Flood your mind with love look into eyes of the other and embrace the person with whom you have quaralled

HARI OM

HARI OM

VEDAVYAS - THE VERSATILE GENIUS

Vyasa – The Versatile Genius
- Sw. Chinmayananda

Vyasa is a great poet-philosopher and has become an institution representing the Hindu heritage. No scriptural study or Vedic chanting has ever begun without prostrations unto this greatest of seers. If we must attribute Hinduism to any single individual there is none else to whom we can most appropriately attribute its present existence and past glories except to Veda Vyasa.
It is believed that Vyasa was born as the son of a Brahmin rishi and fisherwoman. The story need not be taken as a literally historical incident, but it may be considered symbolically significant. The father, the Brahmin, represents sattwa, the creative wisdom born out of a life of study and contemplation, while the fisherwoman represents a daring adventurousness with which she has to sail forth day by day in her frail craft into the deep sea, where she captures the unseen food and hauls it to the shore, where dwellers can easily get their nourishment at their own door steps. Similarly, on the shore of Vedic knowledge, Vyasa sailed out to gather the best that it contained, and bring us the nutritive essence of Hinduism. In short, Vyasa was not merely a man of realization but was also one who had the spirit of adventure to serve his generation throughout his life. He was a revivalist who contributed the maximum to the Hindu Renaissance of that critical era. In fact, he was the most daring religious revolutionary that ever appeared on the horizon of Hindu cultural history.
Vyasa was one of the sages who had a vast vision of the past and the great imagination to see the future both of which he brought forth in order to tackle the problems of decadence in his immediate present. Had he declared these re-statements of Truth as his own original ideas, it would have been difficult for him to persuade his generation to follow them. It is the character of the Hindus that they will not readily accept a new idea or ideal unless those new idea have the sanction of antiquity and the authority of the ancient rishies.
The versatile genius of Vyasa never left anything that he touched without raising it to the most sublime heights of perfection through his rare capacity of composing incomparable poetry and unique diction. Creating innovations both in thought and form, he was a brilliant philosopher, a man of consummate wisdom, and a genius in worldly knowledge. At one time in the place, another time at the battle field, at still another time in Badrinath, and again among the snow peaks of Himalayas, Sri Vyasa is the embodiment of what is best in the Hindu tradition. Yet, Vyasa’s philosophical thought is not sectarian or creedal. It is not a philosophy only for Hindus. It is universal in its application and is addressed to all mankind.

ADI SANKARACHARYA

Sankara-The Spiritual General
- by Swami Chinmayananda
Sri Adi Shankaracharya(Shankara) was not only a great thinker and the noblest of Advaitik philosophers, but he was essentially an inspired champion of Hinduism and one of the most vigorous missionaries in our country. Such a powerful leader was needed at that time when Hinduism had been almost smothered within the enticing entaglements of the Buddhistic philosophy, and consequently the decadent Hindu society came to be disunited and broken up into number­less sects and denominations, each championing a different view-point and engaged in mutual quarrels and endless argumentations. Each pandita, as it were, had his own followers, his own philosophy, his own interpretation; each one was a vehement and powerful opponent of all other views. This intellectual disintegration, especially in the 'scriptural field, was never before so serious and so dangerously calamitous as in the times of Sankara.
It had been at a similar time, when our society was fertile for any ideal thought or practical philosophy to thrive, that the beautiful values of non-injury, self-control, love and affection of the Buddha had come to enchant alike the kings and their subjects of this country. But the general decadence of the age did not spare the Buddhists either. They, among themselves, precipitated different viewpoints, and by the time Shankara appeared on the horizon of Hindu history, the atheistic school of Buddhists (Asad-vadis) had enticed away large sections of the Hindu folk.
It was into such a chaotic intellectual atmosphere that Shankara brought his life-giving philosophy of the Non-dual. Brahman of the Upanishads. It can be very well understood what a colossal work it must have been for any one man to undertake in those days when modem conveniences of mechanical transport and instruments of propaganda were unknown. The genius in Shankara did solve the problem, and by the time he placed at rest his mortal coil he had whipped the false Buddhistic ideology beyond the shores of our country and had reintegrated the philosophical thoughts in the then Atyavarta. After centuries of wandering, no doubt richer for her various experiences but tired and fatigued, Bharat came back to her own native thoughts.
In his missionary work of propagating the great philosophical truths of the Upanishad-s and of rediscovering through them the true cultural basis of our nation, Acharya Shankara had a variety of efficient weapons in his resourceful armoury. He was indeed pre-eminently the fittest genius who could have undertaken this self-appointed task as the sole guardian angel of the Rishi-Culture.
An exquisite thinker, a brilliant intellect, a personality scintillating with the vision of Truth, a heart throbbing with industrious faith and ardent desire to serve the nation, sweetly emotional and relentlessly logical, in Shankara the Upanishads discovered the fittest spiritual general. It was indeed a vast programme that Shankara had to accomplish within the short span of about twenty effective years; for at the age of thirty two he had finished his work and had folded up his manifestation among the mortals of the world.

PUJYA GURUDEV SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA

Swami Chinmayananda, the founder-Guru and inspiring-force of Chinmaya Yuva Kendra, is a legend by Himself.
Rated by the Times Foundation as second(next only to Sw. Vivekananda) in the list of “Saints of the 2 nd Millennium” , he has been miraculously touching and transforming millions and millions of youngsters, generations after generations ever since He came down from the Himalayas into the plains to spread the knowledge, which had transformed His own life.
This section contains
His metamorphosis from an Atheist to an Advaitin
His vision of CHYK
Inspiration that flowed down from His pen
Words of motivation that He gave during various interviews
The love that He compassionately enveloped all His letters with
Anecdotes and incidences of His own interactions with youngsters,
His pictures
His 108 names
His audios
His words of Wisdom. To grab your inspiration, read on

SWAMI TEJOMAYANANDA

The mere presence of Swami Tejomayananda (affectionately known as Guruji) radiates a feeling of warmth and love, and upon meeting him, it’s hard to believe that a person who is so down to earth, so humble, and so accessible, is the head of a vast organisation with more than 250 centres worldwide. Sudhakar Kaitwade was born in Madhya Pradesh on 30th June 1950. As a student, he took a keen interest in music and drama, but ended up studying physics at university. But during his college days, he was greatly inspired by the writings of Swami Vivekananda, and even at such a young age, sought something beyond the ordinary material ambitions that most people harbour. The spiritual call came to him in 1970 when he met Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda, and attended one of his Gītā discourses. He was immediately inspired to join the Vedānta Course at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya in Mumbai, and after his graduation in 1975, he served in the field for a few years as Brahmachari Vivek Chaitanya. He was subsequently posted as A cārya for the Hindi Brahmachari Training Course in Sandeepany Himalayas, and in 1983, was initiated into Sannyāsa by Pujya Gurudev under the name Swami Tejomayananda. He was then appointed as Acārya of Sandeepany Sadhanalaya in Mumbai, where he taught two batches of students. In 1989, Guruji was sent to San Jose (USA) as A cārya of Chinmaya Mission West. Upon Swami Chinmayananda’s mahāsamādhi in August 1993, Swami Tejomayananda returned to India and was appointed as the head of the Chinmaya Mission. He assumed this new role with characteristic humility, and said "I am not in Swamiji’s shoes, I am at his feet." Since 1993, Guruji has worked tirelessly to fulfill the vision of his Master. Several major projects including the Chinmaya International Residential School (CIRS) in Coimbatore, the Chinmaya Center of World Understanding in New Delhi, and the Chinmaya International Foundation in Cochin (CIF) have been completed under his guidance. At present, he is overseeing the development of the latest vision centre dedicated to Gurudev - Chinmaya Viboothi in Pune.In recognition of this remarkable dedication , ‘Hinduism Today’ recently honoured Swami Tejomayanandaji with the prestigious "Hindu of the Year” (2005) award.
Not only is Swami Tejomayananda a dynamic worker and able adminstrator, he is one of the most accomplished masters of Vedānta today. Guruji has conducted over 300 Gnana Yajnas throughout the world, and he excels in expounding upon a wide spectrum of Hindu scriptures, including Rāmāyaņa, Bhāgavatham, the Bhagavad Gīta, and the Upanishads.His genius lies in his skill of combining the knowledge and clarity of Vedānta with the divine nectar of bhakti. Furthermore, his sharp wit and keen sense of humour, helps him build a quick rapport with his audience, and his easy manner and logical rendering of Vedantic texts have drawn many newcomers into the spiritual fold. Guruji is fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi and Sanskrit, and has written commentaries on many scriptural texts, translated many of Swami Chinmayananda’s commentaries into Hindi, and authored a number of original works in Sanskrit including Bhakti Sudhā, Jnāna Sāra, Manah Śodhanam and Dhyāna-svarūpam. Another key contribution of his is Hindu Culture: An Introduction, a text acclaimed for its clear description of the basics of Hinduism, which has been adopted as a reference text in some American high schools.
Guruji's talents as an accomplished poet, musical composer, and soul-stirring singer adds further charm to his personality. His melodious bhajans and kirtans are filled with devotion, and often hold listeners spellbound.
This great saint has seen the establishment of many new centers and under his loving guidance, the Chinmaya Mission continues to grow and flourish in its many spheres of activity.

SWAMI TAPOVANJI MAHARAJ....

Just as the biography of a man starts with his birth, and will go behind it to trace the biological growth and development of the seed in the womb, so too, to write the life of a realised saint, of the stature of Sri Swami Tapovanam, it is to trace sincerely the adventures of his soul in its onwards flights to God-Realization. A Mahatma starts his career, in a new world, with a new personal­ity, and maintains absolutely a new set of relationship. Once a Sanyasi, he becomes dead to his entire past. And yet, ordinarily we have almost an unhealthy curiosity to trace the life of the Mahatma, before he reached the Gate of the Temple to ring the bell in adoration to the Infinite.
Sri Swamiji Maharaj was no tame individual to whom, even after ten years of intimate service and total surrender could I discover the necessary courage to ask of his .personallife before he took Sanyas. Some scrappy material is certainly available in his own words and here below we are tracing them as best as we can.A boy was born in Palghat Taluk, in Kerala, in a fairly medium ­ sized village called Kuzholmannam in a house called "Puthan Veedu" (New House) in 1889 to Smt. Balamba and Sri Achutan Nair. The child was named Subramaniam. He was called by the parents as Chippu Kutty, and this pet name was taken lip later on by all his friends and admirers, all through his life till he took Sanyas.
His early education started with the village teacher and soon he had his ordinary education in the schools at Koduvayur, Kollen­gode and Alattur. The educational system available and the sub­jects taught therein were not to his taste and, therefore, the young boy at an early age of fourteen stopped going to school and came to stay in his father's house in Koduvayur.
This was a great disappointment to his father, who being a fairly rich landlord, had his own ambitions to see his son educated and employed as a Government Official. Sri Gurudev himself remem­bered the painful interview the son had with his father. Expressing his utter disappointment, the loving father one day exclaimed: "What a pity when hundreds and thousands of children bemoan that they have not the means to educate themselves, you, who have sufficient means must decide not to continue your educa­tion!"
Chippu Kutty did not run away from the school because of idle­ness. He had the greatest reverence for knowledge, and thirst for learning. He had independently thought of his problem and had come to his own conclusions regarding the type of education that would satisfy him. The boy replied, "Father, I have not discarded education. Only I have stopped attending the school". Thereafter, with the help of some well-read persons in the vicinity, the intelli­gent boy started his self-study, and gained a tolerable mastery over the English Language.