Sri Sathya Sai Organization of USA

A Sathya Sai Center of the Sri Sathya Sai Organization of USA, part of the Sri Sathya Sai International Organization, devoted to Sri Sathya Sai Baba (1926-2011) of Puttaparthi in India. It describes itself as non-denominational, universal and "non-religious", not to be identified with any one religion: Sai Baba, it says, came to make the Christian a better Christian and the Hindu a better Hindu, and members needn't leave their own. Scholars describe the movement as Hindu, and most American members are of Indian origin, so the game lists it under Hinduism. The US organization reports over 200 centers in all fifty states, most meeting in members' homes or rented rooms; a center must incorporate if it owns a building, and a few have a hall of their own (a variant here). Its heart is the weekly devotional meeting, in America usually on a Thursday evening: bhajans sung line by line after a men's and a women's lead singer in turn, men on one side of the room and women on the other, a reading, silent meditation, and the Arathi, with vibhuti given as people leave. There are no clergy: the officers (a President, a Vice President, and coordinators of devotion, education and service) are selected by consensus, not elected, for two-year terms, and serve unpaid. There are no fees, no dues, and no fundraising of any kind ("fund collection is as much opposed to this movement as fire is to water"): anonymous gifts meet the costs, and projects wait until the money is there. Service, seva, is a third of the work, beside devotion and the children's Sai Spiritual Education; members, from eighteen, keep a Nine-Point Code that includes coming at least once a month. The center keeps no rites of passage, no weddings, mantras or funerals: members go to temples for those. The year is Sai Baba's own days, Guru Purnima and Shivaratri, Christmas and Buddha Purnima. The National Council accredits centers and can disaffiliate them. From 2000, allegations of sexual abuse against Sai Baba led many Western devotees to leave; the organization rejected them. How many centers own a hall isn't published.

All 80 traditions · its profile in Faiths and traditions, with how to play it and what sets its faith apart; How people feel, what every factor is.

At a glance

Faith	Hinduism
Its words	center, center, bhajan hall; the president leads the devotional meeting; the talk; Thursday; Sathya Sai Baba's discourses
Worship	image focus, responsive, low formality (0.33 of 1); seated on floor; men and women on either side
Music	organ discouraged; gospel organ discouraged; piano discouraged; choir discouraged; band discouraged; brass discouraged; handbells discouraged; song leader expected; recorded discouraged
The room's sound	no strong preference
Its year	sathya sai; full observance; fasts none
Leans	conservative on moral questions, neutral on economic ones
Polity	meeting; leaders come by none; property leased
Leaders	none leader, unpaid, trained by none; marriage any
Belonging	high commitment, none discipline, admitted by board
Giving	tithing not emphasised; collected by private
Way of life	alcohol abstinence, dress modest, sabbath relaxed, meat vegetarian, no funerals

The week's services

Day	Time	Service	Led by	People look for it
Thursday	7:30 pm	Devotional meeting	the laity	expected

Leader: none needed: the laity lead every service, so no president is missed.
No funerals: a member's funeral is held elsewhere, with no fee, and no funeral rites are kept here.
Its table: vegetarian: meals cost 0.85× as much.

Joining

Joining: a content regular is received as a member after about 4 weeks.
Joining age: 18.
Kinds of belonging: members (votes, may hold office); received by its board.
What it means: being received is worth +0.1 to the person, +0.05 to family there, and +0.03 to everyone else at the service. It roots them: a rooted household drifts away only 0.6 times as often, and if it does fall away, it has a 25% chance of coming home at each of its great days (at most once a month) for ten years.

Giving, and what goes up

How its people give and what else comes in, as Money explains it for every faith.

How it's given: the contribution, by private envelopes. With no plate passed, visitors give nothing at the service. Gifts by post or in envelopes come in at the month's start.
Tithing isn't emphasised: people give 10% less.
Fundraisers: none: it's kept by what its people give.
Owed above: nothing.
A rented building: it can furnish and renovate, but not build onto it.

The staff and who decides

Clergy: there's none to come: it has no clergy, and the laity lead its worship.
Staff it can hire or name (see Staff and volunteers):
- Sai Spiritual Education coordinator (unpaid; from the members; up to +0.08 for households with young people)
- Caretaker ($18,000–$30,000; slows the building's wear)
- Center secretary ($20,000–$35,000; runs the office (+50 to the leader's reach, once))
- Youth director ($20,000–$40,000; up to +0.08 for households with young people)
- Center manager ($40,000–$70,000 + $12,000 benefits, full time; runs the office (+50 to the leader's reach, once); cares for 30 more)
Its boards: the center officers (deciding, over everything).
Renovations: The center officers decides by consensus.
New construction: The center officers decides by consensus, consulting the Region.
Who votes: members, 16 and over.

Life together

What its Community screen offers it, with the dilemmas only its own faith or family meets; see The congregation in its community.

Ministries of its own: Seva meals.
Ministries every tradition can run that it's offered: Blood drive, Food pantry, Health clinic, Preschool, Youth group.
Fundraisers: none: it's kept by what its people give.
Tenants it can take: A Masonic lodge, A scout troop, A twelve-step group, Dance classes, Parties and receptions.
Auxiliaries: Ladies' section.
Outreach: none of its own: it doesn't seek converts, and newcomers come as the neighbourhood and its standing bring them.
Dilemmas its code of life brings: A raffle for the roof, A recruiter asks for the hall, Champagne at the reception.

What the building needs

expected Floor sheetsMost sit on the floor for the bhajans, men on one side and women on the other, with chairs for those who'd rather not.
expected Incense burnerIncense is offered before the altar at every service.
discouraged BannerBanners are not part of this tradition's worship space.
discouraged Drum kitA band and drum kit do not belong in this tradition's worship.
discouraged Hammond organA gospel organ doesn't suit this tradition's worship.
discouraged Upright pianoA piano doesn't suit this tradition's worship.
discouraged Pipe organAn organ doesn't suit this tradition's worship.

What people here feel

Architectural style: Colonial brick +0.052; Modern synagogue +0.034; Gurdwara +0.028; Japanese temple +0.016; Islamic +0.01; Shinto shrine +0.01; Chinese temple +0.004; Dravidian temple -0.002; Nagara temple -0.002; Thai temple -0.002; Jain marble -0.008; Gothic -0.014.
Building fit: up to ±0.15 for everyone, the average fit of the characterful items in its worship rooms (the table below).
Acoustics: it wants a room between ringing and dry, about 2.2 seconds of reverberation: neither bare stone nor a carpeted low room. Up to ±0.05.
The talk lands by its topic and the tradition's leaning (below); the president's preaching adds or costs up to 0.08 more.

How each talk lands

The topics its leader can choose from (some are only for one faith or family), and what each is worth.

Sanctity of Life+0.06
Faith & Family+0.04
Faith of Our Fathers+0.04
Resisting Temptation+0.04
Bhakti, the Way of Love+0.015
Gratitude+0.015
Hope & Comfort+0.015
Karma and Dharma+0.015
Lessons of the Ramayana+0.015
Service as Worship+0.015
Stewardship & Generosity+0.015
The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter by Chapter+0.015
The Guru's Grace+0.015
The Upanishads+0.015
Care for Creation-0.02
Healing for All-0.02
Welcome the Stranger-0.02
Social Justice Call-0.03
As Many Faiths, So Many Paths-0.05
Interfaith Understanding-0.05
Reading Scripture in Context-0.05
Swords into Ploughshares-0.05
Racial Justice & Reconciliation-0.075
Radical Inclusion-0.075

Every item, for this tradition

Fit runs from −1 (jars) to +1 (just right); the building fit is the average over the characterful items in the worship rooms. An item with no character (a table, a toilet) has no fit. A rule applies wherever the item is.

Item	Fit	Rule
Seating
Box pew	-0.333
Floor sheets	+0.5	expected Most sit on the floor for the bhajans, men on one side and women on the other, with chairs for those who'd rather not.
Meeting bench	no fit
Oak pew	no fit
Row of chairs	+0.333
Liturgical furniture
Columbarium niches	-0.333
Havan kund	0
Incense burner	+0.5	expected Incense is offered before the altar at every service.
Lectern	no fit
Murti shrine	-1
Navagraha shrine	-1
Pulpit	no fit
Music
Drum kit	-0.333	discouraged A band and drum kit do not belong in this tradition's worship.
Electronic organ	-1
Grand piano	-1
Hammond organ	-1	discouraged A gospel organ doesn't suit this tradition's worship.
Handbell table	-1
Pipe organ	-0.667	discouraged An organ doesn't suit this tradition's worship.
Sound system	-0.333
Temple bell	0
Upright piano	-1	discouraged A piano doesn't suit this tradition's worship.
Decor
Banner	-1	discouraged Banners are not part of this tradition's worship space.
Diyas	no fit
Eternal flame	no fit
Gopuram	0
Great dome	-0.333
Marigold garlands	0
Memorial plaque	no fit
National flag	0
Shikhara	0
Small dome	no fit
Stained glass window	-0.333
Vimana	0
Furnishings
Alms box	no fit
Coffee pot	no fit
Commercial coffee pot	no fit
Computer	no fit
Crib	no fit
Desk	no fit
Desk chair	no fit
Folding table	no fit
Full-length mirror	no fit
Head scarves	0
Hundi	0
Pangat mats	0
Pillar	-0.333
Projection screen	+0.333
Shoe rack	0
Vestment cabinet	-0.333
Wooden table	no fit
Utility
A/V rack	no fit
Camera	no fit
Cast-iron boiler	no fit
Central air conditioner	no fit
Commercial HVAC plant	no fit
Commercial stove	no fit
Congregation van	no fit
Ductless heat pump	no fit
Electric wall heater	no fit
Gas furnace	no fit
Hearing loop	no fit
Lift	no fit
Packaged heat pump	no fit
Plumbing stack	no fit
Ramp	no fit
Shuttle bus	no fit
Sink	no fit
Solar panels	no fit
Stairs	no fit
Toilet	no fit
Used school bus	no fit
Wall camera	no fit
Window air conditioner	no fit
Grounds
Dhvajastambha	0
Evergreen tree	no fit
Flower bed	no fit
Fountain	no fit
Garden bench	no fit
Hedge	no fit
Playground	no fit
Shade tree	no fit

Variants

Chosen when you found the center:

A center with a hall of its own

Sources

Sri Sathya Sai Organization of USA (link)
Organization, SSIO USA (link)
Operations Manual for Sathya Sai Centres and Sathya Sai Groups (July 2017), SSIO (link)
SSIO Guidelines (July 2017) (link)
Sathya Sai Baba movement, Wikipedia (link)
Guide for Newcomers, SSIO USA (link)
About Sri Sathya Sai Centres, SSIO Australia (link)