Serve And Inspire - Workshop 2
Hosted by Sri Sathya Sai Baba Centre
Of …………..
 O God, Be in my mind and in my thinking
 O God, Be in my eyes and in my seeing
 O God, Be in my ears and in my hearing
 O God, Be in my mouth and in my speaking
 O God, Be in my hands and in my helping
 O God, Be in my heart and in my loving
A Quick Review…
2 Rules for Sai Volunteers
Rule #1:
Be a Good Role Model
Rule #2:
Follow Rule #1
Examining
Service of Need vs. Service of Convenience
Let’s Discuss!
Would anyone else like to share their experiences or
examples of service of need vs. service of convenience?
Swami Karunyananda went to Mumbai with Bhagawan Sri Sathya
Sai Baba. Both of them stayed in the same building. One day Swami
Karunyananda looked out of the window and saw small children and the
dogs were eating the food from the garbage bin. This scene touched
Swami Karunyananda’s heart so badly when he felt bad and thought about
Swami.
Lo and behold, Swami was standing behind him. Karunyananda asked
Swami to look outside and asked why this is happening? Swami
explained that they had a good and rich life in the past and ate according
to their likes and dislikes. They snacked and threw the rest in the garbage
and now whatever they threw in the past, are being picked up for
satisfying their hunger in this life.
of need means, performing service for those who are most needy and
… Service
deserving, without thought to how it might affect oneself.
For example, preparing and serving free community meals to homeless,
spending time or assisting seniors/elders or assisting people with special
needs can be considered service of need.
 Service of convenience means, performing service to others, only when it is
easy and convenient to oneself.
For example, giving leftover food from a dinner party to homeless is a service
of convenience.
One can see that the first example involves thoughtful intentions to serve
those who need help. You must think of who you will serve and how you will
serve them beforehand and your all your actions are made for this service.
Pure Heart and Pure Intentions. In the second example the service involves
only afterthought and the true purpose of Cooking is to entertain one’s
friends and have fun. The food is only given to the homeless because it is
convenient and not because it has been prepared with love for them. Check
your Intention!
Service is a Gift of Love
In service we must consider the needs of others.
Service can begin at home but we can extend service of
others in the community
i.e. workplace, the environment or wherever there is a need.
When one performs service, one should do so without the
expectation of receiving anything in return or of receiving
recognition.
Open Discussion
“While performing service activities never consider
yourself as a doer. Always think that whatever service
activities you have undertaken they are for your own
enlightenment. These service activities must be
undertaken to develop self confidence, which will lead
to self satisfaction, self sacrifices and ultimately to self
realization, thus service is meant to
realize your true self, it should never be considered as
help for others”.
- Sathya Sai Baba
Jai Sai Ram
Skills of Membership
The members of the center have many interests and skills.
Their skills range from caring for elders, to teaching to
acting and cooking. Their interests range from working
with special needs children to helping improve the
environment.
Let us examine.
Jai Sai Ram
Break
How May We Serve?
In House
Service Wing partnering with the
Spiritual Wing
• Ask the Spiritual Wing coordinator, How can we help?
• Set-up and clean up before and after Prayer meetings (in Silence)
• Conduct Study Circles (2 - 3 per year)
• Manage the book, audio/video Library
• Manage Silence before and after Prayer meetings
• Model ideal behaviour
• etc.
“Always find a quiet corner after My dharshan, where you
may enter the stillness and receive the completion of
My blessings. My energy goes from Me as I pass you. If
you proceed to talk to others, immediately the previous
energy is dissipated and return to Me unused. Rest
assured that whatever My eyes sees becomes vitalized
and transmuted. You are being changed day by day.
Never underestimate
what is being accomplished by this act of dharshan. My
walking among you is a gift yearned for by the gods of
the highest heaven and you are daily receiving this
grace. Be grateful”.
- Sathya Sai Baba
Service Wing partnering with the
Education Wing
 Ask the Education Wing coordinator, How can we help?
 Hallway monitoring before, during and after SSE classes
 Maintain Safety of children
 Parking Lot management
 Help setting up with special events i.e. Hall management, audio/video
set-up and operation, etc.
 Model ideal behaviour
Service Wing Current Activities…
 Park Cleaning - Three times a year
 Blood Donation - Twice a year
 Tree planting - Once a year
 Free community meal in partnership with Ladies Wing
 Collection of non-perishable food and other items required
by the local food bank
 Organize Centre Picnic in partnership with Education &
Youth Wings – Bonding activity
 etc.
Why Park Cleaning is impotent?
Cleaning a local park solves the problem of pollution
in our community. There are many problems that can
harm a community, such as poverty and violence.
Remember, Service of Need vs. Service of Convenience
Why do we Donate Blood?
 One unit is required in every 2 seconds.
 One bag of blood can save 4 lives.
 Every two seconds, someone needs blood. Each day,
across the nation, 32,000 units of red cells save
lives. No one understands the importance of
"giving the gift of life". You see it in every day:
platelets given to chemotherapy patients, plasma
for burn victims, red cells for transplant patients.
The list goes on and on.
Why Don't People Donate?
 Excuses, excuses! we've heard them all. A few of the most
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common reasons people not donating blood:
I can catch a disease if I donate.
I don't have enough blood to give.
I'm too old.
You don't want my blood.
Someone else will donate.
I'm too busy.
It will hurt.
I'm afraid of needles.
Blood Donation
Why is tree planting important?
 Because of the benefits that our planet and
ourselves get from trees, such as trees being
oxygen filters, providing shelter and food for
humans as well as other animals and their
influence on the climate ; it is essential that we
make sure we make up for all the trees we loose or
use. If performed properly tree planting can ensure
the successful restoration of a deforested area,
hence creating ecologically sustainable resource
use.
 A single mature tree can release enough oxygen back
into the atmosphere to support 2 human beings
 Benefits Wildlife and the Environment
Very few formal mechanisms. Local organizations
such as food banks, food rescue organizations,
and volunteer groups collect and distribute
wasted (surplus) food
As individuals/family important to consciously
minimize food wastage and spread awareness of
hunger
The Power of Team Work
Share stories of:
• The Geese
• Red Wood Trees
Jai Sai Ram
“All hands are His
All feet, all eyes, all faces and mouths are His
He works through all hands
He walks through all feet
He sees through each eye
He eats and speaks through every mouth
He is everything
Everything is His
Every look, speech and act is His”.
- Bhagavad Gita
“Hands that Serve are Holier than Lips that Pray”.
- Sathya Sai Baba