Chinmayananda, Swami (1916-1993), was an Indian holy man, philanthropist, and philosopher who preached Hindu spiritualism to people throughout the world. A philanthropist is a person who helps others. Chinmayananda was a leading authority of Hindu scripture, particularly the Bhagavad-Gita and the Upanishads.
Chinmayananda was born Balakrishna Menon on May 8, 1916, in Kerala, India. He earned postgraduate degrees in both literature and law. He began a career as a journalist and became involved in India’s independence movement during the 1940’s. He was soon imprisoned by the British authorities. While in prison, he became ill and was transferred to a hospital, where he read some articles written by a Hindu philosopher named Swami Sivananda. After being released from prison, Chinmayananda sought out Sivananda with the intention of exposing him as a fraud. Instead, he became an enthusiastic follower. He began studying the Vedas, the oldest sacred books of Hinduism. In 1951, Chinmayananda embarked upon the first of many series of lectures under the general title Homage to Knowledge. The lectures dealt with Vedanta, the philosophical system arising out of the Vedas in accordance with the doctrines found in the Upanishads. Chinmayananda gave these lectures throughout India and later throughout the world. In 1953, he founded Chinmaya Mission, an organization and charitable trust by which he spread his teachings throughout the world. The mission has centers in India and a number of other countries, including the United States.
In 1962, Chinmayananda founded the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), an organization dedicated to preserving Hindu culture and bringing back to Hinduism those who had converted to other religions. The VHP was also a political organization that encouraged people to exercise their right to vote. Chinmayananda dedicated himself to raising the standards of Hindu culture in the West. He set up adult and youth camps devoted to Hindu religious training and cultural awareness in many countries. He died on Aug. 3, 1993.
See also Bhagavad-Gita; Hinduism (Sacred writings); Upanishads; Vedas.
