Well, if I use my mind-you know, the mind that blinds me and binds me, and the mind that gets a tremendous sense of satisfaction by dividing the world, by lording it over the world-then I am a Hindu. To me Hinduism is not a religion in the sense of a religion that blinds us. To me Hinduism is a home. But the Real in me is my aspiration, my love of Truth, my love of God. There I don't belong to any religion. For me, real religion is the heart home where I can see my inner shrine. So when I'm an aspiring human being, I'm not a Hindu, far from it. I'm cosmopolitan, I am a seeker of Truth, a lover of God. Each religion is like a home. You live here, I live in New York. But when you pray and meditate you go to an inner school, where God is our teacher. You come all the way from here, I come all the way from New York.

1931-, Indian mystic and poet. Orphaned at the age of 12, he went to live at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in S India, where he stayed for the next 20 years, practicing spiritual disciplines. In 1964 he went to the United States, where he lectured and established meditation centers. In 1970 he was appointed director of the United Nations Meditation Group. His numerous writings describe his Yoga of "love, devotion, and surrender" as a swift and safe path to union with God or the Supreme. He stresses the development of the spiritual heart as a human faculty higher than mind and emphasizes the necessity for manifesting God in one's daily life rather than withdrawing from the world.

1 See his Yoga and the Spiritual Life (1970), Meditations: Food for the Soul (1971), and Songs of the Soul (1971).

This group is an attempt to create a safe space to examine the life and deeds of Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, a meditation teacher from India who currently resides in New York City. To some Ghose is a holy man, a celibate yogi,who lives his life solely to illumine humanity. To others he is a cult leader who has covert,indecent relationships with his students, and manipulates the public.

This group is for current and former students of Sri Chinmoy. All opinions are welcome. All views will be honored.

There is no official point of view. A variety of views and opinions are expressed here by disciples, ex-disciples, and others.

Any member can post any view without fear of censorship. There is no moderation.