Chinmaya Mission Ottawa is a proud family member of the worldwide Chinmaya Mission organization. With the great master’s blessings, a small circle of family friends began services in early 1990. In the last sixteen years, our mission has experienced continuous growth, offering regular study classes for children (bala-vihar), youth (yuva-kendra) and adults. Approximately 130 people show up just for the Sunday morning program alone. Additional classes for youth and adults are held throughout the week. The Ottawa Centre organizes two to three regular lecture series (yagnas) yearly by inviting learned masters from the US and overseas, attracting anywhere from 100 to 300 members of the general public. Centre activities are managed and run by a dedicated group of volunteers, some of whom teach the classes as well. Over the years, we have focused on delivering credible study programs for the community and fostering healthy relationships with other organizations.

Over the last fifty-plus years, Chinmaya Mission has grown into a worldwide organization. It spreads the sublime knowledge of Vedanta; re-invigorating Eastern culture through promotion of contemporary music, dance, drama, art and literature; and doing extensive social service to benefit all with the befitting motto – to give maximum happiness to the maximum number for the maximum time. Vedanta is the core of Hindu philosophy. It depicts the universal science of life, which leads the way to true and permanent happiness. Chinmaya Mission has an important goal: “to provide to individuals, from any backgrounds, the wisdom of Vedanta and the practical means for spiritual growth and happiness, enabling them to become positive contributors to society.”

Weekly Activities

BALVIHAR (Children: 4 – 13 years)
Mission Statement: To inculcate in children the values and virtues of Vedic culture to form a noble character.
Weekly children classes encourage children of all ages to explore creative expression, a calm mind, intellectual alertness and a spiritual growth. Your children will imbibe the ancient yet eternal wisdom, values and culture of India; all the while enjoying stories, songs, learning and fun!

Balvihar class:
Every Sunday
10:15am – 12:00pm
Heron Road Community Centre
1480 Heron Road
Ottawa, K1V 6A5

CHINMAYA YUVA KENDRA [CHYK]
Mission Statement: To empower youth with a holistic vision and value of life, enabling them to build their own future and that of the world around them.
Youth is a stage in human development when the personality is bursting with energy, enthusiasm and dynamism. This is also a phase in life when receptivity and retentivity are at the optimum. What they require is a clear vision of a goal in life and exercises for the cultivation of the right values of life to enable them to mould their personality and harness their inner resources along constructive channels. This systematic preparation alone can equip the youth to face the challenges of life with a smile.

This essential training of youth for leadership in life is being successfully accomplished through the Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYKs).

Youth Class: 13-19 years
Every Sunday
10:15am – 12:00pm
Heron Road Community Centre
1480 Heron Road
Ottawa, K1V 6A5

ADULT STUDY CLASS
The adult course of study is graded so as to make it easy for members to imbibe gradually the deeper suggestions made in the scriptures. A Study group follows three disciplines-first self-study, then enlightened discussion, and, finally, reflection on the knowledge gained in class. Swami Chinmayananda said: "In the breeze of discussions, in the wind of arguments, the chaff gets blown off and the true teachings in the clear depth become evident. This is discriminative knowledge". He added that the ground for the Study group was the opportunity for reflection. This kind of inquiry which removes "error, vagueness and doubt" and through which we come to own the knowledge is called manana or reflection; it is a process of purification through analysis. Study group activities have been the b ackbone of the Chinmaya Movement.

Adult Classes
Adult Study Group I (Sunday): Shree Ramana Maharishi's Upadesh sara
Adult Study Group II (Sunday): Art of Man Making - Lectures on Bhagavad Geeta
Every Sunday
10:15am – 12:00pm
Heron Road Community Centre
1480 Heron Road
Ottawa, K1V 6A5

Adult Bhagvatam Class
Every Tuesday
7:30 - 9:00pm
Location: Banu & Dinesh Patel
27 Sherk Cres.
Kanata, On
613.592.6766

Adult Vivekachudamini Class
Every Thursday
7:30 – 9:00pm
Location: Ketaki and Arun Mhatre
1105 Normandy Cr.
Nepean, On
613.225.3768

For more information:

Study of the scriptures should not be given up at all - that is the secret fuel that must fire up our enthusiasm, and inspire us to sacrifice and service.
- Swami Chinamayanandaji