It’s time that philosophy and religion walked out of our libraries and temples to serve the age

Swami Chinmayananda

About Chinmaya Mission

Chinmaya Mission® was established in India in 1953 by devotees of world-renowned Vedanta teacher, Swami Chinmayananda.

Amongst the new generation of ‘modern mystics’, Swami Chinmayananda’s unique offering was to bring Vedanta, the highest philosophical spiritual teachings from the Vedas, into application in everyday life. His penetrating insight into the teachings and his talent for unwrapping and communicating their secrets captured the attention and the hearts of the vast untapped potential of intellectually inclined professionals in India.
Thus started a movement to divinise and uplift every aspect of life, individual and societal. The vision is broad and has impact in education, artistic and cultural life, management and leadership, charitable works, and youth outreach. This vision is unfolded by spreading the wisdom of the Bhagavad Geeta and the Upanishads with the single goal of promoting individual and societal peace and happiness. Currently headed by Swami Swaroopananda, the Mission has more than 300 centres across 25 countries. The headquarters are in Mumbai, India.

About Vedanta

Vedanta is the essence of Hindu spiritual philosophy enshrined in the end sections of each of the four Vedas. Its foremost exponent for the modern age is the 8th century saint and missionary, Adi Shankaracharya.
Vedanta is the universal science of life - transcendental knowledge about the nature of reality, existence and the source of true happiness - relevant to all people of all backgrounds and faiths.

The ancient Rishis of India formalised the quintessence of this knowledge in great treatises - Brahmasutras, the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita. Swami Chinmayananda expounded on these timeless texts throughout his teaching mission. This remains the primary work of Chinmaya Mission.

Swami Chinmayananda

Founder of Chinmaya Mission

Swami Chinmayananda, is regarded as one of the foremost modern teachers of Advaita Vedanta. He was a visionary champion of the 20th century revival of Hindu spiritual philosophy, recognising it as the foundation from which India could rise to reclaim its place as a spiritual, intellectual, cultural beacon to the world .
At age 32, he transformed from sceptical journalist to Himalayan ascetic, mastering the highest spiritual teachings of Hindu philosophy. In 1951, he returned from the mountains to commence an uninterrupted flow of teaching and selfless service until his Mahasamadhi in 1993.
His legacy is a worldwide revival of the priceless teachings of Vedanta, through a contemporary and highly accessible lens, of Bhagavad Geeta and the Upanishads. This is accomplished by a growing army of teachers, householders and devotees dedicated to the goal of universal happiness.

Swami Swaroopananda

Global Head of Chinmaya Mission

Swami Swaroopananda is the current head of Chinmaya Mission’s 350 centres worldwide. A dynamic leader, Swamiji travels to centres and teaches throughout India Australia and the far east, Africa, the USA and the UK .

He gives public talks, leads children's, youth and family camps, facilitates leadership and management seminars, and represents Chinmaya Mission at peak spiritual events.
Swamiji also has a vibrant online presence.
Swamiji is Chairman of the Chinmaya International Residential School in Coimbatore and Chancellor of Chinmaya Mission’s innovative tertiary institution, Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth, in Kerala.

Swami Tapovan Maharaj

Himalayan Master

Swami Tapovan Maharaj, guru of Swami Chinmayananda was revered as one of the few realised Masters living in the Himalayas in the early 1950s, Swami Tapovanam was a sage and ascetic of unsurpassed brilliance, wisdom and tranquillity residing in a humble hut in Uttarkashi. Revered for his erudition, and scriptural mastery, he taught the Upanishads only to those students who were true mumukshus – desirers of liberation.

Also a great devotee, Swami Tapovan, has composed highly poetic hymns dedicated to the glory of God.

Swami Tejomayananda

Guruji

Swami Tejomayananda, is the former global head of Chinmaya Mission now residing in Sandeepany Sadhanalaya Ashram in Mumbai. Swamiji is a consummate Vedanta teacher, and an authority on the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Brahmasutras. An expert communicator, Swami Tejomayananda has authored numerous commentaries on core texts and has composed original Vedantic texts and Hindi and Sanskrit songs. He was the creative force behind the Upanishad Ganga television series.

Guruji’s exquisite discourses on Ramayana and Shrimad Bhagavatam combine pure Vedantic thought with heart-melting devotion

Spreading Vedanta

Knowledge for uplifting humanity

The core work of Chinmaya Mission is the spread of Vedanta, the essence of Hindu spiritual philosophy. This is accomplished through provision of highly trained teachers who in turn foster a broad range of spiritual and humanitarian development activities throughout the community.

Our Spread

350+

Chinmaya Locations

1200+

Rural Development

100+

Educational Institutions

6

Healthcare

270+

Monks

1000+

Spiritual Study Forums

1000+

Publications

Our Motto

To give maximum happiness to the maximum number for the maximum time.

Our Mission

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

Our Vision

The inner transformation of individuals through knowledge of, Vedanta, spiritual practices and service to society, resulting in a, happy world around them.

Chinmaya Mission's Logo

Chinmaya Mission's Logo comprises the lamp of knowledge with the hamsa bird of wisdom at its crown, both denoting the Mission's spiritual and social services to the world. The purpose of the Mission's Vedantic teachings is to help seekers learn ethical values and cultivate a discriminating power - learn the art of distinguishing the changeless, infinite Substratum from the changing, finite world.

The oil lamp symbolizes the ethical life needed to light the flame of Knowledge within. The Lord is the "Knowledge Principle" (Chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshipped as the Lord himself. Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness..

A single lamp can light hundreds of others, just as a single realised master can enlighten thousands. Despite sharing its light to other lamps, the original lamp loses none of its brilliance. In the same way, sharing knowledge will not result in the loss of that knowledge; on the contrary, upon giving knowledge, we begin to understand it clearer and it benefits all.

In the light of knowledge and wisdom, the faculty of discrimination stands out in clarity, represented by the Hamsa bird. Just as this bird has the proverbial ability to separate the substance of milk from water, a spiritual seeker is able to discriminate the true from the false, the good from the bad, the profound from the superficial and the permanent Reality from the impermanent world.

Chinmaya Mission Pledge

In the ninth chapter of the Bhagawad Geeta, Shri Krishna says, “One who makes an inner resolve and takes a firm decision to follow the path of righteousness should be considered a sadhu”.

A pledge is a sankalpa or a vow. It is a decision that helps to bring about an inner transformation. You become a seeker the moment you take a sankalpa or decision. It is this sankalpa shakti which acts as the catalyst that changes an ordinary man into a historic personality.

The Chinmaya Mission Pledge is a direct message to us from Swami Chinmayananda. In an inspired mood, Swamiji spontaneously dictated this pledge at a conference of Chinmaya Mission workers in the summer of 1962 at Ernakulam. He said that this pledge would act as a guide to all Mission members and to people in general. This pledge conveys the very essence of the scriptures and in simple words tells us the goal of life and how to live it. This great Mahatma’s life’s message has been summed up in a few simple sentences or aphorisms in the 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 devotion to the supreme Self. We know our responsibilities. Give us the ability and courage to fulfill them. Om Tat Sat.

Central Chinmaya Mission Trust

Saki Vihar Road, Powai, Mumbai - 400 072.

Tel : +91-22-2803 4900

E-mail : ccmt@chinmayamission.com