Center Announcements
General
Center Timing for 13th Sept 2026 (Vinayaka Chathurthi)– 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and Devotional session commences at sharp 9:45 AM with Vedam Chanting.
“When the discourses are on here, I find many running about with their beds and reserving space for spreading them. When you go to a temple, you see the idol within, but, your thoughts are with your footwear that you had to keep outside the outer gate. These are matters that reveal the concentration that you are capable of. Every little point has to be taken care of, lest the benefit of sadhana be lost. You cannot get liberation by merely coming here; you cannot get it even by darshana, sparshana and sambashana (seeing, touching and conversing). You will have to follow the instructions, the ajna (the order) and the directions.” – Baba (Oct 10, 1964)
Requesting all devotees to arrive before 9:45 AM as a practice and be seated. If you have any questions or would like assistance with signups, contact us
Devotional
- Bhajan signups are open for September.
- September 13th – Celebrating Vinayaka Chathurthi (Open Signup)
- September 20th – Bhajans to be led by Young Adults and Center members from TMC area
- September 27th – Bhajans to be led by Educare / Bal Vikas Children
- Arathi dates available for sign-up are September 13th & 20th.
Please be on the look out for updates on Center WhatsApp regarding the weekly Bhajan and Vedam Tutor sessions for Adults as well as the collective Daily Gayathri chanting.
We welcome all devotees to come forward to lead bhajans. Our goal is to be inclusive of all members. Please do however, ensure that you have practiced more than adequately and are ready to offer the bhajan. Let us all please move up and sit towards the front if there is space in front of us so that more devotees can be accommodated in the back on the carpet / mat.
“Manah Eva Manushyanam Karanam Bandha mokshayo (mind is the cause of bondage and liberation of man). Swami said this many times. You put a lock on the door. To open the lock, you insert the key and turn it towards the right side. Then the lock opens. To lock it, you turn the key towards the left side. The same lock, the same key. There is difference only in turning right or left. In the same way, heart is the lock, mind is the key. Turn God-side, you get detachment, turn world-side, you get attachment. Turning the mind towards God, you get liberation. Turning the mind towards the world, you get bondage. So, the mind is responsible both for liberation and bondage.
Swami said the other day, individual practice, family practice, and community practice. The world will progress through these three practices. What do you mean by individual practice? It is the spiritual practice done by the individual himself. What is the practice? Is it Japa, Dhyana, or Yoga (chanting, meditation, or spirituality)? No! None of these. It is the full blossoming of the individuality of a person. Without blossoming of one’s own individuality, all practices are useless. Individuality is needed. How do you develop that? You should never take to narrow path. Then only will you have the full development of your personality. What do you mean by personality in the first instance? Personality signifies manifestation of latent divinity of the individual. The body of a person does not mean his personality. Who is truly a person? One who manifests his latent bliss is a person in the true sense of the term.” – Baba (Apr 18, 1993)
Please contact Devotional Coordinator at (510) 585-6507 or at devotionalcoordinator@sssgc-houston.org for further details or assitance.
Service
Soles 4 Souls Seva : If you have any pairs of shoes that are lightly worn and do not fit you, please donate to the needy. Please clean your shoe andTape your pair of shoes together and bring it to Center.
September Back to School Seva : September 12th, Time: 9.00AM – 1.00PM. Location: Wheatley High School, Houston, TX.
Please contact Service Coordinator at 901-491-7734 or at servicecoordinator@sssgc-houston.org for details or assitance.
Educare
- Educare / Bal Vikas will commence from September 13th.
- Please be punctual and be seated by 11:10 AM for Assembly
- Watch out for several communications this week as several classes will be requesting parents to participate in the opening class.
- Please have children sleep well the night prior and have a good breakfast as a practice ahead of attending Bal Vikas.
- Please find the Parent Orientation deck that was shared on August 30th.
- The Parent orientation and all other Bal Vikas resources are located at https://sssgc-houston.org/education/ssse_resources/
- Bhajan Tutor signups for September are open. If any child would like some help with practicing a bhajan of their choice or building confidence, please consider signing up.
- For Returning children, If you have not registered yet, please do so asap.