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Thought for the day
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Devotional Singing (Bhajans) |
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Devotion is one of the three wings of the Sri Sathya Sai Organization (the other two being selfless service (SEVA) and education in human values (EHV/SSE). This page will discuss various aspects of the devotion program, which includes devotional singing (bhajans), study circles, prayers, and meditation.
Devotional singing (bhajans) is the process of singing that originates in the heart, not from the lips or the tongue. It is the expression of the joyous thrill that wells up from the heart when the Glory of God is remembered. It is the spontaneous manifestation of inner ecstasy. No attention is paid to the blame or praise that others may give. It does not seek the admiration or the appreciation of the listeners.
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Devotional program
Our Weekly devotional program consists of the following activities:
Study Circle - A group activity to read Swami's literature and arrive at the ways in which it can be put into practice.
The study circle will remain a half circle until you put what you read into practice.
Meditation - Meditating on the Light/Jyothi.
Meditation is not mere sitting erect and silent, or the absence of movement;
it is the merging of all thoughts and feelings in God.
Prayers/Mantras - Chanting of the Gayatri mantra.
Do not pray for secular advantages, only for grace.
Devotional singing (bhajan) - One of the processes by which you can train the mind to expand into eternal values. Teach the mind to revel in the glory and majesty of God; wean it away from petty horizons of pleasure. Devotional singing induces in you a desire for experiencing the truth, to glimpse the beauty that is God, to taste the bliss that is the Self. It encourages man to dive into himself and be genuinely his real Self.
Bhajans charge the atmosphere with divine adoration; that is why I insist on group singing.
Quotes on devotional singing (bhajans) - By Swami
Devotional singing (bhajan) is a spiritual practice (sadhana) for all who share in it.
Remember, every song sung in praise of the Lord is a sword that cuts the knots of laziness. It is a fine piece of social service to remind all of their duty to the Almighty, who watches over them.
God is omnipresent. He is the in-dweller of every heart and all names are His. So you can call Him by any name that gives you joy. You must not cavil at other names and forms, nor become fanatics, blind to their glory. When you sing bhajan songs, dwell on the meaning of the songs and the message of each name and form of God and roll on your tongue its sweetness.
Devotional singing (bhajan) must become an unbroken stream of bliss on your tongues and in your hearts; it must confer on you the uninterrupted awareness of soham, of the unity of I and He.
The tongue is the post, devotional singing (bhajan) is the rope; with that rope, you can bring God Almighty near you and tie Him up so that His grace becomes yours.
Desire and anger are two enemies. Devotional singing is a good disciplinary process by which these two can be kept away.
Take for example, there is a tree. It is full of birds. They make a mess all over. How to get rid of these noisy ones? You should clap loudly. Similarly, in this tree of life, there are birds of desire. The heart therefore becomes dirty. In order to cleanse it, do devotional singing (bhajans).
Let your whole life be a spiritual song. Believe that God is everywhere at all times, and derive strength, comfort, and joy by singing His glory in His presence.
Swami's guidelines on conducting devotional singing sessions (bhajans)
- Have the bhajans on as many days as possible or at least once a week. Have them in a central place where all can come.
- Any devotional song, in any language can be sung as long as all can follow.
- Sing familiar bhajans, so that all can share in ananda (bliss).
- When you sing bhajans, dwell on the meaning of the song and the message of each name and form of God.
- You cannot insist that in the bhajans only songs on Sathya Sai should be sung! Fanaticism of that kind I very much dislike and condemn. You betray your ignorance of the truth when you stick to any one of my names and avoid the rest.
- Bhajan has to be a thrilling experience, which must leave the participants full of pure energy and elevated enthusiasm.
- Bhajan must spread good-will, love, ecstasy; it must cleanse the polluted atmosphere; it must invite all to share in the joy and peace. The nagarsankirtan (congregational singing of bhajans) must be radiating devotion and love. The ananda (bliss) I derive from bhajan I do not derive from anything else. That is the reason I am emphasizing these points. Fill every moment with energy, enthusiasm, and effort.
- Some persons attending bhajans do not move their lips at all. They may say that they are singing the songs mentally within themselves. This is not proper. You must sing the names aloud, full-throated, as far as the voice can reach. Only then the Divine will respond in full measure and shower His grace. No one will go to the rescue of a drowning man if his cries are feeble.
- Together with melody and rhythm, you have to impart feeling to your singing to make the bhajan a sacred offering to the Divine. A tune without feeling is an infliction. Giving up conceit and exhibitionism, you must sing the bhajans in a spirit of humility and devotion. That is the right way to perform bhajans.
- Bhajan must be a felt experience. Do not sing with one eye on the effect the song makes on the listeners and the other on the effect it makes on God.
- Bhajans have to be sung and offered to God in an attitude of utter humility; they are not to be taken as exercises in an exhibition of talents or as competitions for mastery of musical skill. They have to please the Lord, not your fans.
- Bhajans should be sung with complete obliviousness to the body. Devotional fervor is more important than musical skill.
- Pay attention to the tune, the meaning, the variety, the voice, the raga (rhythm), the tala (beat), and other fine points of the bhajans.
- Let your heart pant for God, then the raga (rhythm) and tala (beat) will automatically be pleasant and correct.
- Do not monopolize the time in bhajans by singing one song for six or ten minutes, repeating the same line often. Repeat each line twice and no more. Have only two speeds; one slow and the other, fast. In this way you can have in one hour of bhajan, more songs on more forms, more tunes and more variety, giving more people a chance.
- Let those with a good voice and musical talent lead; the keertan (singing the name of God) must be pleasant, it should not jar on the ear. If your voice is grating or out of tune, do not disturb the melody, but, repeat the namavali (song reciting the name of God) in your mind.
- If your voice is not pleasant or sweet, keep quiet; that is the best service you can do.
- Do not cause discontent or disharmony, insisting on singing because you are an office-bearer.
- After bhajans there should be meditation for five to ten minutes.
- People should return from bhajan carrying the elevated, uplifted and sublime mood created by the atmosphere at the bhajan. Therefore, after the bhajan people should disperse quietly, maintaining silence. Then the joy and peace derived at the bhajan will linger and abide in the heart.
- Have bhajans as simple as you can and without competitive pomp or show; reduce expenses to a minimum, for God cares for the inner yearning and not the outer trappings. Even this small unavoidable expenditure must be silently shared, spontaneously not collected by means of a plate or a subscription or donation list.
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