Chinmaya Mission® was established in India in 1953 by devotees of the world-renowned Vedanta teacher, Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda. Under his guidance, these devotees formed the nucleus of a spiritual renaissance movement that now encompasses a wide range of spiritual, educational, and charitable activities, ennobling the lives of thousands in India and outside its borders. Administered by Central Chinmaya Mission® Trust in Mumbai, India, the Mission is now headed by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda.
Following the Vedic teacher-taught tradition (guru-shishya parampara), Chinmaya Mission® makes available the ageless wisdom of Vedanta, the knowledge of the one Reality, and provides the tools to realize that wisdom in one’s life. “To give maximum happiness to the maximum number of beings for the maximum amount of time” is the tenet that drives Mission workers to uplift humanity beyond selfish and sectarian attitudes and activities. Each person’s gain is manifold: personal growth, heightened efficiency, contentment, and the ability to live with others in peace and harmony. For more information, see Chinmaya Mission: Transforming Lives.
There are over 250 CM centers in India, and over 50 outside of India. The Mission’s various activities and projects include:
- Jnana Yajnas (Vedanta lecture series, seminars, workshops)
- Bala Vihar (Vedanta forums for children and youth)
- Yuva Kendra (CHYK: Vedanta forums for university students and young professionals)
- Study Groups (Vedanta forums for adults)
- Devi Group (Vedanta study and discussion forums for ladies)
- Spiritual Retreats and Camps
- Intensive Vedanta Courses (training for CM acharyas—a monastic order of swamis and brahmacharis)
- Publications
- Regional Centers
- Temples and Shrines
- Schools and Colleges
- Medical Services and Training
- Rural Village Development Projects
- Pitamaha Sadans (Senior Citizen Homes)
- Management Courses and Services
- Research in Sanskrit and Indology
