Acharyas

His Holiness Swami Chinmayananda, founder of Chinmaya Mission®, taught spirituality as the art of living. Through jnana yoga (the Vedantic path of spiritual knowledge), he emphasized the balance of head and heart, pointing out selfless work, study, and meditation as the cornerstones of spiritual practice.

Not satisfied by worldly aspirations or his degrees in literature and law, Balakrishna Menon pursued spiritual studies for nine years in the Himalayas, under the guidance of Swami Sivananda (Divine Life Society) and the tutelage of Swami Tapovanam. He eventually came to share this Vedantic knowledge with the masses, in the form of the dynamic teacher known as Swami Chinmayananda.

Swamiji is renowned worldwide as a spiritual master and one of the foremost teachers of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. He is credited with the renaissance of spirituality and cultural values in India, and with the spreading of the ageless wisdom of Advaita Vedanta, as expounded by Adi Shankaracharya, throughout the world.

Swami Chinmayananda attained mahasamadhi in August 1993. His legacy remains in the form of written, audio, and video publications; social service projects; Vedanta teachers whom he taught and inspired; and Chinmaya Mission centers worldwide, serving the spiritual and cultural needs of local communities.

Additional biographical information can be found in Journey of a Master, Ageless Guru, Swami Chinmayananda: A Life of Inspiration and Service, and At Every Breath, A Teaching.

As the Head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide, Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda is fulfilling the vision that Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda charted. As he puts it, "I am not in Swamiji's shoes, I am at His feet."

Pujya Guruji has served as acharya, or dean, of the 'Sandeepany' institutes of Vedanta both in India and California. He has written commentaries on scriptural texts, translated Pujya Gurudev's commentaries into Hindi, and authored a number of books. One of his key contributions is "Hindu Culture: An Introduction," a text acclaimed for its clear description of the basics of Hinduism and adopted as a text in some American high schools.

Pujya Guruji excels in expounding a wide spectrum of Hindu scriptures, from Ramayana to Bhagavad Gita to the Upanishads. He conducts jnana yajnas and spiritual camps around the world, traveling at a bewildering pace. His easy manner and devotional rendering of Vedantic texts has drawn many newcomers into the spiritual fold.

Brahmacharini Bhamati Chaitanya is the resident acharya at 'Chinmaya Maruti' of Chinmaya Mission Boston. Bhamatiji completed the Vedanta course in May 2004 at 'Sandeepany Sadhanalaya,' Mumbai under the tutelage of Swami Ishwarananda, and received brahmachari diksha from Pujya Swami Tejomayananda.

Bhamatiji conducts Vedanta classes for adults, CHYK, and Devi groups, as well as classes on yoga, meditation, and Gita chanting. Her summer camps for children are enjoyed by all attendees.