A devotee recalls how in August 1980, a decision was made that Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda should undergo an open-heart surgery. Everyone was concerned about his health and the potential risk of surgery, but Gurudev was more concerned that he would have to cancel some of the scheduled yajnas.
Gurudev put the organization before himself and anyone else. He was very clear that the expenses for the open-heart surgery should not be paid by Chinmaya Mission, but by devotees, if they so chose.
The devotee asked him if they could collect the funds through Chinmaya Mission to pay the hospital bills. His answer was straightforward:
“No, I do not want Chinmaya Mission funds for my personal healthcare needs. You can pick another organization to channel the funds through.”