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| 1 |
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. (The Holy
Man and the Psychiatrist, by Sam Sandweiss, 132) |
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| 2 |
Any devotional song, in any language can be sung as
long as all can follow. (Sai Bhajana Mala,
29) |
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| 3 |
Sing familiar bhajans,
so that all can share in ananda
(bliss). (Sai Bhajana Mala, 29) |
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| 4 |
When you sing bhajans,
dwell on the meaning of the song and the message of each name and form
of God. (Sai Bhajana Mala, 30) |
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| 5 |
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. (SSS
VIII, 75) |
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| 6 |
Bhajan has to be a
thrilling experience, which must leave the participants full of pure
energy and elevated enthusiasm. (Sai Bhajana
Mala, 29) |
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| 7 |
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. (SSS
VIII, 47-48) |
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| 8 |
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. (SS, 35, April 1992, 70) |
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| 9 |
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. (Sai Bhajana Mala,
30) |
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| 10 |
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. (SSS
VIII, 60) |
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| 11 |
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. (SSS IX, 177)
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| 12 |
Bhajans should be
sung with complete obliviousness to the body. Devotional fervor is
more important than musical skill. (SS, June 1996, 156) |
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| 13 |
Pay attention to the tune, the meaning, the variety,
the voice, the raga (rhythm), the
tala (beat), and other fine points of
the bhajans. (Sai
Bhajana Mala, 30) |
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| 14 |
Let your heart pant for God, then the
raga (rhythm) and
tala (beat) will automatically be
pleasant and correct. (SSS VII, 60)
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| 15 |
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. (SSS VII, 438) |
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| 16 |
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. (SSS VII,
177-178) |
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| 17 |
If your voice is not pleasant or sweet, keep quiet;
that is the best service you can do. (Sai
Bhajana Mala, 31) |
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| 18 |
Do not cause discontent or disharmony, insisting on
singing because you are an office-bearer. (Sai
Bhajana Mala, 31) |
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| 19 |
After bhajans ...
there should be meditation for five to ten minutes. (Sai
Bhajana Mala, 31) |
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| 20 |
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. (Sai Bhajana Mala,
31) |
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| 21 |
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. (SSS
VI, 220) |
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