|
HARI OM About Chinmaya Mission®
CM Mission
Statement CM Motto Chinmaya Mission® was established in India in 1953 by devotees of the world-renowned Vedanta teacher, His Holiness Swami Chinmayananda, a disciple of the revered Himalayan master, His Holiness Swami Tapovanam. 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 His Holiness 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 for the maximum 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 300 Chinmaya Mission centers in India, and over 100 outside of India. The Mission’s various activities and projects include: •
Jnana Yajnas (Vedanta lecture series, seminars, workshops)
Chinmaya Mission®
Tampa (CM Tampa) is a center with old beginnings. Inspired by the teachings of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda, Radha Majumdar and
Padma Pillai began the first Chinmaya Study Group in 1986 with 12 members. A few years later, they organized a jnana yajna by Swami Shantananda (CM Princeton). The cooperative effort was well attended and the Mission made its first mark in the Tampa Bay area. CM Tampa be officially incorporated as a CM center in 1993. With Pujya Gurudev’s blessings, board members were appointed and, as advised by Swami Shantananda, Radha organized Chinmaya Bala Vihar, which was led by Anu Durai. CM Tampa's Bala Vihar began with almost 45 students. During Hasmukh Gandhi's tenure as president of CM Tampa, Swami Swaroopananda’s jnana yajna on Hanuman Chalisa was highly acclaimed and well-received, becoming a milestone in CM Tampa’s history. During Narendra Sastry's term as president, in 1999, Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda graced CM Tampa with a five-day jnana yajna on select verses of Tulasi Ramayana, and took CM Tampa to greater heights. CM Tampa's Chinmaya Study Groups and Chinmaya Bala Vihar classes have been flourishing since 1999. CM Tampa has been regularly inviting various CM acharyas to conduct jnana yajnas. It has also offered innovative and creative events over the years, including the acclaimed States of India and Visionaries of India performances by Chinmaya Bala Vihar students.
About Chinmaya Bala Vihar (CMBV) Two of the greatest gifts from Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda to the younger generation are ‘Chinmaya Bala Vihar’ and ‘Chinmaya Yuva Kendra.’ Both programs provide spiritual and cultural orientation to children and youth of the modern age. Chinmaya Bala Vihar (CMBV) is for children grades PreK-12, and Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK) is for university students and young adults (ages 18-25). Additional Website: Chinmaya Kids Pujya Gurudev said, “Children are not vessels to be filled, but lamps to be lit. Children are the architects of the future world. They are the builders of humanity. It is the most sacred task of parents, as well as teachers, to mold their lives in accordance with the sublime Indian tradition. The seeds of spiritual values should be sown in young hearts and the condition should be made favorable for its sprouting and steady growth by the exercise of proper control and discipline. Cared for with the warmth of love and affection, such a tree shall blossom forth flowers of universal love, peace, beauty, and perfection.”
The rationale behind this program, as elucidated by Pujya Gurudev in his talk on "March of the Future," is summarized as follows: ·
To inculcate in our children and youth a reverence for our ancient culture,
and inspire them to live up to it with correct understanding CMBV classes include the Vedantic teachings of: Sanskrit stotrams and prayers, bhajans, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, and the Puranas. Also included are value-based and devotional stories that teach Hindu culture and basic morals, such as honesty, diligence, responsibility, valor, and integrity. Additionally, CM Tampa's special events enhance the growth of our community's children in the arts of puja, meditation, and community service. Mission
Statement: Motto: Keep smiling! CM Tampa’s weekly classes and special events are conducted by trained sevaks who volunteer their time and effort to this noble cause, who want to serve and grow under the Chinmaya Mission banner, and who keep up their own spiritual studies by attending additional classes every week. We are all blessed to be part of this enriching spiritual and cultural program of self-unfoldment. May we be dedicated and get the maximum benefit of joy, love, and inner growth from every class and every event! Letter from Pujya Swami Chinmayananda for CM Tampa Bala Vihar February 28, 1991 Blessed Self, Hari Om! Hari Om! Hari Om! Salutations! I wish you and your Bala Vihar children and their parents all success and, I am sure, a lot more of our friends would come forward to help you and the program will be a thundering success. Surrendering to Him and His will, let us try to glorify Him through our children. With Prem and Om, Thy Own Self, Chinmayananda About Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK) Two of the greatest gifts from Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda to the younger generation are ‘Chinmaya Bala Vihar’ and ‘Chinmaya Yuva Kendra.’ Both programs provide spiritual and cultural orientation to children and youth of the modern age. Chinmaya Bala Vihar (CMBV) is for children grades PreK-12, and Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK) is for university students and young adults (ages 18-25). Additional Websites: CHYK and CHYK West
The purpose of CHYK, as given by Pujya Gurudev, is to harness dynamic potential. Gurudev said that today’s youth are not useless; they are used less. And that youth are not careless; they are cared for less than they should be. CHYK strives to unite youth and young adults by providing a forum to explore, discuss, and practice Vedanta while strengthening their lives in every endeavor. The objectives of CHYK include: ·
To provide a spiritual forum and introduce the philosophy and message
of Vedanta CHYK classes include the Vedantic study of: Sanskrit stotrams and prayers, bhajans, Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, and the Upanishads. CM Tampa's special events help purify the mind through sadhana (spiritual means) such as meditation, japa, puja, and community service. CM Tampa CHYK is a chapter of CHYK West, Chinmaya Mission West's national youth wing in North America (USA, Canada, and the Caribbean). Mission Statement: To empower youth with the vision, values, and dynamism for success in all fields Motto: Harnessing Youth Potential through Dynamic Spirituality About Chinmaya Adult Study Groups and Jnana Yajnas Additional Website: Chinfo Inspired by the vision of Vedanta, thousands of spiritual seekers across the world meet in groups to study and discuss Vedantic texts. Setting aside blind beliefs, they discuss scriptural teachings, deepening their personal philosophical understanding. Study Group members are those who study the scriptures because they have a thirst to imbibe and benefit from the perennial wisdom of the rishis. The followed systematic Study Group Scheme has been developed and prescribed by Pujya Gurudev himself, after testing its validity over the years. Today, there are over 1,000 Chinmaya Study Groups worldwide. What is read or heard, in order to take root, must be thought over (tat chintanam) or reflected upon. The test of clear thinking is in the ability to express our thoughts clearly (tat kathanam). Again, whether our understanding is correct and proper, is brought out in the rational and mutual discussion of the Study Group members (anyonya prabodhanam). Thus, the sincere and diligent student gains a better perspective of our scriptures through this process. Additionally, this forum, in the atmosphere of satsanga, also fosters and develops brotherly understanding and cooperative thinking among the members, and affirms the wisdom of Oneness. Chinmaya Adult Study Groups follow a study syllabus that includes introductory Vedantic texts, Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, and the Upanishads. CM Tampa’s weekly classes and special events are conducted by Resident Acharya, Brahmacharini Aparna Chaitanya, or trained sevaks who volunteer their time and effort to this noble cause, who want to serve and grow under the Chinmaya Mission banner. Mission Statement: 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 Motto: To give the maximum amount of happiness to the maximum number of beings for the maximum amount of time Jnana yajnas (spiritual discourses on various Vedantic topics and texts) are specially coined and formulated by Chinmaya Mission to teach Vedantic scriptures and topics to all interested spiritual seekers. CM Tampa continues to anually invite various CMW acharyas from across North America to conduct jnana yajna for all South Floridians. Jnana yajnas are always free of charge, open to the public, and 3-7 days in duration. CM acharyas in India and outside its borders are also adept in conducting classes and janna yajnas in regional languages, including Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malyalam, Marathi, and Kannada, to name a few. Chinmaya Mission publications are also available in regional languages.
HARI OM |
|
