Chinmaya Mission

File:RedChinmayaOm.png

The Chinmaya 'Om'.

Chinmaya Mission was founded in 1953 by Swami Chinmayananda. It is administered from Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, Mumbai. There are over 300 mission centres all over India and Abroad

Founder

His Holiness Swami Chinmayananda, founder of Chinmaya Mission, 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.

Not satisfied by worldly aspirations or his degrees in literature and law, Balakrishna Menon pursued spiritual studies for nine years in the Himalayas, under the guidance of Swami Sivananda (Divine Life Society) and the tutelage of Swami Tapovanam (Tapovan Maharaj). He eventually came to share this Vedantic knowledge with the masses, in the form of the dynamic teacher known as Swami Chinmayananda.

Swamiji is renowned worldwide as a spiritual master and one of the foremost teachers of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. He is credited with the renaissance of spirituality and cultural values in India, and with the spreading of the ageless wisdom of Advaita Vedanta, as expounded by Adi Shankaracharya, throughout the world.

Mission Statement

To provide to individuals, from any background, the wisdom of Vedanta and practical means for spiritual growth and happiness, enabling them to become a positive contributor to the society.

Mission Motto

To give the maximum amount of happiness to maximum number of people for the maximum amount of time.

Chinmaya Mission Pledge

We stand as one family Bound to each other with love and respect.

We serve as an army Courageous and disciplined Ever ready to fight against all low tendencies And false values, within and without us.

We live honestly The noble life of sacrifice and service Producing more than what we consume And giving more than what we take.

We seek the Lord's grace To keep us on the path of virtue, courage and wisdom. May Thy grace and blessings flow through us To the world around us.

We believe that the service of our country Is the service of the Lord of lords And devotion to the people Is the devotion to the Supreme Self.

We know our responsibilities Give us the ability and courage to fulfill them.

Om Tat Sat

Present chief of the movement

• Swami Tejomayananda

Activities

Bala Vihar kids, inside their classroom, at a village near Coimbatore

The following activities are conducted at mission centers on a weekly basis:

• Balvihar for children 5 to 12
• Junior CHYKS for teenagers 13-17
• Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK) for the age group of 18 to 30
• Study Groups for Adults
• Chinmaya Vanprastha Sansthan for Senior Citizens (India and UK)

Religion & Spirituality

Chinmaya Mission has 24 temples in India and 7 or more abroad.

Social Field

A meeting of Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development (CORD), at Siruvani, Coimbatore

• In the medical field, Chinmaya Mission has many health care 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
  • Rural Development Project - 1
  • Children Welfare Centre - 1
  • Goshalas - 4

Pallavur Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Palakkad, Kerala

• In the Educational Field, Chinmaya Mission has:
  • Schools (Regular) - 70
  • Chinmaya International Residential School - 1
  • Harihar 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

Cultural Field

• Sandeepany Sadhanalaya

Imparting knowledge of Indian Scriptures in English & Regional languages (Free two years residential course, for college graduate students) - 6

• Seminars on Public Speaking for Youth
• Leadership & Personality Development for Youth & Adults
• Kala Mandir - 2
• Centre for World Understanding - 1
• Research on Indian Scriptures

Area of Influence

Chinmaya Mission has influence in India especially in Southern, Northern & Western India and among Indian as well as many foreign communities in the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and other countries.

Efforts are being made to spread the wings of the Mission to the East of India in the seven sisters especially.

Major publications

• Magazines
  • Bal Vihar - monthly
  • Tapovan Prasad - monthly
  • Chinmaya Udgosh - monthly

Minor publications

• Magazines

• • Tapovan Prasad
  • Chinmaya Udghosh

• • Balvihar - Children's International Monthly

• • BalaZine - monthly (in Dallas)
  • Chinmayam - (UK)

Important branches

• Chinmaya Mission Australia
• Chinmaya Mission - Mauritius
• Chinmaya Mission Houston
• Chinmaya Mission New Zealand
• Chinmaya Mission Dallas
• Chinmaya Mission Orlando
• Chinmaya Mission Toronto
• Chinmaya Mission UK

See also

• Survey of Hindu organisations

External links

• Chinmaya Mission
• Chinmaya Mission West
• Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK)
• Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK West)
• Chinmaya International Residential School
• Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF)