This document discusses the importance of sadhana (spiritual practice) and seva (selfless service). It states that while seva is a form of sadhana, regular spiritual practice is needed to cultivate the selfless attitude required for true service. Sadhana promotes an attitude of servitude and helps remove selfish desires through establishing communion with God within. It should result in inner joy, mental balance, and control of senses and mind. The ultimate goal of both sadhana and seva is spiritual purification and realization of divinity.

2. We have enough work
and we perform it as
seva or spiritual
service.
So is it necessary to do
separate sadhana….
 Is sadhana or a specific
spiritual discipline

3. Seva is not a compulsory duty
or an uncomfortable obligation.
Swami says it should happen
naturally and spontaneously.
He gives a Vedantic stamp to it
and says Paropakaarardham
idam shariram – this body is
meant to help others.

4.  Swami says chittasya suddhihi
karmaha – it is to purify the mind that
we should do seva, to remove the
contamination.
 Swami says purity leads to unity, which
in turn leads to divinity. So the seva
that we do is to reach divinity through
purity and unity.
 Bhagavan categorically emphasizes
that what seva does to you is far more
important than what seva you do.

6.  The root of the Sanskrit word
sadhana is ‘sad’ which means
‘accomplished’, ‘to succeed’ --
Transformation that Leads to
Fulfillment
 Sadhana is a spiritual practice that
one needs to do so that we are in
tune with the Lord.
 Sadhana is devoting time and energy
to establish communion with the Lord
who is inside us.

7.  Sadhana Promotes an Attitude of
Servitude.
 Regular sadhana, Bhagavan says
helps us to derive an inner joy and
remove the selfishness and desires.
 Bhagavan beautifully says sadhana
removes our vasanas or tendencies
(carried from many births)! It helps us
to have trikarana suddhi – the unity of
thought, word and deed.

10.  Swami says the simplest way to do
sadhana is to join sathsang or good
company.
 Reading Sai literature is a great way to
have sathsang.
 Listening to Bhagavan’s discourses,
listening to elders, singing bhajans,
prayers, etc. are all part of sadhana.
 Bhagavan doesn’t prescribe severe
austerities. He always tells, Hithamga
undali, mithanga undali, meaning, you

12. A – Awareness of inner joy. If we are doing sadhana
it should result in the awareness of the inner joy.
B – Balance of Mind. How balanced we are during
the thick and thin of our lives on earth; how calmly
can we take the successes and failures in our lives.
C – Ceiling on desires. Control of our senses and
mind is an acid test of our progress.
D – Dedication to serve others.

15.  Although seva itself is sadhana, seva
is not a substitute for sadhana.
 We need to do sadhana to cultivate
the spirit of seva.
 Sadhana should fill us with an urge to
serve others; it should fill us with the
divine essence of life, which is Love.
 Our Organization is called Sri Sathya
Sai Seva Organization. Bhagavan
has named it so because He gives
utmost importance to Seva.

18. Now is a good time to join the Sai
Tidal Wave and create a huge
tsunami of love, peace, harmony
and goodwill, which would make
more and more people shed their
fear and who can deny fear is
gripping so many people these
days in all parts of the world?
Swami often says: "Why fear
when I am here?" And yet there is
so much fear everywhere, fear of
insecurity, and so on. Why?
Because people are not yet
feeling His proximity in large
enough numbers.
And that exactly is where, you
and us, joining forces can do a lot
to bring cheer and hope
everywhere, in some measure at