Experience, Encounter and Evolvement with Chinmaya Mission Worldwide.

As regards to the memories and experiences with Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda, I have plenty to my credit. However, I shall try to narrate a few which has influenced me in my evolvement and the start of my spiritual journey.

Since the introduction of Swami Chinmayanda by my mentor Mr.Krishnan Padiyath in Switzerland, I was waiting to meet him in his first visit to Nairobi, Kenya in 1986. Before he took up sanyasam, he was known as Balakrishna Menon. He was an atheist and a journalist by profession. He went to Himalayas as a high profile journalist from National Herald to expose the sadhus and write a series of articles about them and fool public. He, who did not even read a single line of Bhagavat Gita, returned as a Master and an authority of it. Until my meeting with him, I was not interested in any one particular religion. In Bombay, I used to attend celebrations of all festivals like Deepali or Holi, Christmas or Bandra fairs, Ramzan or Eid and Parsi festivals irrespective of any religion. But,as my age advanced and responsibilities grew, started my interest to seek knowledge and truth about God and spirituality. Attended many lectures and meetings on spirituality and meditation in and around Nairobi, Somehow or other, I could not understand their philosophy and accept any. That was the time I had this opportunity to meet Swami Chinmayanandji.

As informed earlier, I went along with the organizer Mr. Patel and others to Nairobi airport to welcome his first visit. Swamiji accompanied by a cousin of Mr. Patel from Canada arrived with the ace photographer Anjali Singh. He looked at me and asked ”Menon? Krishnan mentioned about you”. I replied” yes” and nothing more. His personality, voice and style mesmerized me. Immediately he was taken to Mr. Patel’s Westland’s bungalow, with the instruction to meet in the evening, to finalize the programme/ itinerary. Reached the residence at 4.30 PM for the meeting. Sharp at 5.00, he came out and I gave my prostration . He suggested to have two sessions one in the morning and another in the evening, which was new concept to Nairobi crowd. I then told, here in Nairobi, everyone gets up at 7AM only after the late night parties and dinner and so we have apprehension on the morning session. I remember well, his sharp question “Will you come?, which shocked us. Continuing “do you know in olden days there would be one student and one teacher? And don’t need many.” Thus we started our first session in the morning as decided. There were about 15 people attended including organizer’s family members. Everyone were astonished the punctuality and quality of the session in pin drop silence. It is said that in places like Chennai, people adjust their watches as per the Chinmaya classes, be it Balvihars or study classes or any activities or lectures. It was a well-known fact about timing, the master’s discipline and punctuality. As the classes progressed, the hall became full and overcrowded with lots of local blacks, whites and Asians. Media covered at large the details of the event with excellent comments. People of Nairobi had never heard such a detailed study and talk on this tough subject of life’s philosophy with simple examples in a jovial way. His unique style of explaining every aspect with emphasis on important points was commendable. If any doubt on the subject, he would clarify at the end. Once it was assimilated the action would be yours. “How many times one goes through Geeta is not important; but how much Geeta goes through is important.” is his simple theory.

As a usual practice in Nairobi, we took him to the Head of State President Daniel Arab Moi for introducing Swamiji. Kenya after South Africa is a Christian dominated country and most people speak English language well. Swamiji gave a talk for nearly 45 minutes, which everyone listened with extreme silence and attention. Of course his speech was based on Bhagavat Geeta. After the meeting, a few people, apparently from different cast and tribe came and spoke to the Master that they heard his impressive lecture and would like to convert to his religion that is Hinduism. Hearing this, he roared in his loud voice “what? Conversion? I did not come here for conversion. What is wrong with your religion? Are you following it religiously?” This gave shock to all of them and silenced. He added “stand where you are. If you are a Christian, be a good Christian, a Muslim be a good Muslim or a Hindu be a good Hindu. You don’t need to convert for being a good person. This one line answered my quest and search for a real Guru. I was very happy that I found my right Guru.

Thus we started the first Chinmaya Mission activities in Kenya /East Africa. He then asked me to start Balvihar for children and study classes for elders. I confessed that I know nothing about it.. He retorted “Follow my books. Everything is in that” All my doubts were answered with suggestions about how to start the classes.
Soon after the one week programme in Kenya, he left saying he would again come back in six months with an extra session at Mombasa, the coastal town of Kenya. After six months he visited again. As usual we invited him and all the committee members for Biksha to my place on the first day. He again asked “Did you start the classes” Very hesitantly told “No as I am not at all familiar with”. There were two girls Jyothi (If I remember correctly) and another were Balvihar students from India, present there, Swamiji saw them and told ”You both assist Menon to start the classes”. This relieved my big problem. It was by the great efforts by these two young girls, we started our Balvihars with about 5 children. Later with my wife’s active participation, the Balvihar classes, continued to prosper and became a big attraction to children. Gurudev’s vision was always to catch them young. Today, Kenyan Chapter is one of the important and active centers in the Globe. This can be seen by the frequent visits of Guruji Swami Tejomayanandji, Global head Swami Swaroopanandji and Director of Chimaya International Public School Swamini Vimalanandji which inspired more and more youngsters and elders equally. Also the first International Camp was held in 1997 in such a short period of one decade of its inception is an achievement to the East African community!

Once we invited Gurudev for a Biksha on the first day of the camp. To our surprise, he was ready to come with us immediately after the lecture. We were really embarrassed as there was no preparation done to receive him on that day not even fruit was available. As we were not ready to take him on that day, So we requested to keep for the next day. He immediately retorted saying “are you sure about tomorrow” With such a short notice, my wife had to make all arrangements. Such was his quick decisions and actions!

He was very fond of Kerala meals and he used to like one meal of that type in every visit. I remember, during his last visit in 1992, he was put up at Mr. Patel‘s house as usual. He was not allowed to go to anyone’s house for biksha on medical ground. So we arranged a South Indian style food and served there. He was in his most jovial mood. We bought all types of Kerala preparations by different families and kept ready to serve just before going to the lecture. Slowly he opened every vessel and said “Haha sambhar, aviyal, elissery. Kaalan and different sweet preparations .Doctor present there told you shouldn’t have so much sweet. Immediate reply was “put an extra dose of Insulin “laughingly in his typical style. He was dancing with joy after seeing these and commented ‘we will have a thiruvathira kali also”(which is a Kerala art form of group dance like the Garba dance of Gujarat.) During that time, he answered many interesting questions from politics, to history, and religion and also on the Ram temple. He never accepted himself as a Godly person. Always he used himself as a teacher only. When people asked to bless their child he would jovially say “what can I bless, I just touch the head and wash the oil from my hand.”. His answers to every problem were masterpieces and things to ponder. At that time his copy of a seminar lectures on” value based management” was an all-time hit in the management side. His knowledge, solutions for problems, was very convincing I consider Our Gurudev was the pioneer in bringing the Hindu philosophy to common people in this world. His simple narration of the most complicated subject was amazing. In simple English and with jovial comments, his explanation makes us a feeling of a beautiful spellbound drama and goes into the mind.

Many such interesting episodes are fresh in my mind. But due to many constraints, I can’t everything in this.

Gurudev’s vision of training youngsters on Vedanta studies has produced various knowledge centers in India and abroad. To a question on some students leaving the mission after completing their courses his quick answer was “My job is manufacturing vedantists and send out to spread the knowledge to the world, Wherever they go, they only spread the knowledge, we taught them. I have not come with any mission and will go empty handed”

THAT IS THE GREAT MASTER SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA