Sri Chinmoy

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Sri Chinmoy (born 1931), originally Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, is an Indian philosopher and spiritual teacher (guru).

He was the youngest of seven children, born in Shakpura, Chittagong in East Bengal (now Bangladesh). In 1944, after both his parents had died, 12-year-old Chinmoy entered the Sri Aurobindo ashram, a spiritual community in Pondicherry in South India. He spent the next twenty years there in spiritual practice. In 1964 he moved to New York City to promote meditation and began there by working in the Indian consulate as an administrative assistant in the department of passports. In 1966 he opened his first meditation center. At this time, dozens of meditation centers in countries across the globe are run by followers under Chinmoy's supervision. He now lives in Queens, New York.

His teachings promote prayer, meditation, abstinence and physical fitness; it is common for his followers to run marathons, ultramarathons, or compete in triathlons. One distinctive feature of his own practice is that he physically lifts people: followers, celebrities and public figures. Among his prominent followers were Carlos Santana and jazz fusion musician John McLaughlin, who under Chinmoy's tutelage took the name "Mahavishnu" and founded the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Both later left the movement.

Frederick Lenz, later known as Rama, was initially a follower of Chinmoy. Lenz broke with Chinmoy and took several followers with him to California to found a new series of enlightenment-seeking groups.

Controversy

Some controversy surrounds the movement and multiple former followers have published claims about abusive practices within the group, including vilification of ex-disciples, excessive adoration of the guru, and profiteering. The movement was labeled a cult by the French National Assembly Commission for Cult Investigation. Some other anti-cult activists defy it as well. There are also controversies surrounding his weight lifting claims.

Bibliography

  • Larson, Bob Larson's Book of World Religions and Alternative Spirituality (2004), Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., ISBN 0-8423-6417-X
  • Alexander Kahr: Mein Wille geschehe! Ein Aussteigerbericht über den Spirituellen Weg Sri Chinmoys. Verlag Linonis, ISBN 3-902305-00-2 (German)

Short Articles

†Discusses an event held on March 29, 2001. Publication date unclear.

Critical sources

Reports of French National Assembly Commission (French).

Anti-Cult Movement Perspective

Sites Published by Sri Chinmoy Centre

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