PRACTICE

The practice of "SAI SMARAN" (invoking God's Grace by remembering Him)

The Path of Recitation of the Divine Name

There are two spiritual practices that enable devotees of Bhagavān Śrī Sathya Sai Baba through His omnipresence to obtain His grace and divine blessing:

1. Laksharchana (meaning 'one hundred thousand offerings', i.e. reciting a mantra 100,000 times while offering grains of rice) - is an extraordinary spiritual exercise that benefits all who participate (see below).

2. Havan is a sacrificial fire in which ghi (clarified, anhydrous butter) and other special ingredients are offered, accompanied by the recitation of a mantra to the Lord.

The beloved Swami, has demonstrated His divine presence in various ways. He says: "Miracles are my calling cards; I give people what they want so that they give me what I want, and that is their love for God.

In all religions there are universal human values that emphasise the importance of prayer, the necessity of worship, the principle of the brotherhood of mankind and the fatherhood of God, as well as the development of love for all beings. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jews - each group has its own way of praying, but what they all seek is God's grace.

Let different faiths exist and flourish, and let the glory of God be sung in all languages and in a variety of melodies. That must be the ideal. Respect the differences between faiths recognise their validity as long as they do not smother the flame of unity.

If all men lived the ideals professed by the founders of their religion, without allowing themselves to be touched by greed and hatred, the world would be a happy and peaceful abode for mankind."

The beloved Swami gave this magnificent explanation of the importance of the repetition of the Name in the present age: "This Kali Yuga is exalted by the scriptures because it unparalleledly promotes the salvation of man, who can now attain the Absolute with only the thought of God, remembering His Name. Therefore, of all eras, the present one is considered the holiest and most beneficial.

In Krita Yuga, meditation was prescribed as a means of man's liberation; in Treta Yuga, asceticism was the method for salvation, while in Dvāpara Yuga, ritual worship was prescribed.

For the people of the present Kali Yuga, the simple remedy prescribed is only nāma-smarana, the constant awareness of the Name of God. It is indeed a pity that men do not care for such practice and reduce their lives as a desolate wasteland."

The beloved Swami inspired this servant to begin the practice of Laksharchana and Havan.

Laksharchana

On 18 January 1967, a few days after Baba had celebrated our divine marriage, we received the blessing of another private talk. Swami spoke to us in detail about religions and related subjects. I had always had a desire to receive a mantra from Him, and when the opportunity arose, I very humbly asked Him. He tried to divert me by distracting me and talking about other things, but by His Will I persevered, and eventually He gave me the mantra Aum Sri Sathya Sai Krishnaya Namaha! Baba instructed me to use this mantra, which is valid for everyone, in spiritual discipline.

With His Grace, the extraordinary practice called Laksharchana is performed with the collective recitation of this mantra 100,000 times while all participants offer grains of rice at the Feet of our Beloved Lord, as described below.

The meaning of the mantra is as follows:

Aum (Om) - refers to the Parabrahman (the Absolute, God)

Śrī- the goddess of wealth and prosperity

Sathya-Truth

Sai Divine Mother

Krishnaya - To Krishna (Avatar with all powers as Sathya Sai Baba)

Namaha - Prostrations, bows, tributes.

A suitable place is chosen to accommodate all participants. The larger the number of participants, the more people (and their families) will benefit, while the duration of the ceremony will be shorter (see below).

Each participant receives a tray with two compartments, a small picture of Sathya Sai Baba, a sachet of vibhuti and a handful of rice. The trays and other things must be prepared in advance, before the devotees arrive. Then the participants are counted, and based on the number, it is calculated how many times the mantra should be repeated using a japamāla (rosary with 108 beads). For example if there are 100 participants, one round of japamāla (with a 108-grain rosary only 100 are considered valid, the other 8 are extra) will be 100 x 100 = 10,000 repetitions of the mantra. With ten rounds of the rosary there will be 10,000 x 10 = 100,000 recitations. If, on the other hand, there are only 50 participants, then it will take twenty rounds of the rosary to reach 100,000, in which case it will take twice as long as with 100 participantsl It is preferable to appoint two people with rosaries to count up to the end of the recitation. Before starting, each participant should place the rice grains in one compartment of the tray, the small picture of the beloved Swami and the sachet of vibhuti in the other. The service will begin with a half-hour of bhajans that touch the soul to raise the spiritual vibration. The mantra 'Aum Sri Sathya Sai Krishnaya Namaba will be recited in unison and with full concentration for maximum benefit.

At first everyone repeats the mantra slowly, while at the same time taking a few grains of rice with the right hand to place it on the photo of our beloved Lord or on the sachet of Vibhuti. After repeating these gestures a few times, the hand will automatically adjust to the distance between the rice and the photo, and the devotee will be able to close his eyes and focus on the inner Deity while continuing to move his hand. The speed of the recitation will increase and so will the offering of the rice.

Before starting the last round of the rosary (the tenth or twentieth in the case of the above examples), the recitation will be interrupted to give further instructions:

1. This practice is a golden opportunity for the devotee to take concrete steps towards self-purification and pray to receive Baba's divine blessing.

2. Participants are invited to give up bad habits (e.g. smoking, drinking alcohol, chewing tobacco) and ask Baba's help, in order to e.g. become vegetarians, or put into practice His teachings such as "Love all, serve all" - "Always help, never do wrong" - "Be good, see good, do good"!

3. At the end of the recitation, after the Arati, the rice grains offered are placed in an envelope or package together with the photo and vibhuti to be taken home. The trays should be returned to the organisers to be used for the next function. Some of the sanctified rice can later be distributed to those who are suffering and sick; if this rice is mixed with normal rice, cooked and eaten it can result in miraculous healings (see below). Some of the sanctified rice can be put into the rice container at home, so that one can always eat it; this will contribute to mental and spiritual growth.
Divine vibhuti can be mixed with other vibhuti and distributed to people in need.

5. The photo used in Laksharchana is charged with cosmic power and can be placed in the prayer hall, in the car, etc.

Repeating the mantra 100,000 times is a unique and very powerful practice; the devotee must participate in order to experience the divine vibrations that are felt until the end of the recitation. Many devotees have reported that after this practice, their problems were resolved. Here are some examples.

One woman, while attending this service, decided to give up something and mentally said to Baba: "Swami, please tell me what should I ask for? My husband is sick with cancer and I pray that he may be cured; but I must also pray for his welfare (i.e., that he stays alive and well)." The next day when the woman went to the hospital, the doctor told her: "I have good news! The latest tests have shown that your husband's tumour is benign and not malignant. With proper treatment he will recover completely."

Another devotee prayed to Baba: "Swami, I will give up one thing; but please help my son who is in hospital, unconscious for many days. The doctors are unable to determine the cause." Immediately the next day, the boy regained consciousness, and after appropriate therapy he returned to normal.

Dr. Upadhyay, one of the best ophthalmic specialists in London and a devotee of the beloved Swami, demonstrated to me the power of sanctified rice after a Laksharchana. One day a devotee ran to him and said, "Doctor, I suddenly became blind within two days, I can barely see anything!" After examining the patient, Dr. Upadhyay was surprised to find that the eyes were affected by cancer and that the two eyeballs had to be removed as soon as possible before the cancer reached the brain and caused him to die.

The patient, who was told to return the next day and prepare for the operation, was shocked and, once he arrived home, immediately went to the meditation room to pray. His eyes fell upon the packet of rice he had brought home after the Laksharchana, and he remembered having heard that these grains of rice were charged with cosmic power. So he cooked all the rice and ate it. To his amazement, the next day he could see clearly, and Dr. Upadhyay, after examining him, confirmed that the tumour had disappeared and his eyes looked perfectly normal!

The specialist told me to tell all devotees about this miracle, which occurred thanks to the sanctified rice grains.

One woman had great devotion to Swami, while her husband had no faith. He said, "Our refrigerator is broken. Stick a picture of your God on it, and if it starts working again then I will believe in Baba!" Everyone was amazed to see that the refrigerator started working again; her husband began to have faith and they were both happy. Another incident was about a washing machine that did not work, but started working again after sticking the sanctified picture on it!

Many devotees who had participated in Laksharchana experienced confirmation of the benefits of this great discipline, such as peace of mind, improved physical health and spiritual growth. Many devotees who were unable to meditate due to their 'monkey mind' realised that their concentration had improved. Many went to Prashanti Nilayam to have Baba's darshan and recognised him as God.

Laksharchana became very popular in England and was performed all over the country; up to July 2003, 840 services were performed and this increased the number of devotees and Sai Centres. The devotees in Coventry decided to perform one hundred Laksharchana, called Shat-Laksharchana, i.e. 100 x 100,000 = 10 million recitations of the mantra. This took place in Krishna's temple in Coventry and was completed in three weeks, with the grace of the beloved Swami. This event was mentioned in an article in the Renatana Sarathi: 'The devotees of Coventry have gone out on record! So the United Kingdom is fast becoming a Kingdom Sai.