Sathya Sai International Organization - responsible for organisational activities outside of India.
The first Sathya Sai Centers, local groups where devotees gather on a regular basis, were started in India under the name Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samithi. The Sathya Sai Organisation originated "to enable its members to undertake service activities as a means to spiritual advancement." According to the Sathya Sai International Organization, there are an estimated 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centers in 130 countries worldwide.
Mission statement
"The main objective of the Sathya Sai Organization", as Sathya Sai Baba states, "is to help man recognize the divinity that is inherent in him. So, your duty is to emphasize the One, to experience the One in all you do or speak. Do not give any importance to differences of religion or sect or status or color. Have the feeling of one-ness permeate every act of yours. Only those who do so have a place in this Organization; the rest can withdraw." The principal objectives of Sathya Sai Organisation are: 1. To help the individual
To be aware of the Divinity that is inherent in him and to conduct himself accordingly;
To translate into practice in daily life, divine love and perfection; and therefore
To fill one's life with joy, harmony, beauty, grace, human excellence and lasting happiness;
2. To ensure that all human relations are governed by the principles of Satya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema and Ahimsa. 3. To make devotees more sincere and dedicated in the practice of their respective religions by understanding properly the true spirit of their religion. Sathya Sai Baba further explains the quality of service expected of the organization. "The Organisations named after Me are not to be used for publicising My Name, or creating a new cult around My worship. They must try to spread interest in japam, dhyaanam and other sadhanas, which lead man Godward; they must demonstrate the joy derivable from bhajan and Naamasmarana, the Shanthi that one can draw from Sathsang. They must render seva to the helpless, the sick, the distressed, the illiterate and the needy. Their seva should not be exhibitionistic; it must seek no reward, not even gratitude or thanks from the recipients. Seva is sadhana, not a pastime of the rich and well placed. Each one must realize this truth."
Projects
The SSIO hosts a number of various institutes, trusts and associations. They include: Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust -Publications Division- Radio Sai Educational Institutions
Tertiary Health Care These hospitals provide excellent patient care facilities to all, free of cost.
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Science. There are two campuses, one being in Prasanthi Nilayam, A.P. and the other in Whitefield, Karnataka, India.
Service, Devotion and Education Wings Drinking Water Supply Projects
Activities of the organisation
Spiritual activities include devotional singing, study circles, public lectures, seminars, meditation etc.
Samir Bhatia, a trustee of Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust, Maharashtra, has been actively engaging with AMTM to provide medical assistance and support to injured animals and birds for the past few years.
Educational activities cover Bal Vikas and Education in Human Values programmes, besides formal academic education combined with the development of the character of the students for age group of 6 to 15.
Service activities include items such as organising medical check-up camps, adoption of under-developed villages for accelerating rural development, blood donation, old age homes, etc.
Code of conduct
The charter of the organisation says that every member should undertake sadhana as an integral part of daily life and abide by the following nine codes of conduct:
Organisational structure
The SSIO is ordered into nine zones. A number of regions are then created in each zone. For example, both the US and Canada are in zone 1, however the United States is in region 11 while Canada is in region 13. Each region then branches out to individual centers The center structure operates with the Service, Youth, Education, Ladies and Spiritual coordinators addressing the center president directly, who in turn reports to the regional coordinator. The president of each center has with him or her a secretary, vice president and treasurer. The regional organisational structure consists of regional coordinators reporting to a council chairperson. Independent of the regional coordinators, the Service, Youth, Publications, Education and Spiritual coordinators report directly to the council chairperson who then communicates with the central coordinator of that region.
