An offering with reverence and love

Devotion

“The goal of man is to realise the divinity that is in him. Without devotion, awareness of the Divine cannot be experienced. Devotion is the state of mind in which one has no separate existence apart from God.”

-Sathya Sai Baba

Nine Point Code of Conduct1.Daily meditation and prayer.2.Devotional singing/prayer with family members once per week.3.Participation in Sai Spiritual Education by children of the family.4.Participation in community service and other programmes of the Organisation.5.Regular attendance at devotional meetings conducted by the Organisation.6. Regular study of Sathya Sai Baba literature.7.Use of soft, loving speech with everyone.8.Avoidance of talking ill of others, especially in their absence.9.Practice of the principles of “ceiling on desires”…..

Devotion Wing

1. Devotional program2. Study circle3. Newcomer welcome and orientation4. Altar5. Library

Feedback from Centers

1. Improve Devotion program quality, provide guidelines2. Improve Study Circle quality and increase

participation3. Improve newcomer integration and outreach

Challenges

Low energy/vitality/enthusiasm Low participation

Long time center membersParentsYoung adults

ChallengesLogisticsSC time does not overlap with SSESC conducted only once or twice a month

ContentSC participation topic based, inconsistentSC above level of understandingSC topics not practical (too abstract)

Participant experienceSC dominated by some while others are silentSC dominated by 'experts’SC, an experience sharing session

Objectives

Improve quality Improve experience Increase participation

Plan

Study Circle workshop Devotion Coordinators Study Circle Facilitators Study Circle Supporters

Take information back to centers to invigorate and increase participation

Objective of this workshop Information sharing from the National Devotion Coordinators' meeting

Presentation Mock Study Circle

Sharing of 'Best Practices’ Experience sharing by centers

Practical example of a Sai Ideal Study Circle Breakout session

Agenda

10:00 - 10:10 3 Oms, Devotional singing10:10 - 10:20 Opening remarks

10:20 - 10:45   “Why Study circle?”  10:45 - 11:00     Roles, tasks

11:00 - 11:20    Mock Study circle 11:20 - 11:30    Practical points11:30 - 11:40     Going forward 

11:40 - 12:30      Experience sharing 

 

Agenda

12:30 - 1:00       Lunch

1:00 - 2:10 Breakout session

2:10 - 2:20         Closing remarks2:20 - 2:30         Devotional Singing/prayers

Provide Feedback, please!

Sathya Sai Organization of Sathya Sai Organization of USAUSA

National Devotional Coordinators MeetingNational Devotional Coordinators Meeting

Orlando, FlOrlando, FlOct 22, 2011Oct 22, 2011

Sai Ideal Sai Ideal Study Study CircleCircle

Swami’s directives….

Why Study Circle?

Uniqueness of human birth

“We see a large number of living beings in this world. But none of them has the greatness, wisdom and discrimination of man. That is why it is said, Jantunam nara janma durlabham (of all living beings, human birth is the rarest).”

SSS 40-12

Goal

“Your reality is the atma, a wave of the paramatma. The one object of this human existence is to visualize that reality, that atma, that relationship between the wave and the sea. All other activities are trivial. You share them with birds and beasts, but this is the unique privilege of man.”

SSS 6, p224

Three bodies, five sheaths

Physical Gross

Vital energyMind SubtleIntellect

Bliss Causal

5 Sheaths

3 Bodies

Mind and Intellect

“The mind must become the servant of the intellect, not the slave of the senses. It must discriminate and detach itself from the body. Like the ripe tamarind fruit, which becomes loose inside the shell, it must be unattached to this shell, this casement called body.”

SSS 4, p273

Intellect and Atma

“It is only with the help of buddhi, which is free from rajasic (active) and tamasic (slothful) gunas (attributes) that we can realize the atma. The bliss of atma can be experienced only through buddhi.”

Summer Showers 1978, p91

Three paths

Service Karma

Adoration Bhakthi

Illumination Jnana

Three paths

“Karma leads to the consciousness of the ever-present, immanent, all powerful God. Upasana, or adoration of that God, leads to the knowledge that He is in all. When you experience that there is no second, that is Jnana (wisdom).”

SSS 4, p 318

Three stages

“…all three stages are really integral. Just as a flower by stages becomes a ripe fruit, similarly through karma, upasana, and jnana the final stage of Self-realization is reached.”

SSS 23, p163

Jnana

Q. You have been saying that Jnana is essential. Well, what exactly is the function of Jnana?

A. Jnana makes you realise the Atma Swarupa, that is to say, your own Reality.

-Prasnottara Vahini, Chapter IX

Balance

Spiritual PracticeSpiritual Practice

Service

Devotional Singing

Balance

Spiritual PracticeSpiritual Practice

Study Circle Devotional Singing

Service

Ladder

Service

Goal

Ladder

Devotional Singing

Service

Goal

Ladder

Study CircleDevotional Singing

Goal

Service

Study Circle

Swami’s thoughts..…

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 his point of view, and finally values are derived from this.”  

Conversation With SSB, pp.125-126

Practical Spirituality

“That which is seen, heard or read must be put into practice in actual life. Without this, reading is mere waste of time. If anything is read to pass time, it passes the time and nothing remains.”

Prema Vahini, p1-4

Practical Spirituality

“Delve into the significance and the 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.”

SSS 9, p.59

Practical Spirituality“What is eaten should be digested and then only you should eat again. In the same way, you should listen (eat) in the Study Circle and put into practice (digest) what you have learnt.… Now what you are doing is only loading and loading and no unloading. How much can you sustain like that? So, you should go on loading and unloading, listening and practicing. You have to practice whatever you have learnt. Then only it becomes a real Study Circle” 30-1-1985

Information for Transformation

“Theoretical knowledge is a burden, unless it is practiced, when it can be lightened into wisdom and assimilated into daily life.” 

“Not information, but TRANSFORMATION, not instruction but construction should be the aim.”  

SSS 9, p.56

Group Synergy

“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 [purpose] of study circle.”  

Conversation With SSB, pp.125-126

Roles and Tasks

Who is responsible? Devotion Coordinator

Can delegate

FacilitatorRotate position (weekly or monthly)

PresenterRotate position (weekly or monthly)

Scribe (optional)Rotate position (weekly or monthly)

ParticipantBeneficiary

Facilitator

Requires skill

Skill comes with practice

Skill improves with training Facilitator training sessions?

Facilitator tasks Set schedule of presenters and topics

Make announcements

Reach out to YA reps

Encourage participation

Keep on time

Keep focused on topic

Facilitator Tasks Encourage all to contribute

Lovingly draw out, but without pressure or obligation Give those who passed an opportunity to share before end

Limit those who dominate or veer off topicLovingly with gentleness

Correct a wrong statement  When important to intervene, when better to ignore

Lovingly correct someone violating a rule

Presenter Tasks Prepares topic for week

Key is to be practical   Minimize use of foreign words, esoteric concepts  

Gives theme and quote, and perhaps one or two practical questions in about 5-10 minutes

Summarize all viewpoints, not just their own

Can attempt to present the top facet

Pose a few practical affirmations, tasks, "homework" to work on for coming week

 

Participant Not just an observer Analogous to devotional singing Analogous to service project

You may be the instrument Swami uses to help the group or a person in the group

Participant

Sharing our thoughts is a service to the group “In the Study Circle, whatever we listen and

assimilate in the mind should be distributed to others. In that way we show gratitude for what we have received. We should not listen and keep it to ourselves only for our benefit.”

30-1-1985

Participant Be earnest and have faith in importance of

exercise

Participate and contribute during Study Circle and sincerely make effort to put into practice the following week

Realize the power of Unity.  Just as when we sing together it is more powerful and when we serve together it more powerful, when we study and practice teachings together there is power. 

Possible Comments

Give an opinion on what something in the passage meant.

Pose a question that the passage brings to mind.

Answer a question that someone previously posed.

Discuss how you have practically struggled or succeeded in apply related teachings in day to day life

Mock Study Circle

Practical Points

Practical Points - Starting

Facilitatora formal welcomeasks Swami to guide the group Briefly reviews purpose and rules

Presentergives theme and quote

Practical Points - Overview

No Experts

Discipline of waiting turn

Rotation of presenters

Weekly Takeaways

Practice log

Common Pitfalls

Perceived Expert Rush to finish agenda or syllabus Esoteric philosophical topic without practical

relevance List of extensive terms requiring definition Veering off topic Personal therapy session Commenting on others statements Speaking out of order

What is the ideal topic? Direct Sathya Sai Quotes

Practical topics helpful in day to day lives Avoid esoteric philosophical concepts Avoid having to review extensive vocabulary terms

Bible or Koran Passages: Interpretations based upon Swami’s quotes

Holiday themes from various faiths Ramadan, Hanukah, Easter, Prashanti festivals

Going forward

Best Practices

Let Swami have the last word Suggest a life application exercise Start the following session with sharing

from exercise Focus on how participants have overcome

difficulties while following teachings

Best Practices

Video IntroductionsSwami’s discourse for 10-15 minutesRadioSai video for 10-15 minutes

Study circle format discussion needed after viewing video

Best Practices

Use practical topics of interest to group:Parenting issuesMarriage related issuesWork related issuesTeen/YA issues

Multiple groups, each studying different topic

Best Practices - Topics

Value based topics Unity in Diversity (multi-faith topics)

Spiritual significance Swami’s teachings Festivals

Center related topics Devotional singingServiceStudy Circle

Universal, broad topics

Best Practices – Broad topics

What is Love? Grace? Surrender? Forbearance?What is True friendship? Spirituality?How to apply Spirituality in my daily life?How to practice Patience practically in daily life?How to incorporate meditation into life?How to recognize the oneness in each other?Practicing the presence of Swami in daily lifeHow to practice being the witness in daily life?What does transformation of the heart mean to you? How to

put into practice?

Best Practices – Broad topics

Why do we criticize others? How can we stop?How does jealousy interfere with relationships?

How to remedy this tendency?Can you love others if you do not love yourself?What develops Self-Esteem?Discuss obstacles to practicing unity in thought

word and deed?What are the causes of stress in our life? How to reduce stress in our life?

Experience Sharing

Experience Sharing Reports

Peninsula Sacramento Fremont

Written reports (to be read out) Santa Rosa Reno

Participant sharing Peninsula Central San Jose Fremont

Breakout Session

Breakout session Count out 1, 2, 3 to form 3 groups

Meet with groups after lunch

Grp Facilitator Presenter Report Out

1 Duncan Maneesha

2 Vijay Sai Krishnan Sai Krishnan

3 Kondal Madhura Giri

Things to consider….

Promote Study Circle

Study Circle workshop – provide feedback

Take information back to centers Present, “Why Study Circle?” to all center members Discuss ways to “Improve Study Circles” with SC participants

Presentation on Roles/Tasks Discuss topic options Mock Study Circle #1 Mock Study Circle #2 Video Study Circle

Promote Study Circle

Facilitator Training Workshop?

Region-wide Study Circle meeting?

Create a database of SC materials Set up database Populate with information

Feedback1. What did you like about the workshop?2. What points will you take back to your center?3. Please provide constructive suggestions for

improvement.4. Would it be useful to have a Regional SC Facilitator

training workshop? YES NO5. Should we have a Regional Study circle meeting for all

center members? YES NO6. Can you share information on SC related topics (for the

database)? YES NO Please use the back if you have additional points to share. If you wish to share feedback anonymously, please do so on a separate sheet of paper. Thank you.

 

Offered at the Lotus Feet of Our Dear Lord Sathya Sai Baba

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