BIOGRAPHY

CHRIS SIMMONDS

Acharya Chandranath

On the first day that I went to university, I noticed an ad for yoga classes and started attending them weekly. Two months later the yoga teacher announced that a monk, his meditation teacher, would be visiting and people could come to an evening of spiritual inspiration with him. A few days afterward, the monk gave me Diiksa (initiation in the meditation practice and the transfer of Shakti or spiritual energy).

I had heard that people received mantras attuned to their personality and when I was told that my mantra meant “love” it impressed me deeply. I felt very blessed and inspired. (It was only later that I understood that all mantras had spiritually inspired meanings).

I practiced meditation and yoga postures twice a day regularly. A few months later, one full moon night, I felt a flow of energy up my spine and my mind was filled with light. I had a blissful feeling of being in the presence of an infinite consciousness. This experience completely changed my understanding of what a human being is, as well as changing my outlook on life.

I feel blessed to have received that experience because it set me on spiritual path and propelled me into a relationship with my spiritual master ShriiShriiAnandamurti. I was initially reluctant about the idea of having a Guru; I didn’t like the whole notion of giving over responsibility for oneself to another being. However, I was inspired by Anadamurti’s writings on social problems, ecology, economics and the profound vision he shared for a world based on fundamental spiritual values and respect for all life. I came to have a deeply profound relationship with him, and still do.

In 1988 a close spiritual friend was sharing a time off meditation and reflection with me and asked me what my deepest desire was for this life? Without thinking I reached inside myself and said that I desired to be a householder Acharya (ordained spiritual teacher). I had read many inspiring stories about householder spiritual teachers and aspired to be one. At that moment, a profound spiritual energy entered me and I strongly felt my Guru’s presence within. As spiritual messages go it was about as blunt as a stick over the head; I needed to follow this path.

However, the means to realize this was some years away and it was in the mid-nineties that I had a chance to fulfill this deep calling. In 2001, I became an ordained family “Acharya” within the lineage. Teaching meditation and sharing the subtle presence of my spiritual teacher give me great fulfillment and joy.