Chinmayananda

H.H. Swami Chinmayananda
[[File: Beloved Swamiji |225px|alt=]]
Born	8 May 1916(1916-05-08) Ernakulam, Kerala, Travancore ,_British_India_, British India
Died	3 August 1993(1993-08-03) (aged 77) San Diego, California, U.S.A
Birth name	Balakrishna Menon
Guru	Swami Sivananda Tapovan Maharaj

Swami Chinmayananda (8 May 1916 – 3 August 1993), born Balakrishna Menon (Balan), was a Hindu Indian spiritual leader, and teacher, who inspired the formation of Chinmaya Mission in 1953 to spread the message of Vedanta. The organization that was founded by his disciples and led by him: the Chinmaya Mission has over 300 centers in India and the world over.^[1]

He was a disciple of Swami Sivananda at Rishikesh, who founded the Divine Life Society, and was then advised by Swami Sivananda to study under Swami Tapovan Maharaj in Uttarkashi in the Himalayas.^[2]

Early life and education

Balakrishna Menon (Balan) was born in Ernakulam, Kerala in a devout Hindu noble family called "Poothampalli" of Parukutti Amma and Vadakke Kurupath Kuttan Menon. Upon his birth, his father called for an astrologer, who stated that Balan's birth was an auspicious one, and that he was destined for greatness. He studied Science at Maharaja's College at Ernakulam and Liberal Arts at St. Thomas College in Thrissur. He graduated from Madras University in 1939 and went on to do graduate study in English literature from Lucknow University.^[2]

Participation in Freedom Movement

Balakrishna Menon took part in the Quit India Movement in 1942. He was deeply involved in the movement and used to write and distribute phamplets and write speeches. Within a week, hundreds were dead and thousands were imprisoned in jails. After sometime, news of his imminent arrest reached Balan. For a whole Year of 1943 he stayed in Kashmir. He then left Kashmir for Delhi but, on the way in Abbottabad he saw that the British Police were searching for him. He ran away from the bus and on the way he saw a British Military Intelligence Communication Centre. He pretended to be a young man looking for a job. He was hired immediately as a machine operator for relaying coded messages. After eight months of service, He left the job and again participated in the Freedom Movement, thinking that the British Police had forgotten him after two years. But unfortunately he was caught and put into a cold, dark cell with other Freedom Fighters, with little food and poor hygienic conditions. Disease was rampant, and many political prisoners died each day. The British did not want to admit to or deal with the increasing number of deaths in the prison. Balan, too, fell ill with typhus. The police thought that he was dead too. The next morning they laid him on the road. After a while, a woman came and stopped her car. She thought that Balan was her own son, who was with the British troops in Europe. She took Balan to her home and after several weeks, he recovered. Once recovered, Balan caught a train to Baroda (Vadodra).

Initiation and disciple hood

Swami Chinmayananda on the day of his Sannyas initiation, standing on the right of Guru Swami Sivananda and other disciples, Feb 25, 1949, Maha Shivratri Day, Rishikesh.

Balan entered the field of journalism, and worked for The National Herald, where he felt he could influence political, economic and social reform in India. While working at the Herald, he went to meet Swami Sivananda at Ananda Kutir, Swami Sivananda's ashram in Rishikesh as he planned to write an article critical of Hindu monks, but instead his life was changed forever and he became interested in the Hindu spiritual path.^[3][4] Balakrishna Menon took sanyas deeksha(monkhood) from Swami Sivananda on Mahashivratri day on February 25, 1949,^[5] and was thus given the name Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati - the one who is saturated in Bliss and pure Consciousness. He stayed at Sivanada Ashram, Rishikesh for several years, and subsequently Swami Sivananda saw further potential in Swami Chinmayananda and sent him to study under a guru in the Himalayas - Swami Tapovan Maharaj under whom he studied for the following years.^[2]

Swami Tapovan Maharaj was known for his rigid teaching style, to the point where he told Swami Chinmayananda that he would only say everything once, and at anytime he would ask questions to him. Even with these extreme terms, Swami Chinmayananda stayed with Tapovan maharaj until the very end of 8 years. Being a journalist at heart, Swami Chinmayananda wanted to make this pure knowledge available to all people of all backgrounds, even though Tapovan Maharaj had initially advised against it. Through gentle persuasion and a promise that he would, as the Ganga - River Ganges, take the knowledge to the plains for the benefit of all Indians, with Tapovan Maharaj's blessings, he left the Himalayas in 1952, to teach the world the knowledge of Vedanta.^[2]

Works

"Love is to human heart what sunshine is to the flowers."

- Swami Chinmayananda ^[2]

Swami Chinmayananda started the tradition of Jnana Yagnas, in an effort to spread the message of the Geeta and the Upanishads, thus the first such Geeta Gyana Yagna was held in Pune between December 31, 1951 and April 1952. In his whole Lifetime he had done almost 690 Jnana Yagna.^[2][6]

In 1953, his closest disciples founded the Chinmaya Mission, named so to indicate that the goal of its followers was infinite bliss. During his forty years of travelling and teaching, Swami Chinmayananda opened numerous centres and ashrams worldwide, he also built many schools, hospitals, nursing homes and clinics. He played a major role in the renovation of many temples. His interest in helping the villagers with basic necessities lead to the eventual creation of a rural development project, known as the Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development or CORD. Its National Director, Dr. Kshama Metre was recently awarded the Padma Shree National award in Social Work.

Death

Swami Chinmayananda died on 3 August 1993 in San Diego, California after being suffered from his fourth heart attack and his mortal remains were placed in a Samadhi on 19 August 1993, at the Sidhbari Ashram in the Himalayas.^[2]

Legacy

Today, his legacy remains in the form of the vibrant international organization called the Chinmaya Mission. This mission serves Swami Chinmayananda's vision of reinvigorating India's rich cultural heritage, and making Vedanta accessible to everybody regardless of age, nationality, or religious background. Over 10,000 members of the Chinmaya Mission from over the world gathered in Mumbai in December 2001 to commemorate 50 years of the first Gyana Yagna at Pune.^[7] Two years later in 2003, the Chinmaya Movement celebrated its golden jubilee.^[8]

Bibliography

• Discourses on Taittiriya Upanishad. Chinmaya Publication Trust, 1962.
• Discourses on the Kathopanishad, Chinmaya Book Trust, 1965.
• Bhaja Govindam, tr. Brahmacharini Sharada. Chinmaya Publications Trust, 1967.
• Kindle Life. Chinmaya Publications Trust, 1969
• Love-divine (Narada Bhakti Sutra): the Highest art of making-love to the lord of the heart; (discourses). Chinmaya Publications Trust, 1970
• Discourses on Aitareya Upanishad, Chinmaya Publications Trust, 1972
• Meditation & Life. Chinmaya Publications West, 1992. ISBN 1-880687-00-3.
• Discourses in Prasnopanishad. Chinmaya Publications Trust, 1974.
• The Holy Geeta, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, 1976.
• Discourses on Kaivalyopanishad, Chinmaya Publications Trust, 1978.
• The Art of Man-making: Talks on the Bhagavad Geeta. Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, 1978.
• Discourses on Isavasya Upanishad. Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, 1980.
• Glory of Krishna: Discourses on the Bhagawata Purana. Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, 1983.
• Thousand Ways to the Transcendental: Vishnu Sahasranaama. Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, 1983.
• My Trek Through Uttarakhand. Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, 1985.

Further reading

• Journey of a Master: Swami Chinmayananda, the Man, the Path, the Teaching, by Nancy Patchen. Asian Humanities Press, 1991. ISBN 0-89581-922-8, 9780895819222.
• Ageless Guru: The Inspirational Life of Swami Chinmayananda, by Radhika Krishnakumar. Eeshwar, 1998. ISBN 81-86982-56-6. 9788186982563.
• At Every Breath, A Teaching: Stories About the Life and Teachings of Swami Chinmayananda, by Rudite J Emir. Chinmaya Publications, 1999. ISBN 1-880687-31-3.
• The Role of Swami Chinmayananda in Revitalization of Hinduism and Reinterpretation of Christianity, by Jagdhari Maish. Punthi Pustak, 2000. ISBN 81-86791-20-5, 9788186791202.
• The Penguin Swami Chinmayananda Reader, by Anita Raina Thapan. Viking (India), 2004. ISBN 0-670-05811-4.[1]

See also

• Swami sukhabodhananda, student of Swami Chinmayananda, known as the "Corporate Guru"

Notes

1. ^ today it has over 300 centres across the world.. Times of India, December 25, 2001.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Nanda, R. T. (1997). Contemporary approaches to value education in India. Daya Books. p. 255. ISBN 8186030468. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=6JwCAvDIgoMC&pg=PA255&dq=Swami+Chinmayananda+-inauthor:%22Swami+Chinmayananda%22&cd=6#v=onepage&q=Swami%20Chinmayananda%20-inauthor%3A%22Swami%20Chinmayananda%22&f=false. 
3. ^ Swami Chinmayananda Biography Chinmaya Mission.
4. ^ Letters
5. ^ Gurudev - Early Days (Initiation Day photograph Chinmaya Mission.
6. ^ "Understanding the Geeta". December 21, 1998. http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19981221/35551624.html. 
7. ^ "Chinmayananda spread the message of `Gita'". The Times of India. 25 December 2001. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Chinmayananda-spread-the-message-of-Gita/articleshow/2059111871.cms. 
8. ^ "Making philosophy a way of life". The Hindu. May 07, 2003. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/05/07/stories/2003050700170400.htm. 

Related links

• Central Chinmaya Mission Website