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 Chinmaya Mission was established in India in 1953 by devotees of the renowned Vedanta teacher Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati. 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 in Mumbai, India, headed by Swami Swaroopananda. The motto of 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, the founder of Chinmaya Mission, taught spirituality as the art of living. Through jnana yoga, 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, who initially guided him in spiritual studies and then placed him under the tutelage of Swami Tapovanam, 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, as expounded by Adi Shankaracharya, throughout the world.
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
CHYK – Chinmaya Yuva Kendra, known as CHYK, is the global youth arm of 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.
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 trees sapling most of which have grown now into full trees.
