NewsLetter

General Announcements

  •  
    1) Thursday June 1st, 2023 Food service to support IFC Carrboro
    Please participate in the food service to support Interfaith council for social service in Carrboro. We support with food donation every other Thursday. There are few openings for Thursday June1st service. Use the link below to participate in this food service.
     
     
    2) Canned Food drive to support Raleigh Men’s shelter – June 4th, 2023
    We got an urgent request to support Men’s shelter with canned food drive as they see increased flow into the shelter and need urgent supplies. Please drop off canned food mentioned in the signup sheet below by  Sunday June 4th 12pm, at 719 McRae Rd, Cary. Use the signup sheet below to participate in this canned food drive.
     
     
    3) Sai Center Activities on Sunday May 28th at HSNC Room # 3, 4, 5, 6

    3:30PM- Setup

    4:00PM- No Study Circle– Open Bhajans practice

    5:00PM-6:15PM- Open Bhajans, Arati and Closing Prayers

     
    4) Sai Samarpan is available, Please click the link
     
    5) A special program by whistle wizard Mr. Siva Prasad is planned in June – 2023. More details will follow.   

     

    RSC Library:
    •  We humbly request members who have taken books from RSC library to return it once they have read it. Any books that were borrowed prior to the pandemic are requested to return as soon as possible
    • See list of books available. If you would like to borrow a book, please contact Prabhakar at hpkamath11@gmail.com or text 919-561-3465, listing the name(s) of the Book(s) interested in borrowing and the time and date you would like to pick up. Address: 1961 Weaver Forest Way, Morrisville. Anyone wishing to return a currently borrowed book, can drop off the book at the front door box. Please write your full name on a piece paper and put it in back of the book. Sairam! 

    Power of Prayer
    It is good to remember Swami’s guidance to remain calm in all situations. We need to follow the guidance of our national and local medical and infectious disease experts. We should remember that prayers are very powerful. The Sai Gayatri mantra as well as the Gayatri mantra is being chanted by Sai devotees around the world for the welfare of humanity. Let us all be united and pray with intensity as often as possible. This is an important spiritual practice which can alleviate this global health threat due to the Coronavirus.  

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Devotion

  • Sai Center Activities Schedule

    Sai Center Activities on Sunday May 28th at HSNC Room #3, 4, 5, 6

    3:30PM- Setup

    4:00PM- No Study Circle.  Open Bhajans Signup and Practice

    5:05PM-6:15PM- Bhajans, Arati and Closing Prayers

     

  • Study Circle Summary- Creating Harmonious Homes

    Study Circle Topic: Creating Harmonious Homes Summary
    1. When unity improves in family, harmony at home improves , leads to peace in society and the world
    2.Everything starts with oneself – starts with righteousness in ones’ heart
    3.Home is the first school of children
    4.Harmonious homes is created jointly, like limbs working together to do an action
    5.Widen your horizon of compassion
    6.Understanding of purpose and meaning will lead to righteous actions
    7.Takeaways – Practice active Listening, Cutting of ego, Be present and mindful, Involve in service

 
  • Bhajan of the week

    Deity: Devi
    Raag: Suryakantham

    Taal: 8 Beat / Keherwa / Adi

    Lyrics:

    Samba Vinodini Shiva Sai Shankari
    Mangala Gowri Mata Maheshwari
    Akhilandeshwari Raja Rajeshwari
    Daya Sagari Parama Krupakari
     
    Meaning:

    Salutations to Mother Parvathi, the Goddess of the whole Universe and the consort of Lord Shiva. She is the supremely compassionate Mother who bestows auspiciousness.

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Service

  • RSC Service Activities
    NEW  ANNOUNCEMENT(S)! :
     
     * Thursday June 1st, 2023 Food service to support IFC Carrboro
    Please participate in the food service to support Interfaith council for social service in Carrboro. We support with food donation every other Thursday. There are few openings for Thursday June1st service. Use the link below to participate in this food service.
     
     
    * Canned Food drive to support Raleigh Men’s shelter – June 4th, 2023
    We got an urgent request to support Men’s shelter with canned food drive as they see increased flow into the shelter and need urgent supplies. Please drop off canned food mentioned in the signup sheet below by  Sunday June 4th 12pm, at 719 McRae Rd, Cary. Use the signup sheet below to participate in this canned food drive.
     
     
          To participate in other active service projects, please see list below.
     
    Service name and Date/time Service Activity Details Locations & Sign up
    Sunday Food Service: Men’s shelter – Raleigh (Every alternate Sunday)   Preparing food at Volunteer homes and drop at common place. Volunteer will deliver at Raleigh Men’s shelter by 2pm

    1420 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601

    Please click here to sign up for Sunday.
    Thursday Food Service: IFC – Carrboro (Every alternate Thursday) Preparing food at Volunteer homes and drop at common place. Volunteer will deliver at Inter-Faith Council for Social Service(IFC) at Carrboro, NC by 3 PM.

    IFC address: 100 W. Main St. Carrboro, NC

    Please click here  to sign up for Thursday.

    SAI Tutoring Program

     

    		 Volunteers provide weekly one to one tutoring via Zoom to an underserved elementary school student from the Durham Public School district. The focus is on ELA and math enrichment and also providing mentorship.

     

    NOTE: Please contact service@raleighsaicenter.org if you are interested in getting involved.

    Growing Sai’s Love – Garden project

     

    		 RSC’s pilot program Growing Sai’s Love to help our Sai Community members get more self-reliant by learning to grow their own fresh, healthy vegetables, fruits, flowers, in their backyard. Members can also use these for service and center activities.

     

    NOTE: Please contact service coordinator service@raleighsaicenter.org if you would like to participate in this service.

    Raleigh Men’s shelter Breakfast service – Supplies

     

    		 Monthly Breakfast service on 3rd Saturday to support Raleigh Men’s Shelter. Please drop off items at 719 McRae Rd, Cary on 3rd Friday of the month by 8pm so volunteers can deliver supplies at the shelter on Saturday morning.

     

     

    NOTE: Due to COVID, at this time we are only supplying materials/ingredients.

    Recycling project

    		 Recycling project that involves used batteries, medication(s), small electronics and bulbs.  NOTE: Please contact service coordinator service@raleighsaicenter.org if you would like to participate in this service.

    Pediatric Clinic Food Distribution Project

     

    		 This bi-weekly project involves distributing grocery bags to Lincoln Community Health Center Pediatric Clinic’s families in need. Any identified family visiting the pediatric clinic who is facing food insecurity will be given a grocery bag filled with dry/canned goods as well as a list of local food resources in the Durham area.

     

    Signup sheet has instructions and Grocery list
     Food drive for Inter-faith Food Shuttle, Durham by Group 3 SSSE Students every month  Group 3 SSSE students form leads in their communities and conduct food drive. Please contact Group 3 teachers for more information.

    Collected food will be delivered during first week of every month at 

     Inter-faith Food Shuttle

    2436 S. Miami Blvd, Suite 200-9

    Durham, NC
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SSSE

  • Pre-SSSE

    CLASS DATE: 04/09/2023 TEACHERS:    Lakshmi, Bhuvana, Mona
    SUMMARY:  Recycle, Reduce, Reuse ATTENDANCE: 

    We started the class with 3 Oms and Gayatri Mantra. Our teachers are preparing us for Easwaramma Day. They talked to us about Easwaramma in the last few classes. Now our teachers are talking to us about Bhumata and how we can take care of Bhumata. They talked to us how we can recycle used papers, card boards, milk cartons and make fun toys with them. By recycling we help Mother Earth by not adding trash in the landfill and also help save resources like trees. We also learnt not to use plastic bags, instead we can use reusable bags. We practiced our two bhajans ‘ Dancing Ganesh’ and ‘Dum, Dum dum Dum Damaru Baje’ which we will be singing next Sunday during Center’s bhajan time. We also practiced Easwaramma Day program a couple of times. We enjoyed book reading time with Patti. She read ‘ Don’t Throw That Away’ by Lara Bergen. Activity of the week: Practice both the bhajans everyday
  • SSSE group1

    I CLASS  DATE:03/19/2023

    TEACHER(S): Aruna,Sunitha, Sharanya 
     Topic: Responsibility  Attendance:  26/38

    We started the class with 3 OMs, slokas and thumb meditation. We learnt Gayatri mantra

    We learnt two new bhajans, which the children will sing during Sai Madhuram bhajans on April 16th

    https://www.saimelodies.saigcregion3.org/Songs/Detail/1630

    https://www.saimelodies.saigcregion3.org/Songs/Detail/1941

    In this class we talked about how much swami gives importance to the feeling and the intention behind an action. We shared experiences of two students which beautifully shows how swami responds to the ‘bhava’ or the feeling with which one performs the action more than the action itself. These experiences also show how Swami showers his love, how he ever so gently corrects them to make improvements while accepting all imperfections and how he inspires them to take up challenges and perform to the best of their ability.

    https://saisarathi.com/student-stories/art-from-the-heart/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXdmiGEebGg

     
  • SSSE-Group2

    DATE: 03/19/2023
    TEACHERS:  Hitha, Jagruthi, and Deepthi 

    Value: Right Action 

    Sub Value: WATCH
    ATTENDANCE: 25/26
    Summary of the Class:

     

    We started our class with 3 Oms, 3 Gayathris’ and Silent sitting focusing our breath deep inhalation and
    exhaling. Had a chance to share the life application with the students, but few were able to share. 

    We talked about A – Action from swami’s WATCH

    We continued on to the letter A for the word. 

    We had a opportunity to have 5 activities to show how the Action and reaction works. For every Action their is an equal and opposite reaction.  If we do good actions good will come back if you do bad actions bad will come to you.  We are responsible for our own Actions.

    We talked about what is responsibility and consequences?

    We showed a short video on Responsibility and Consequences. 

    Students had discussion on what is their responsibility as students, is to study, do their work on time, at home, school, and as a good human being to perform their duties.

    Swami’s Words on Responsibility

    Responsibility means Carrying out one’s duties and obligations according to one’s age, station in life, and circumstances.

    Consequence: A result or effect of an action or condition.

     

    *SWAMI’s QUOTE*:

    “ Specific right action means those duties that are responsibility on a person as a result of his or her social obligations, professional status, stage of life and the like.” 

    “ Life applications:

    • Morning prayers
    • Night prayers
    • Food prayer
    • Watch your thoughts, Words and Action
    • Watch your actions be aware of the right action throughout the day.
    • Sit silently everyday for few minutes. Every night, before you sleep. 

      “Share it with us next class”

    Parents, please support yourself and our students to follow the life application of watching our words, being aware of using our tongue, and sitting silently for a few minutes every day( start with 2 min)

    Please ask the children in detail about our last class and possibly participate as a family in life application.

     

    Sai Madhuram Bhajan Practice for April: We had our group 4 students Anjana and Samhitha come to class to let Students practice.

    https://www.saimelodies.saigcregion3.org/Songs/Detail/1454- Girls

    Om Dhimitha Dhimitha Dhim

    https://www.saimelodies.saigcregion3.org/Songs/Detail/1624–Boys

    Govind Krishna Jai

    The class had a chance to read their Affirmation:

    Class ended with Closing Prayer.

    Parents thank you for sharing our students for 90 minutes every day. 

    Thank you
    Sai ram

     

     
    Click Over Here for the Previous Class Notes   
    (more…)
  • SSSE-Group3

    CLASS  DATE: 03/05/23

    TEACHER(S): Nalini, Gangadher

     Value: Dharma

    		  Attendance: 25

     

    We played a Game to show the importance of having Code of Conduct, Rules of behavior

    Introduced Dharma– Is it Duty, Right conduct, Righteousness, Code of Conduct, Rules of behavior. 

    Dharma is not just a set of rules or commandments, but rather a way of being that is in alignment with the ultimate truth and harmony of the universe. Dharamo Rakshathi Rakshithah – If you follow Dharma, it will protect you.

    *What did Swami say*

    Man must dedicate himself to Dharma and be engaged always in Dharma so that he may live in peace and the world may enjoy peace. He cannot acquire real Peace, nor can he win the Grace of the Lord through any means other than the Dharmic life.

    Dharma is a body of principles that are fundamental to social stability and individual progress. There are various branches of Dharma – obligatory duty, duties pertaining to status and stages of life etc.  – but the aim of all is to help one stage by stage toward liberation from grief and from the chain of birth and death.

    *Stories & life scenarios-*

    we shared mythology stories & contemporary real experience sharing from Sai balvikas student 

    *How to Practice:*

     As a Student what is my Dharma: 

    -Study and get good grades- you have to give your best, focus on learning,not waste time, distracted. Dharma is to follow it even when no one watching you & not give up

    -Making best use of time & devices provided

     

    As a Son/Daughter

    -Get good name to my parents with our conduct and behaviour.

    -Help as much as possible

     

    As an individual (Atma Dharma)

    -Help every hurt never

    -Unity of thought word and deed.

    -Practice whatever that takes closer to God. (bhajans, service activity, Vedam chanting, helping others)

     

  • SSSE-Group4

     

    CLASS DATE: April 30th, 2023

    TEACHER(S): Mouli Uncle, Nirmala Aunty, Sai Yerraguntla Akka
    SUMMARY: 

    Group 4 SSSE Class for 2022-2023 Year

    ATTENDANCE:

          11 (8 Girls, 3 Boys)

    Main topic:

    SaiRam, summary of Group 4 class on April 30th below.

    • Prep for Eashwaramma Day – May 6th
    •       Workshops, MC, grad speeches, etc.
    •       Agenda Review
    • Pullen Hope Center Collections
    • Review of Key Takeaways from Former Group 4 Students currently attending UNC & NC State
    • Swami’s discussions and interactive class workshop on ‘Our Divine Spark’, what it means, and how do we apply?
    • YIR for Group 4, 2022-2023
    •      Summer Plans for returning Group 4…
    • New Years Resolutions.. Don’t Forget !

    We concluded the class with final questions, snacks and OM and 3 Shanthi’s.

    Thanks, and JAI SAI RAM!

     

    Note to Parents:

    Sairam Parents –

    This was our last class of this 2022-2023 SSSE Class Year, thank you for all your support and we hope to see you at Eashwaramma Day Celebrations on May 6th!

    -Group 4 Gurus

    Jai Sai Ram!
     

     

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Young Adults (YA) Updates

  • GAYATHRI BEADS BRACELET SERVICE

    SERVICE TO MAN IS SERVICE TO GOD

    Sairam,

    We will chant and energize beads using the power of Gayathri Mantra, make them into bracelets and offer it to people in need like hospital patients and people in senior care homes.

    Steps to follow:

    TAKE ONE BEAD IN YOUR HAND
    CHANT GAYATHRI MANTHRA 108 TIMES WHILE HOLDING THE BEAD
    AFTER CHANTING 108 TIMES, PRAY THIS BEAD HELP SOMEONE
    KEEP THIS ENERGIZED BEAD SAFELY IN A SEPARATE BAG FROM THE OTHER BEADS
    PRAY AND ENERGIZE AS MANY AS POSSIBLE
    ONCE READY, EMAIL  ya@raleighsaicenter.org  TO DELIVER AND RECEIVE MORE BEADS  
    BEADS WILL BE CONVERTED TO BRACELETS AND GIVEN TO HOSPITAL PATIENTS OR SENIOR CARE HOMES

 
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Seniors Corner

  • Seniors group :

    1. PRAYER BRACELET PROJECT FOR THE PATIENTS AT WAKEMED HOSPITAL:   This project was initiated by senior members of the Raleigh Sai Center, in collaboration with the Senior Club of Hindu Society of North Carolina (HSNC) and the members of Raleigh Sai Center. Bracelets are made with 18 crystal glass beads and filler beads for men and women. Members recite Gayatri Mantra or similar prayer based on their religious background 108 times with each glass bead. Bracelets are put in small cloth bags (stitched by the members) along with a printed message from the WakeMed Hospital. These bracelets are given to the interested patients by the hospital volunteers. Each month hospital volunteers are requesting 30-40 bracelets. Patients are very much appreciative of having the prayer bracelets during their convalescence. Photo of a bracelet offering can be seen below:
      https://drive.google.com/file/d/177CLfNxjNoLJKkdD8RW9q0EuVvV1985t/view?usp=share_link

     2. RSC  Seniors Group is planning to make the Vibuthi Packets for distribution during  Aradhana Day, Easwaramma Day, Guru Poornima and Swami’s birthday celebrations. Our Senior Group is doing this as a spiritual sadhana of writing “Aum Sri Sairam” on one side of the paper and then cut the paper into four parts, include vibuthi in the unwritten side and fold the paper to make vibuthi packets for distribution. 

    3. Some members of the Senior Group are meeting virtually on Thursday afternoons at 3:00 pm to discuss the application of Swami’s messages in their everyday lives. If you are interested in participating in the virtual meetings or to participate in seva activities with senior’s, please email:   seniors@raleighsaicenter.org
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Interest Groups Updates

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Regional Update

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Media Repository

  • The media repository for all past events is now available in our main page under this link. If you need the password, please email info@raleighsaicenter.org

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Sai Center Officers

  • Officer Role
    Name
    Email Address
    President
    Senthil Kumar
    president@raleighsaicenter.org
    Vice-President
    Gopal Somu
    vp@raleighsaicenter.org
    Education (SSSE) Co-ordinator
    Jagruti Mariwalla
    education@raleighsaicenter.org
    Devotional Co-ordinator
    Saideepa Subramanian
    devotion@raleighsaicenter.org
    Service Co-ordinator
    Param Dasana
    service@raleighsaicenter.org
    YA Co-ordinator(s)
    Sayee Shruti Manickam, Krishna Kumar Ramachandran
    ya@raleighsaicenter.org

    If you have any questions, please email the respective office bearer. Click here to access their phone numbers (password protected). 

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Thought for the Week

  • What is it that we must cultivate in this journey of life, and what helps us progress? Bhagawan lovingly guides us today.

    You should cultivate an attitude of inseparable attachment to the Lord, who is your very self. If He is a flower, you should feel yourself a bee that sucks its honey; if He is a tree, be a creeper that clings to it; if a cliff, then feel that you are a cascade running over it; if He is the sky, be a tiny star that twinkles in it; above all, be conscious of the truth that you and He are bound by Supreme Love.

    If you feel this acutely, not with the gross intelligence, but with the subtle intelligence, then the journey will be quick and the goal can be won.

    The sthula buddhi (gross intelligence) keeps you walking but, the subtle intelligence flies you to the destination. The gross is too much weighed down by the body; the subtle transcends the body and lightens the burden! – Divine Discourse, Jan 30, 1965  – BABA

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