Biography

Acharya Chandranath

(Chris Simmonds)

I read a book about yoga and meditation in my early teens. It resonated deeply with me and I declared that I would practice yoga every day for the rest of my life …but it lasted only one day. I told my parents that I was interested in “self-realization” rather than worldly accomplishments, but they were dubious about it.

On the first day that I went to university, I saw 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 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 inspiring meanings.

I practiced meditation and yoga asanas (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 wad filled with light. I had a blissful feeling of being in God’s presence. This experience completely changed my understanding of what a human being is as well as my outlook on life.

I feel blessed to have received that experience because it set me on a spiritual path and propelled me into a relationship with my spiritual master Shrii Shrii Anandamurtii.

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 Anandamurtii'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 very deep relationship with him.

In 1988 a close spiritual friend was sharing a time of 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 (a spiritual teacher). I had read many inspiring stories about householder spiritual teachers and wanted to be one. At that moment, a profound spiritual energy entered me and I strongly felt my Gurus presence within.  As spiritual messages go it was about as blunt as a 2x4 over he head; I needed to do that.

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 guide give me great fulfillment and joy.