Hinduism: Details about '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 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 near Pondicherry in South India where he spent the next twenty years in spiritual practice. In 1964 he moved to New York City for reason unknown and began to work for the Indian consulate as administrative assistant in the department of passports. In 1966 he opened his first meditation center. At the time, dozens of meditation centers are run by followers under his lead in countries across the globe. He now lives in Queens. His teachings promote absolute celibacy, meditation, abstinence and physical fitness; it is common for his followers to run marathons, ultramarathons,or compete in triathalons. One distinctive feature of his own practice is that he lifts people: followers, celebrities and public figures. Among his prominent followers 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. ControversySome controversy surrounds the movement and multiple former followers published claims about abusive practices within the group (vilification of ex-disciples, excessive adoration of the guru, profiteering). It was labeled a cult by french National Assembly Comission for Cult Investigation. Some anti-cult activists defy it as well. Bibliography
†Discusses an event held on March 29, 2001. Publication date unclear. Critical sources
Reports of French National Assembly Comission (French). Anti-Cult Movement Perspective
Sites Published by Sri Chinmoy Centre
Chinmoy
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