The Seeds of Chinmaya Mission

June 5, 1953, marked the conclusion of Swami Chinmayananda’s first yagna in Chennai and the beginning of a movement, the likes of which modern India had not witnessed before. At that point in time, however, no one could have guessed that they were witnessing a turning point in the spiritual and cultural history of contemporary India. The powerful words of the brilliant, unknown, young Swami had kindled a flame in the hearts of a group of people in Chennai. Their lives would, henceforth, never be the same again, for they had taken their first sip from the fountain of knowledge and their thirst would not be quenched.

On Swamiji’s suggestion, this group of people set up an informal forum to collectively study the Upanishads. These texts, Swami Chinmayananda had emphasized, needed to be read numerous times for the knowledge to percolate into and be assimilated by the heart and mind. In fact, ever since the first yagna at Pune (December 31, 1951-April 8, 1952), Swami Chinmayananda had appealed to seekers to form small groups and sustain the study of Vedanta in a regular manner. He did not wish their interest to slacken once the jnana yagna was over and they returned to their mundane lives.

Members of this group had one thing in common. All of them were educated brahmins who had grown up practicing the ritualistic aspect of the Vedas. Although they had some knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita, none had ever been exposed to the profound wisdom of the Upanishads. Swami Chinmayananda’s expounding of the Mundaka Upanisad had blazed a new horizon in their lives. This exposure instantly became a compelling and driving force. They held their first meeting at 27 Halls Road, the residence of Sri Rangaswamy. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Sankita Nilayam, a rented house next to a temple at Elmore, Chennai.

Birth place of Chinmaya Mission – Chennai, 1953

First jnana yajna in Chennai, morning session: The texts available for study were the three Upanisads that Swami Chinmayananda had already discoursed upon: Kena Upanisad and Katha Upanisad from his first yagna at Pune, and the Mundaka Upanisad which had been the topic of the second yagna held in Chennai. All three texts, with the commentary of Swami Chinmayananda, had been published as a yagna prasada (blessing or keepsake) to ensure that they would be widely read and discussed by an ever-growing number of people.

Two months later, this group from Chennai wrote to Swami Chinmayananda in Uttarkashi in the Himalayas, seeking his Mission. They stressed that an organization was required to provide a formal platform for the systematic study of the scriptures. A reply soon arrived:

Don’t start any organization in my name.
I’ve not come here to be institutionalized.
I’ve come here to give the message of our ancient sages,
which has benefited me. If it has benefited you, pass it on.

The enthusiastic group wrote back insisting that, since the term “Chinmaya” signified true knowledge and “pure Consciousness,” which was precisely what all of them were seeking, the name Chinmaya Mission was, indeed, most apt. It was to be a movement dedicated to the spread of knowledge.

Thus, on August 8, 1953, Chinmaya Mission was born — the first initiative of the first Study Group.

The Vision of Chinmaya Mission

If Swami Chinmayananda had a divine mission to awaken Indians to this great knowledge at a national level, the first Study Group set in motion a simultaneous effort of achieving the same goal at the local level. Within two years, there were six Chinmaya Mission centers in Chennai itself, each with a small spiritual library and a program of weekly discussion. Besides the study of texts, additional activities included chanting of the texts, singing of bhajans, and group meditations. All these facets of spiritual life had been included in the early yajnas of Swami Chinmayananda, and they became a part of the weekly meetings of the newly formed Chinmaya Mission.

The effect was contagious, and, soon, similar groups formed in Kerala, Bengaluru, and elsewhere, giving rise to little islands of spiritual force in the vast sea of ignorance. The Study Group was thus a direct result and follow-up of the jnana yagna. It nurtured inspiration and gave shape to noble aspirations. Study Group members eventually took the initiative to organize Gurudev’s jnana yajnas, conduct Bala Vihars and Yuva Kendra groups, and create more Study Groups. They arranged for the publication of Gurudev’s numerous talks in book form and administered the ever increasing number of Chinmaya Mission centers around India, and, later, abroad. The Mission quickly took root.

Thus began a renaissance of Hindu Culture that was going to span several generations. It was going to open new vistas in the lives of a steadily growing number of people, without any pomp and show. It was a subtle process that would operate unseen in the hearts of individuals. It would be a slow and steady process, bringing with it a complete and lasting transformation. It would represent the efforts of multiple groups of individuals, inspired by and devoted to scriptural knowledge and the modern Rishi who made it accessible to them. These groups could not fully fathom the grand vision of their Master at that point. But they had faith, commitment, and devotion, and their numbers would continue to swell steadily.

Source: Chinmaya-Tej, March/April 2015