SWAMI TAPOVAN MAHARAJ (1889-1957)
Swami Tapovanam of Uttarkashi was the "Source" wherefrom Swami Chinmayananda (founder of the Chinmaya Movement) was the "Flow" who acquired the Knowledge of Vedanta.
In a spirit of deep renunciation, the infinite gentle poet in him, saw humanity and nature as one vast "plant" needing only love for its highest fulfillment. His intimate communication with Nature while he walked the peeks and valleys of the Himalayas for countless years gave Swami Tapovan the boundless spiritual reverence for the hill tribes of the Himalayas.
In Sidhbari, he promised the tribals who shared their meager food with him that someday he would send his son to build a Ram temple on their hills. He promised his emissary would transform their lives.
With the help of NORAD, USAID, and the Ford Foundation, the building blocks were laid. Since 1993 CIDA has helped service 300 villages with health care, women empowerment, child education, income generation and micro-banking.
SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA (1916 - 1993)
Swami Chinmayananda is the founder of the Chinmaya Movement which started in 1951 in the city of Pune. A world renowned authority on the Bhagawad Geeta he worked relentlessly to rekindle India and its people after 1000 years of foreign rule.
He repeatedly acknowledged the progress in science, but he also deeply felt the philosophy remained a speculative response to the enigmatic challenges of living.
Through scholarly research, Swami Chinmayananda answered this perennial questions of mankind. Who am I? Why am I here? He answered these questions by asserting that blind belief in both religion and science do not have answers.
Only by expansion of awareness can man understand that the Self and the Greater Self, the intimate relationship between man and his Cosmic Mother is beyond the Cosmic Being who motivated by ego and desire, has become disconnected from his very source. Under the guise of democracy, freedom has been given life, but justice has been ignored.
He asserted repeatedly that we were already aware of this in our subconscious states and therefore the questions very dear to his heart, was the plight of women and children of the developing world. Marginalized by poverty and illiteracy, three quarters of the world were hungry and uneducated. There was neither sharing, justice nor freedom. He initiated social and cultural recovery in different parts of the world. His humanitarian efforts are a legend. He advises all adults who have been freed from family responsibilities to expand themselves up to serving the world family.
SWAMI TEJOMAYANANDA
A great Master can be recognized by his humility, loving kindness, and depth of knowledge. This epitomizes pitomises
Swami Tejomayananda joined the Chinmaya Mission at an early age of 19. He was trained under the guidance of Swami Chinmayananda and after obtaining monkhood, was in charge of Chinmaya Mission Bombay and later Chinmaya Mission San Jose.
In the advent of Swami Chinmayananda's "samadhi", Swami Tejomayananda was appointed the Head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide.
Following in his Master's footsteps and inspired by this noble vision, he continues each and every aspect of Chinmaya Mission work in the way his Master would have wanted. His conviction is simple: to actualize the vision of his Master. In such a short time from 1993 to the present, Swami Tejomayananda has continued to make the Development work so dear to Swami Chinmayananda a reality that is slowly unfolding in its beauty abound.
Swamiji's definition of "development" is to enhance the life of the giver more than that of the reciever
Return to top
Chinmaya Mission Halton Chinmaya Mission Halton Region 206 Locke Street South Hamilton, ON L8P 4B4 Phone: 905 570-0440 Fax: 905 570-0545
