Chinmaya Mission

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Chinmaya Mission
Chinmaya Mission
Chinmaya Mission Logo
Motto To give maximum happiness to the maximum number for the maximum time[1]
Formation 1953
Type Non-Profit Organisation
Legal status Trust
Purpose Spirituality, Vedanta
Headquarters Mumbai
Location
Headed By
Swami Tejomayananda[2]
Main organ
Central Chinmaya Mission Trust
Website http://www.chinmayamission.com/
Remarks Founded by Swami Chinmayananda

The Chinmaya Mission is a Hindu spiritual organisation engaged in the dissemination of Vedanta, the science of the self as expounded in the Vedas, particularly the Upanishads, and other important Hindu scriptures including the Bhagavad Gita. The Chinmaya Mission was established in India in 1953 by devotees of the renowned Vedanta teacher Swami Chinmayananda. Under his guidance the devotees formed the nucleus of a spiritual renaissance movement that now encompasses a wide range of spiritual, educational and charitable activities touching the lives of thousands in India and outside its borders. Administered by the Central Chinmaya Mission Trust in Mumbai, India, the mission is now headed by Swami Tejomayananda. There are over 300 mission centres all over India and abroad. North America had more than 30 centres.[3]

Founder

File:RedChinmayaOm.png
The Chinmaya 'Om'.

Swami Chinmayananda, the 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 a teacher of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. He is credited with the renaissance of spirituality and cultural values in India, and with the spreading of Advaita Vedanta, as expounded by Adi Shankaracharya, throughout the world.


Activities

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

  • Shishu Vihar for children aged 2 to 4
  • Balvihar for children aged 5 to 12
  • CHYK – Chinmaya Yuva Kendra
    • Junior CHYK for teenagers aged 13–15
    • CHYK for the age group of 16 to 24
    • Senior CHYK for young adults aged 25 to 30
  • 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
Pallavur Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Palakkad, Kerala

Educational field

  • 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

Rural development

A meeting of CORD, at Siruvani, Coimbatore

Chinmaya Mission undertakes activities of Rural Development via its wing Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development (CORD)

Studies in Indology

Cultural field

Imparting knowledge of Indian scriptures in English and regional languages (Free two years residential course, for college graduate students) – 6

Area of influence

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

Ashrams

  1. Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai
  2. Chinmaya Tapovan Trust, Sidhbari
  3. Chinmaya Sandeepany, Karnataka
  4. Chinmaya Sandeepany, Kolhapur, Maharashtra
  5. Chinmaya Gardens, Coimbatore
  6. Tapovan Kuti, Uttarkashi
  7. Chinmaya Vibhooti, Kolwan, Pune
  8. Chinmaya Krishnalaya, Piercy, CA, USA
  9. SharadaSannidhi, Mangalore, Karnataka
  10. Sydney, NSW, Australia
  11. Chinmayaranyam, Andhra Pradesh

See also

References

  1. http://www.chinmayauk.org/Seva/Marathon07.htm
  2. http://www.chinmayamission.com/chinmayamission.php
  3. today it has over 300 centres across the world.. Times of India, December 25, 2001.

External links