Swami Chinmayananda (Pūjya Gurudev Swāmī Chinmayānandjī; 1916-1993) was born as Poothampalli Balakrishnan Menon. He was given the name Swami Chinmayananda Sarasvati when he was initiated as a saṃnyāsī and was respectfully called Pujya Gurudev (“Venerable Master”) by his devotees. From 1951 to 1993, he was an enthusiastic and energetic Hindu missionary among the Hindus in India and, from 1965 onward, abroad. Chinmayananda wanted to “convert Hindus to Hinduism,” especi…