•Completely prepare the meeting hall at least 15 minutes before the devotion meeting starts. Keep the altar simple —some flowers, the sarva dharma symbol, perhaps a picture of Sathya Sai Baba. There should be plenty of chairs so that those who do not want to sit on the floor can be accommodated. If there is a consensus about this among the members, an image or symbol of the local main religions may also be placed in the devotional area. Guidance on these issues may be requested from the presiding body.
•Microphones are recommended for the leading voices and the main instruments (tablas, harmonium, guitars; other instruments may be used). There should be at least one microphone for the women lead singers and another for the men. The musicians should have their own microphones. This can be modified to include options for small centers where microphones are not practical and/or not needed. Also, to include the option for unison singing
•The complete program should be available to all, with words of the songs to be sung. A white board or flip-chart may be used to display the program and the numbers of the songs in song books (available to all). Alternatively, use a computer-projection system, with which the words of songs can be displayed, obviating the need for song books.
•The removal of shoes is not necessary, though this custom is often observed.
•Devotees should take their seats several minutes before the meeting starts and can use the time to internalize the silence that precedes the meeting.
•In Prasanthi Nilayam, Arathi and Samastha Loka are sung at the end of the meeting. A region or zone may decide not to sing Arathi or to sing it in the local language. This can also be at the discretion of individual centers, if the region or zone has not given direction.
•Vibuthi may be made available to all, either by distributing it after devotional singing or by making it available as people leave the hall.
•The most gifted singers should be lead singers, so that the audience gets the most spiritual benefit from the session. The larger the Center, the more important this guideline becomes. Don’t go to the extreme; chances should be given to people who are aspiring to lead and who are attending practice sessions. In small Centers, this guideline is relaxed, depending on the situation.
•Some Centers reserve a song or two for children or Young Adults to lead. It is also permissible to have a session in which only Young Adults lead, or in which only children lead.
•When singing, alternate between men and women lead singers where possible.
•Maintain continuity between songs —reduce the interruptions to a minimum.
•Songs may be sung in lead-repeat style or in unison. In the lead-repeat style, the song is generally repeated twice, the first slow and the second faster. The first time, repeat each line twice; the second time, repeat each line once. For long songs, do not repeat each line twice during the first time.
•Sing songs that reflect the local culture (e.g. sing in the local language), and encourage singing songs from different religions.
•A Sathya Sai Center is a spiritual center where universality of faith and practice of human values are emphasized. Sathya Sai Baba’s teachings are universal. He came not to start a new religion but to tell us of “this universal unitary faith, this spiritual principle, this path of Love, this virtue of Love, this duty of Love, this obligation of Love.” [1968.7.4] Accordingly, we must conduct Center activities, especially our devotion programs, in a way that makes spiritual seekers from all faiths and all walks of life feel welcome.
•The Center premises should be neutral to all religions and religious traditions. Quotations from Sathya Sai Baba may be placed on the walls, together with universal quotations from the major World Religions. Sai Baba has said that no picture is necessary, but if you must have one, have one of Him.
•No Center program should include rituals or practices that relate to one faith or religion in particular. The aim should be to create harmony between Sathya Sai Baba’s teachings and local traditions.
•Over-focus on the use of Sanskrit does not consider the fact that Sathya Sai Baba’s message is universal and is to be shared with all, regardless of one’s religious orientation. Accordingly, it is strongly recommended that the Center’s devotional program be conducted in a manner that persons from all the different faith backgrounds can easily understand and relate to. The focus must be on unity, with appropriate consideration given to cultural relevance.
•As Sai Baba’s devotees, we study and respect all religions. Study circles on other faiths are encouraged to emphasize the unity of all faiths.
•The one rule given to us by Sathya Sai Baba is that men and women should sit separately at all Center activities.
•Center devotion meetings, including devotional singing and study circles, are open to all — members, newcomers, and visitors.
•After the devotion meeting, it is best that people leave quietly in order to allow the joy and peace produced during the meeting be retained in everyone’s heart to remain.

- Operations Manual for Centers and Groups of the International Sathya Sai Organization

•The Center (the Devotion Coordinator and President together) may appoint a person to coordinate all aspects of devotion meetings. It may also be appropriate to appoint a Devotional Singing Coordinator, to handle all aspects of devotional singing, including practice.
•A devotional-singing coordinator, appointed by the Devotion Coordinator and President, is in charge of all aspects of devotional singing, including selection of songs, selection of singers and musicians, and arranging devotional singing lessons. This responsibility could be rotated among several people.
•Devotional singing lessons may be held on a regular basis (e.g. monthly), depending on the need. Anyone may attend. The lessons could focus on whatever is needed —singing in tune, learning about rhythm, learning new songs, training in singing with a microphone, instruments etc.
•In a large Center, musicians and lead singers should practice the songs beforehand, to make sure that there is agreement on the key in which a song is to be played, how often the lines may be sung, etc. This practice session could be done 1⁄2 hour before the devotion meeting starts.
•Do not introduce more than one new song in a devotion meeting. This song should be practiced beforehand with a substantial number of members so that it is not entirely new.

- Operations Manual for Centers and Groups of the International Sathya Sai Organization

The meeting should be arranged for a balance between two goals:
(1) it helps Sathya Sai Center members along their spiritual journey and
(2) it is a balanced meeting, representative of the culture of the country, universal in nature, and thus not oriented to any particular religion.

Notes
1.The altar area should be inviting to all people; it should be appealing to people of religions as far as possible. Swami has said that no picture is necessary, but if you have to have one, have one of him.
2.Men and women should sit separate. This directive comes from Sathya Sai Baba. There is no need to take shoes off if that is not done in the culture of the country, and chairs should be available for those that want them.
3.The meeting format is flexible. A Center can have any format with which they feel comfortable, es- pecially when considering the various cultural needs of their devotees/location.
4.Devotional songs could be in the language of the country, in Sanskrit, in English —whatever the group feels comfortable with. When a newcomer is present, the Center should sing songs to which the newcomer can relate.
5.Tradition in Prasanthi Nilayam may call for a Ganesha bhajan, a Guru bhajan, and then others, but this is not necessary at the Center meeting. The audience in the Center may be entirely different from that in Prasanthi Nilayam. Any sequence of devotional songs will do, as long as attendees can focus on the direct and inner meaning of the songs, establishing a connection with the Divinity within.
6.Songs may be sung in the leader-response style, in unison, or a mixture of both.
7.Prayers in a language foreign to the country should be kept to a minimum. If a Sanskrit prayer is said, consider repeating it also in language of the country and making the translation available to all.
8.Practices that are not part of the culture of Center members and would be foreign to visitors should be kept to a minimum.
9.The optional meditation could be a silent meditation or Sathya Sai Baba’s light meditation. The length would depend on the Center members, probably no more than 5–10 minutes.
10.The spiritual talk, 10 minutes or less, could be a reading of and discussion of some paragraph from Sathya Sai Baba’s discourses or the Vahinis. It could be a reading from the text of some religion and then a discussion of how it is similar to and reinforces some teaching of Sathya Sai Baba.
11.Study circle is an important part of devotion. As Sai Baba said, “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. ... What is eaten should be digested, and then only should you eat again. In the same way, you should listen (eat) in the study circle and put into practice (digest) what you have learnt.” [1985.1.30] The study circle can be held during the weekly devotion meeting or as a separate meeting.
12.The vibuthi prayer is optional; consider singing it in the language of the country. Vibuthi may be passed out or received at the back of the meeting room as devotees leave.
13.Arathi need not be sung, but if so, consider singing it (also) in the language of the country.
14.In Prasanthi Nilayam, after Arathi, one sings Samastha Loka three times. The following song illustrates how this can be adapted to fit a different culture. Some Centers sing this as the last item in their devotion meeting:

MAY THE LOVE WE’RE SHARING:
May the Love we’re sharing spread its wings
Fly across the Earth, and bring new joy to every soul that is alive. 2X
Samastha loka sukhino Bhavanthu
May all the people in all the worlds be happy
Samastha loka sukhino Bhavanthu
May all the people in all the worlds know you, Swami.

Almost all aspects of it are optional, including the order of items. For example, some Centers will end with items 5 and 6 so that people may leave the Center in silence.
1. 3 Oms
2. Devotional songs (30 min.)
3. Prayers (optional)
4. 3 Santhis
5. Meditation (optional)
6. Prayers (optional)
7. Spiritual talk (optional)
8. Study circle (optional)
9. Announcements (optional)
10. Prayers (optional)

-Operations Manual for Centers and Groups of the International Sathya Sai Organization

Sathya Sai Baba has said, “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.” He asks us to plant the seed of His teachings in the soil of our own culture so that it can grow up reflective of our culture; He asks us to cultivate the attitude of oneness between people of all creeds, all countries, and all continents. He has said, “Let the different faiths exist and let the glory of God be sung in all languages and tunes.” This loving and expansive direction should be reflected in our Sai Centers.

In practice, many Sai Centers in the USA tend to be strongly influenced by Hindu practices, both because the majority of the members are of Hindu origin and because western devotees love and respect the practices and rituals they see performed in Sathya Sai Baba’s ashrams in India.

The result is that our Centers can seem less welcoming than we would like to newcomers unfamiliar with the rituals and practices that are common in our centers.

Sai Center members should ask themselves what impression a Sai Center makes on a visitor. Does the visitor see the Sai Center as a Hindu organization or as a group that is (1) centered in the local culture and (2) focused on the spiritual principles taught by Sathya Sai Baba?

Sai Centers should focus on the essential truths in Sathya Sai Baba’s teachings that are the foundation for all the world’s major religions and should express those essential truths in ways that are consistent with local culture. Centers must reflect the fact that all religions teach one basic discipline. Members should strive to overcome egotism and selfish de- sire and to fill themselves with the Glory of God. Members should strive to ground their every thought, word, and deed in love and selfless service.

The Sai Organization cannot mandate how Sai Centers are to be centered in the local culture. It cannot give rules and regulations for this. The need for centering in the local culture must be felt in the heart. Center members must dedicate themselves strongly enough to the cause of unity for the Center to change.
- FAQs Sathya Sai Organization of the United States

Sathya Sai Baba instructs us to seek to see “Unity in Diversity” through striving to see the divinity inherent in all,regardless of caste, creed, nationality, gender, etc. He says, There is only one religion, the religion of Love. There is only one caste, the caste of humanity. There is only one language, the language of the Heart. There is only one God, and He is omnipresent. If we, as members of Sai Centers, make a sincere effort to put this simple principle of Unity into practice, we will find ways to speak with the language of the heart and to see through cultural and religious differences so that we can respect and learn from one another. We will then create an atmosphere that is spiritual rather than religious in nature.

Sathya Sai Baba emphasizes that His message is universal, based on love, truth, right action, peace, and nonviolence, and that all religions teach the same basic values. In our Sai Centers, the emphasis should be on the values taught by Sathya Sai Baba, and not rituals. We must build awareness that His teachings must be put into practice to be effective. It is the responsibility of the Center leadership to foster an understanding of the essential unity of all religions, which is based on Love. Center members must remain steadfastly true to the universal essence of Sathya Sai Baba’s teachings.

At the same time, in order to reflect the culture of our country, members will have to let go of some of the familiar rituals and forms that they may have come to associate with Sai Centers. This may involve reducing the number of Sanskrit chants and prayers, including chants and prayers from the various religions, and providing English versions of non- English chants and prayers. When foreign language chants are included in our devotional programs, or scriptures from religious texts are referred to in study circle, members must remember that the universal nature of the thought should be made clear to all participants.

Centers must also pay attention to the impact of such details as the items placed on the altar, seating arrangements (floor vs. chair seating), the content and style of the devotional singing programs, and the attire of the participants, including removal of shoes. All these details contribute to making our centers seem either welcoming and friendly or unwelcome and foreign.

Placing importance on understanding and practicing the basic human values taught by Sathya Sai Baba in our study circles and service projects can provide valuable opportunities for transcending cultural biases. Always remember that, when members of the Centers are truly practicing Sathya Sai Baba’s teachings, there will be no imbalance between East and West because the teachings are universal and apply to all humanity.
- FAQs Sathya Sai Organization of the United States

“Bhajans (devotional songs) charge the atmosphere with divine adoration; that is why I insist on group singing of the Names of the Lord.”

“After bhajans ... there should be meditation for five to ten minutes.”

No prayer or ritual is required.

Develop devotional programs that suit your culture, that are broad in scope, incorporating elements from all major religions, thereby demonstrating unity in diversity. Use only prayers and rituals that are universal in nature. Do not focus on practices common to any one religion.
Don’t repeat rituals and prayers by rote. Members should understand the meaning of the rituals and prayers offered, and the Center leadership should make instruction available. Make translations of non-English prayers and songs avail- able in Center songbooks alongside the foreign-language versions.
Center programs may include some of the following prayers and rituals. With each, we provide some comments.
•Chanting Om is an appropriate way to begin, for it calms the heart and mind and prepares it for the rest of the program. When properly explained, OM, the sound of the Universe, is universal in nature.
•Devotional singing can be (1) appropriate for the local culture and (2) include songs from all cultures and religions. It is not necessary to begin with a Ganesh bhajan.
•Chanting Om, santhi, santhi, santhi at the end of a program segment. This chant is not mandatory, but it is simple and short enough to include in any program, as long as the meaning of santhi (supreme peace) is clear to all participants.
•Maintaining silence prior to and following the program. This is a sound (sic) practice in any culture.
•Singing Arathi is not required, and waving the flame isn’t either. If sung, consider singing an English version as well.
•Distributing vibuthi and singing the vibuthi prayer is not required. If performed, sing the prayer in English as well as in Sanskrit.
•The Gayathri and Sai Gayathri Mantra are not required.
•A short period of meditation is appropriate.
•The Asathoma and Sarva Dharma prayers are not required.
•One need not end with the Samastha Loka prayer. Some Centers end with the following song, which includes the prayer. This is a wonderful example of adapting an Eastern custom to the local culture.
May the Love we’re sharing spread its wings,
Fly across the Earth, and bring new joy to every soul that is alive. 2X
May all the people in all the worlds be happy
Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavanthu

- FAQs Sathya Sai Organization of the United States

Sathya Sai Baba has said that our altars should consist of a flame. He has said that a picture is not necessary, but if we want one, have one of Him. The Sai Center altar should be adorned simply and without unnecessary embellishments. Appropriate adornments include a candle/flame, some flowers, and perhaps vibuthi containers. Some centers also have a chair for Sathya Sai Baba, signifying His subtle presence at the meetings.

“It is recommended that only the Sarva Dharma Symbol, photographs of Sathya Sai Baba and possibly Shirdi Sai Baba, quotations from Sathya Sai Baba, and universally accepted quotations from the world’s major religions be posted in a Center.” Guidelines for American Sathya Sai Baba Centers, section 6.
Displaying pictures and statues of various gods and goddesses is inappropriate because it implies that accepting or worshipping these gods is a necessary requisite for being a member or devotee. Such images also reinforce the incorrect impression that one or more particular religions are favored in the center over others.

- FAQs Sathya Sai Organization of the United States