Chinmayananda Saraswati Quotes

Indian Hindu spiritual teacher (1916-1993)

Chinmayananda Saraswati (May 8, 1916 – August 3, 1993), also known as Swami Chinmayananda and born Balakrishnan Menon, was an Indian spiritual leader and teacher who inspired the formation of Chinmaya Mission in 1953 to spread the message of Vedanta. The organization, which was founded by his disciples and led by him, has over 300 centres in India and internationally. He was also the Co-Founder of Vishva Hindu Parishad.

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Alternative Names: Balakrishna Menon

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The tragedy of human history is decreasing happiness in the midst of increasing comforts.

In The Art of Man-making: Talks on the Bhagavad Geeta, p. 54

Success or achievement is not the final goal. It is the 'spirit' in which you act that puts the seal of beauty upon your life.

But the boy who left the hall was not the boy who had gone in some ten minutes before. After my college days, my political work, and after my years of stay at Uttarkashi at the feet of my master, Tapovanam I knew that what I gained on the Ganges banks was that which had been given to me years before by the saint of Tiruvannamalai on that hot summer day – by a mere look

Do you know the essence of Vedanta?” he asked in a booming voice and himself gave the answer, “Undress and embrace” he thundered. People were nonplussed. He chuckled and explained, “Undress the body, mind and intellect. What remains is automatically in the embrace with OM, the pure awareness.”

At the Ashram I was told that the Maharshi was in the hall and anybody was free to walk in and see him. As I entered, I saw on the couch an elderly man, wearing but a loincloth, reclining against a round bolster. I sat down at the very foot of the couch. The Maharshi suddenly opened his eyes and looked straight into mine: I looked into his. A mere look, that was all. I felt that the Maharshi was, in that split moment, looking deep into me – and I was sure that he saw all my shallowness, confusions, faithlessness, imperfections, and fears. I cannot explain what happened in that one split moment. I felt opened, cleaned, healed, and emptied! A whirl of confusions: my atheism dropping away, but scepticism flooding in to question, wonder, and search. My reason gave me strength and I said to myself, ‘It is all mesmerism, my own foolishness.’ Thus assuring myself, I got up and walked away.