goal of a Study Circle is transformation, not simply transfer of knowledge, the following idea may be good. Near the end of the Study Circle, discuss a teaching that came out of the Study Circle could be put into practice during the coming week. See whether the group can hone in one teaching or principal. At the next Study Circle, one could begin by going around the circle and see what comments people have about how they put last weeks teaching/principle into practice and what effect it had on them.