Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati, born on 8 May 1916 and diedon 3 August 1993, was a Hindu spiritual leader and a teacher
Chinmayananda Saraswati, one of the most famous proponents of the ancient Hindu religious scriptures, Swami Chinmayananda is a well renowned spiritual teacher, who spread the Holy word all around the world. He is considered to have done more than anybody else before him to popularise the Hindu faith because of his easy-to-understand, logical, and relevant style of teaching. He is primarily recognised for serving as an inspiration for the founding of the Chinmaya Mission, an international non-profit organisation. Additionally, he was the first to ever translate the Bhagwad Gita into English.
Young Years: Balakrishnan Menon was Swami Chinmayananda's birth name; he was born in Ernakulam, Kerala, on May 8, 1961. He had a famous judge for a father. Balakrishnan attended postgraduate courses in literature, law, and journalism at Lucknow University after completing his education and receiving his diploma. Balakrishnan did not have a strong religious bent when he was little. He is said to have encountered Shri Ramana Maharshi at the time, a well-known sage in whose presence he experienced a spiritual uplift. He mistook it at the time for "hypnotism."
Balakrishnan was prepared to join the National Movement as the nation heated up in the fight for freedom against the British authority. When he and other college students distributed flyers promoting the unjust British policies, he was still a student. He spent almost two years in hiding after the British police issued an arrest warrant. He was ultimately apprehended and imprisoned. He caught Typhus in the prison as a result of the unhygienic conditions, and was then freed and dumped outside the city. It is thought that a Christian woman saved him by checking him into a hospital.
In 1945, Balakrishnan started his career at the National Herald as a sub-editor working for renowned editor K. Rama Rao. He wrote writings that emphasised the oppressed and impoverished India that existed prior to freedom. On difficult subjects including politics, society, history, and culture, Balakrishnan also wrote. Honour to Released INA Men and The Mochi - Symbol of Craftsmanship are a couple of the essays he wrote. Under the alias Mr. Tramp, Balakrishnan launched the Commonweal series in 1947.
Swami Chinmayananda to Balakrishnan: Balakrishnan had always been someone who would critically evaluate everything. He read literature on spiritualism and philosophy as a result of his inquisitive mind. Balakrishnan's decision to seek guidance from the Himalayan sages marked the beginning of his transition into Swami Chinmayananda. However, this was not what he informed those present. People were led to believe that Balakrishnan was travelling to Rishikesh to conduct research for a piece that would expose con artists who pretended to be sages in order to benefit normal people.
Balakrishnan met Swami Sivananda in Rishikesh at his ashram. He was so greatly moved by the Swami and his ashram that it ended up altering the path of his life. Balakrishnan gained asceticism under Swami Sivananda. Swami Sivananda adopted the name Swami Chinmayananda, which translates to "who revels in the bliss of pure consciousness." He studied and worked in the ashram as a novice swami. However, Swami Sivananda was aware that Chinmayananda had higher potential. He asked him to train with Swami Tapovan, a Vedantic master, in Uttarkashi.
Swami Tapovan was Chinmayananda's teacher for eight years while he was a student. Chinmayananda was a good student, but Swami Tapovan was a harsh disciplinarian. He served his teacher, meditated, thought about himself, and studied throughout the day.
Visits and Lectures: After eight years of study, Swami Chinmayananda had a desire to impart his wisdom to the average person. Swami Tapovan at first disagreed with him. He believed that the general population was not yet prepared to comprehend divine truth. However, he agreed to let Chinmayananda live a beggar's existence if he went on an India trip. Chinmayananda returned from his tour feeling more certain of his life's purpose. Swami Tapovan agreed to his request this time.
Pune hosted the first gnana yajna of Swami Chinmayananda. The discussion kicked off with four participants as per Swami Tapovan's instructions.
Because they still adhered to the established caste system, the common people found it difficult to accept Swami Chinmayananda's teachings. In contrast to Chinmayananda, who advocated for everyone to read the Hindu texts regardless of caste, creed, or religion, the Brahmins were seen to be the only ones permitted to do so. This was considered blasphemy by Hindu clerics. Indeed, they said that "God himself would tear out Swamiji's tongue for such sacrilege."
Swami Chinmayananda did not give up and continued to encourage everyone who listened to him to read the Hindu scriptures. His lectures were distinctive and fascinating because he provided logical and rational justifications for the biblical passages. Along with the talks, he began to write commentary on significant Vedic literature. Vedanta "makes you a better Hindu, Christian, [and] Muslim, as it makes you a better human being," he once said. His charismatic character, endearing demeanour, and hilarious talks made him popular both in India and beyond.
Mission Chinmaya: Along with preaching, Swami Chinmayananda led spiritual retreats and changed "millions of lives directly and indirectly." A number of people were so moved by the Swami's inspiration that they made the decision to form a nonprofit organisation to aid the underprivileged and disseminate the holy wisdom throughout the entire world. This organisation eventually earned the moniker "Chinmaya Mission." There are locations of the Mission all throughout the world, notably in Africa and North America.
Publications: Swami Chinmayananda knew that simply talking about the Hindu texts will not be sufficient to reach everyone in order to convey their divine message far and wide. For a wider audience, he chose to translate the scriptures into English. His translations of the Bhagwad Gita and the Upanishads are still widely read today. In his lifetime, he has produced more than 35 books. The Bhagwad Gita is still his most popular and well-regarded book.
Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati was a saint, a teacher, and a leader who achieved his life's ambition of changing the hearts and minds of many people all over the world. Through its social activities, the organisation bearing his name, Chinmaya Mission, continues to serve the public and upholds his legacy.
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