Welcome to the
Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center of Lakewood, California.
Our Center was originally formed in 1977 when Sai Baba asked a devotee to start a Center in Buena Park. Because of the anticipated need for a bigger place, in 1984 the Center moved to Stanton, California; later the Center moved to Cerritos, and finally to its present location in 2002. With Baba’s Grace the Center continues to flourish with the participation of over 60 devotees in a number of Center’s activities. In addition, the Center is frequently attended by new visitors, who are also encouraged to participate in the Center’s activities.
The Lakewood Center’s primary objective is to provide a spiritual forum where devotees can harmonize their feelings with devotion and love towards God, learn Swami’s teachings in spiritual values, and express their compassion and love towards others. To this end, the Center regularly hosts a wide range of activities including devotional singing, study circle, Sai spiritual education, and community service.
Devotional Singing (Bhajans). The Center hosts Bhajans every Thursday of the week from 8:00 PM till 9:00 PM. On any given Thursday, approximately 30 devotees participate and sing Bhajans in unison. Heavy emphasis is placed on strictly following general guidelines and maintaining discipline during Bhajans. On the first Thursday of every month the Center also holds a Bhajan practice session from 7:30 PM till 8:00 PM for aspiring singers who would like to lead Bhajans during regular Bhajan sessions. On the second and fourth Thursday of every month, the Bhajan session ends with the chanting of 21 Gayatris.
Study Circle. The Center provides a venue for the spiritual growth of devotees through Study Circle held regularly every Thursday of the month from 7:30 PM till 8:00 PM, with the exception of the first Thursday of the month. During these sessions the participants hold discussion on spiritual topics, currently selected from “Sadhana- the Inward Path.” All participants are encouraged to express their views on the material being studied and listen to others viewpoints with open minds. Emphasis of this Sadhana is to inspire the devotees to practice Swami’s teachings in their daily lives.
Sai Spiritual Education. The Center regularly holds Spiritual Education classes for the children from 10:00 AM till 11:30 AM every Sunday, except during the summer break. The goal of this activity is to instill spiritual discipline and human values in the young minds. Recently the students also participated in the Regional activities on Easwaramma Day.
Community Service. The Center recognizes that community service is an indispensable part of the spiritual lives of Baba’s devotees. To this end, the Center holds regular service activities where spirituality principles learned through Study Circle are practiced by the devotees through expression of their compassion and love to others in the community at large. The service activities in recent years included distribution of food and goods to the residents of halfway house and mental health centers in Long Beach and Los Angeles areas. Recently the Center has also got involved in a breakfast service to the needy through a Mission House in Santa Ana.
Other Spiritual Activities. The Center occasionally invites devotees from outside to share their spiritual experiences with the Center members. The Center also holds Yoga classes for the interested adults on Sunday mornings after the SSE concludes its session.