Sri Chinmoy, born as Chinmoy Kumar Ghose in 1931, was an Indian spiritual teacher who migrated to New York City in 1964 to teach meditation in the West. He established his first meditation center in Queens, New York, and gained a following of over 7,000 students in 60 different countries. Apart from teaching meditation, he was also a prolific author, artist, poet, and musician who organized public events such as concerts and meditations that focused on inner peace. Chinmoy believed that a spiritual journey towards God could be achieved through prayer and meditation, as well as through athleticism that included running, swimming, and weightlifting. In fact, he was an active runner and weightlifter, and organized marathons and other races to promote fitness and well-being.
Chinmoy was the youngest child of a family of seven, born in Shakpura, Boalkhali Upazila in East Bengal, British India (now Bangladesh). He began practicing meditation at the age of 11 after losing both his parents in 1943. In 1944, he joined his siblings at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, where he spent the next two decades in spiritual practice, including meditation, literature study, athletics, and work in the ashram's cottage industries. Chinmoy served as the personal secretary to the General Secretary of the ashram and translated his writings from Bengali to English.
In 1964, Chinmoy moved to the United States after feeling prompted by a "message from within" to serve people in the West seeking spiritual fulfillment. With the help of American sponsors connected to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, he emigrated to New York City and found a job as a junior clerk at the Indian consulate. Despite lacking formal education, Chinmoy received support and encouragement from colleagues and bosses and began giving talks on Hinduism at universities and the United Nations.
Chinmoy continued giving lectures and talks at universities around the U.S. on spiritual topics in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He traveled to Europe, Asia, and Australia in the 1970s and 1980s, lecturing at universities and publishing books and essays. He opened a Sri Chinmoy Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1966, and over the next few decades, established 350 centers worldwide. In 1973, the New York Times described Chinmoy as "revered in India as one of the few holy men to have reached Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the absolute highest level of consciousness."
In the 1970s, Sri Chinmoy began to play and compose music on the flute and esraj. He started giving free 'Peace Concerts' around the world in 1984, with his largest ever concert in Montreal for 19,000 people. During his time in America, Chinmoy attracted followers from the music industry, including Carlos Santana, John McLaughlin, Narada Michael Walden, Roberta Flack, Clarence Clemons, and Boris Grebenshchikov. Chinmoy offered his followers a disciplined spiritual path that prohibited the use of drugs and alcohol, while encouraging music and poetry as expressions of gratitude to the Divine.
Santana and McLaughlin stayed with Chinmoy for several years before leaving. They released an album in 1973 based on Chinmoy's teachings titled 'Love Devotion Surrender.' McLaughlin was a follower of Chinmoy from 1970 to 1975 and formed the Mahavishnu Orchestra in 1971, named after the spiritual name given to him by Chinmoy. McLaughlin introduced Santana to the guru, and Santana and his wife Deborah became followers of Chinmoy from 1972 to 1981. Santana emphasized the importance of a guru in his life, stating that without one, he served only his own ego, but with one, he could be of service to others. Chinmoy gave Santana the spiritual name Devadip and released three albums under this name: 'Illuminations' (1974), 'Oneness' (1979), and 'The Swing of Delight' (1980). However, their relationship soured in the 1980s, and Chinmoy became vindictive towards Santana after he left. Despite this, Santana remains grateful for the lessons he learned during his time with the spiritual master.
Sri Chinmoy was a spiritual teacher who believed in self-transcendence, expanding one's consciousness to overcome perceived limitations. He had many followers, including Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, who learned to meditate from Chinmoy and found it strengthened his Christian beliefs. Chinmoy's teachings also influenced athletics, with members of his Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team swimming the English Channel over 40 times and participating in ultra-distance running, mountain climbing, and long-distance cycling. In 1987, Chinmoy started the Sri Chinmoy Oneness Home Peace Run, a symbolic relay run for peace through many countries of the world. In 1991, he began the 'Oneness Heart Tears and Smiles' humanitarian service, which sends food and medicine to those in need and has served 136 countries. The organization works with NGOs or governments and provides health, medical, and educational supplies to recipient nations. It is served by health professionals and private volunteers on five continents and has programs providing disaster relief, regional development, and health and medical supplies. The 'Kids to kids' program sponsored by the Oneness Heart Tears and Smiles encourages school children to prepare packs of school supplies and toys for disadvantaged children in other communities.
Sri Chinmoy was known as an ambassador of peace and met with world figures during his travels. He had the opportunity to meet with Mother Teresa on five different occasions, and during their second meeting in Rome in 1994, Chinmoy presented her with an award. Mother Teresa commended him for his work towards world peace and helping people in various countries. They both expressed a desire to continue working together for the greater good. Chinmoy also met with Diana, Princess of Wales, at Kensington Palace in May 1997.
Sri Chinmoy did not charge any fees for his spiritual guidance or music performances. He was respectful towards all religions and their leaders. He attracted around 7,000 students throughout his lifetime, who followed his contemporary spiritual system of yoga under the guidance of a guru or spiritual teacher. Chinmoy believed in brahmacharya or celibacy for both married and unmarried devotees, and emphasized on experiencing inner spiritual joy rather than worldly pleasures. He was an unmarried celibate and believed that one did not need to completely withdraw from the world for spiritual progress, but rather attain a gradual and complete illumination of life.
Until he passed away in late 2007, Sri Chinmoy had thousands of devoted followers worldwide, who considered him to be their spiritual leader. He did not charge his followers for spiritual guidance or musical performances. However, some former followers have accused him of making sexual advances towards their wives, and several news outlets have reported allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct. While he was never charged with any crime, some people considered his group to be a cult, and former followers have criticized Chinmoy's aggressive self-promotion. A book titled "Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memoir of Growing Up Cult" was published in 2009 by Jayanti Tamm, who was born into Chinmoy's organization. The book describes her experiences as a Chinmoy disciple and her efforts to break free from his influence. Tamm claimed that Chinmoy banned sex and most disciples were directed to remain single. He also prohibited secular education, alcohol, caffeine, meat, dancing, dating, socializing with outsiders, and owning pets. However, Tamm notes that other followers around the world, and others who encountered Chinmoy, may have had different experiences and perceptions.