The Chinmaya Mission is a
Hindu religious and spiritual organization engaged in the dissemination of
Vedanta, the science of the self as expounded in the
Vedas, particularly the
Upanishads, and other Hindu scriptures such as the
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (ch ...
. It was formed in 1951. The devotees of the renowned Vedanta teacher Swami
Chinmayananda Saraswati
Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati (born Balakrishna Menon; 8 May 1916 – 3 August 1993) was a Hindu spiritual leader and a teacher. In 1951, he founded Chinmaya Mission, a worldwide nonprofit organisation, in order to spread the knowledge of Advaita ...
from present-day
Kerala,
India established the Chinmaya Mission in India in 1953.
Administered by the Central Chinmaya Mission Trust in Mumbai, India, the mission was later headed by Swami
Tejomayananda and is now headed by Swami Swaroopananda. There are over 313 mission centres all over India and abroad. North America had more than 30 centres. It is currently administered by Central Chinmaya Mission Trust (CCMT) in Mumbai, India, headed by Swami Swaroopananda.
The motto of the Chinmaya Mission is "to give maximum happiness to maximum people for maximum time". It does not seek to convert other religious practitioners.
History
Foundation
Swami
Chinmayananda Saraswati
Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati (born Balakrishna Menon; 8 May 1916 – 3 August 1993) was a Hindu spiritual leader and a teacher. In 1951, he founded Chinmaya Mission, a worldwide nonprofit organisation, in order to spread the knowledge of Advaita ...
, the founder of Chinmaya Mission, was born in the city of
Ernakulam in present-day
Kerala, India. He taught spirituality as the art of living. Through
jnana yoga (the Vedantic path of spiritual knowledge), he emphasized the balance of head and heart, pointing out selfless work, study, and meditation as the cornerstones of spiritual practice.
Doubting the teachings of the sages in the Himalayas, Balakrishna Menon met
Swami Sivananda (
Divine Life Society
The Divine Life Society (DLS) is a Hindu spiritual organisation and an ashram, founded by Swami Sivananda Saraswati in 1936, at Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, India. Today it has branches around the world, the headquarters being situated in Rishikesh. ...
), who initially guided him in spiritual studies and then placed him under the tutelage of Swami Tapovanam (
Tapovan Maharaj
Tapovan Maharaj (1889–1957) was a Hindu sage and Vedanta scholar.
Life
Swami Tapovan Maharaj is one of the most renowned saints of the 20th century. He was a contemporary of Swami Sivananda Maharaj who was the Guru of Swami Chinmayananda ...
), with whom he pursued spiritual studies for nine years. He eventually came to share this Vedantic knowledge with the masses, in the form of the dynamic teacher known as Swami Chinmayananda.
Swamiji is a teacher of Srimad Bhagavad Gita. He is often credited with the renaissance of spirituality and cultural values in India, and with the spreading of
Advaita Vedanta
''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the orthodox Hindu school Vedānta. The term ''Advaita'' (li ...
, as expounded by
Adi Shankaracharya
Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...
, throughout the world.
After Chinmayananda
After Chinmayananda attained
mahasamadhi
''Samadhi'' (Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yo ...
in 1993, his disciple
Swami Tejomayananda (known as ''Guruji'') became the global head of Chinmaya Mission. Under Guruji, projects such as the
Chinmaya International Foundation
Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati (born Balakrishna Menon; 8 May 1916 – 3 August 1993) was a Hindu spiritual leader and a teacher. In 1951, he founded Chinmaya Mission, a worldwide nonprofit organisation, in order to spread the knowledge of Advaita ...
and the
Chinmaya International Residential School
Chinmaya International Residential School (abbreviated CIRS) is a private school located near Coimbatore in Siruvani, India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest coun ...
were taken up.
In January 2017, Swami Tejomayananda assigned the headship of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide to Sri
Swami Swaroopananda
Swami ( ; sometimes abbreviated sw.) in Hinduism is an honorific title given to a male or female ascetic who has chosen the path of renunciation (''sanyāsa''), or has been initiated into a religious monastic order of Vaishnavas. It is used eit ...
.
Activities
The following activities are conducted at mission centers on a weekly basis:
Bala Vihar
Bala Vihar is a program in which children from age five to eighteen meet on a weekly basis to learn about Hindu culture, customs, and philosophy. Bala Vihar is a program that is conducted throughout the world, not just in India, from countries such as the United States, UK, and Australia. Some centers also have a version called Sishu Vihar, which is meant for children aged 2 to 4.
Chinmaya Yuva Kendra
Chinmaya Yuva Kendra, known as CHYK, is the global youth arm of the Chinmaya Mission. It is meant for youth aged 18–30 and its motto is "Harnessing Youth Potential through Dynamic Spirituality". CHYK conducts many camps and sessions throughout the world. CHYK West is a similar organization that operates in the West (United States, UK, etc.).
Other activities
* Study groups for adults
* Chinmaya Vanprastha Sansthan for senior citizens (India and UK)
Medical facilities
* Hospital – 1
* Nurses Training Centre – 1
* Diagnostic Centre – 14
* Eye camp in the rural areas – 1
* Adoption of villages for providing social and medical relief – 120
* Senior Citizen Homes – 8
* Income generating schemes for downtrodden women – 1
* Children Welfare Centre – 1
* Goshalas – 4
Educational field
*
Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth
Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth is a deemed to be University, in the 'de novo' category approved by University Grants Commission. Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth started in 2016 with a purview of promoting Indian Knowledge System, Sanskrit and Indic Trad ...
, a liberal University focused on promoting Indian Knowledge Systems, Indian traditions, Indic parampara an
interdisciplinary research.They have established three campuses in Pepathy, Pune, and Warriam Road. Widely known for its interdisciplinary research, cultural studies, immersive programs, CVV stands to merge the academic rigour with the traditional Indian parampara.
* Chinmaya College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Tripunithura
* Schools (Regular) – 70
*
Chinmaya International Residential School
Chinmaya International Residential School (abbreviated CIRS) is a private school located near Coimbatore in Siruvani, India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest coun ...
– 1
*
Harihar
Harihara ( also called ''Harihar'') is a city in Davanagere District in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Harihara Taluk. Harihara is famous for Harihareshwara temple, also known as "Dakshina Kashi", a ...
Schools (Free education & vocational training for downtrodden children for self-sufficiency) – 3
* Colleges – 4
* Degree College – 1
* Chinmaya Institute of Higher Learning – 1
* Chinmaya Heritage Centre – 1
* Value based Vision Programme for schools (Regularly conducted in various parts of India)
* Institute of Management – 1
*Chinmaya Academy for Civil Services - https://www.chinmayaias.com
Rural development
Chinmaya Mission undertakes activities of Rural Development via its wing
Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development (CORD)
Environment related
Chinmaya Mission, Sikkim Centre has established CHINMAYA SMRITI VANAM at Bulbuley, Gangtok, Sikkim, India in 1995 and have planted till now more than 10,000 ( ten thousand ) trees sapling most of which have grown now into full trees.
Studies in Indology
*
Chinmaya International Foundation
Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati (born Balakrishna Menon; 8 May 1916 – 3 August 1993) was a Hindu spiritual leader and a teacher. In 1951, he founded Chinmaya Mission, a worldwide nonprofit organisation, in order to spread the knowledge of Advaita ...
(CIF),
Veliyanad
Veliyanad is a small village in the Ernakulam District of the state of Kerala in southern India. It belongs to the Edakkattuvayal panjayat and Kanayannoor Taluk. The village is around 30 km from the city of Kochi. nearby city is Piravom The ...
,
Ernakulam,
Kerala
Cultural field
Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, MumbaiImparting knowledge of Indian scriptures in English and regional languages (Free two years residential course, for college graduate students) – 6
* Seminars on public speaking for Youth
* Leadership and personality development for youth and adults
Chinmaya Naada Bindu: Gurukul of Indian Performing Arts* Centre for World Understanding – 1
Areas served
The Chinmaya Mission has influence in whole of
India as well as in many foreign communities in
Australia,
England,
New Zealand,
Nigeria,
South Africa, the
United States and other countries.
Ashrams
Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, MumbaiChinmaya Tapovan Trust, SidhbariChinmaya Sandeepany, KarnatakaChinmaya Sandeepany, Kolhapur, MaharashtraChinmaya Gardens, CoimbatoreTapovan Kuti, UttarkashiChinmaya Vibhooti, Kolwan, PuneChinmaya Krishnalaya, Piercy, CA, USASharadaSannidhi, Mangalore, KarnatakaSydney, NSW, Australia
Chinmaya Mission, Sikkim Centre Ashram at
Saramsa, Near Jalipool, near Gangtok, Sikkim, India
Chinmaya Mission at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
Paramdham Ashram at
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (p ...
,
GujaratChinmaya Mission Avantika. Ann Arbor, MI. USAChinmaya Vrindavan. Cranbury, NJ, USA.
CHINMAYA “OMKARA”- NW.INDIANA-USA www.chinmaya-nwindiana.org
8705 Merrillville Road.
Merrillville Indiana-46410 USA
BADRI- YAMUNOTRI- GANGOTRI-
Chinmaya Mission Chicago
www.mychinmaya.org
Chinmaya Hamsa Vahini -Peoria-USA
Chinmaya Prabha -Houston- USA
Chinmaya Kashi - Los Angeles-USA
See also
*
List of Hindu organisations
*
Swami Sivananda
*
Swami Dayananda
References
External links
*
{{Hindu reform movements
Religious organizations established in 1953
Hindu organizations
Religious organisations based in India
Hindu new religious movements