Acharyas
Swami
Tejomayananda, Head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide
Acharya Swami Dheerananda
Swami Dheerananda is a
young and dynamic disciple who in wit and wisdom is evidently cast in the mold
of His spiritual Master Poojya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda. Swami Dheerananda
was literally born in the lap of Chinmaya Culture. He hails from Hyderabad, A.P.,
India. Responding to the call of the Master he underwent the Brahmachari
Training Course at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai, India during the year
1984-1986 under the instruction of Swami Tejomayananda. With the Divine
guidance of Poojya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda he underwent austere Tapas at
Uttarakasi, Himalayas, the austere abode of Parama Poojya Swami Tapovan Maharaj,
the Guru of Poojya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda. Swami Dheerananda is the last
disciple directly initiated by Poojya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda into Sannyas
on May 23, 1993. Swami Dheerananda served in Chinmaya Mission in India
conducting Jnana Yajnas and then in the year 1989 Poojya Gurudev Swami
Chinmayananda placed him as Resident Acharya in Chinmaya Mission Washington
Regional Center, since 1989 Swami Dheerananda has been serving United States and
Canada. By the Divine Grace and Blessings of Poojya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda
and Swami Tejomayananda, Swami Dheerananda addressed the Parliament of Religions
in Chicago in the year 1993 and was given a standing ovation by the
distinguished audience. As a Teacher Swami Dheerananda lives the Chinmaya
tradition.
Contact E-Mail: Swami Dheeranandaji
Bhiksha Coordinator: Nagaraj Neerchal
Other: Bhiksha Information for Swamiji
Acharya Vilasiniji
Vilasiniji is an Acharya of
Chinmaya Mission and teaches Vedanta in the Washington, D.C., area. She began
her studies of Vedanta under Swami Chinmayananda in 1975 when she was in India
studying comparative philosophy. She graduated from Tufts University with a
B.S. magna cum laude in philosophy, and in 1978 she graduated from Sandeepany
Sadhanalaya’s course in Vedanta. Vilasiniji and her family organized Swami
Chinmayananda’s first yagna in Washington, D.C. in 1978, and started the first
Chinmaya study group in Washington, D.C. Vilasiniji served Chinmaya Mission in
Flint, Michigan, until 1980, where she taught Bala Vihar, Sanskrit classes,
Vedanta classes, and Devi Groups. She also organized study groups and Bala
Vihar in Chicago and California. From 1981-1984, Vilasiniji had the great honor
of being Swami Chinmayananda’s personal assistant, traveling with Gurudev to all
his yajnas, videotaping his talks, and performing secretarial assistance.
In 1984 she was assigned to be Editor-in-Chief of Mananam Publication Series.
In 1986 Vilasini and her husband Suresh moved to Washington, D.C. She and her
husband were founding members of the Board of Trustees of Chinmaya Mission
Washington Regional Center in 1989.
In 1989, Swami Chinmayananda placed Vilasiniji on the Board of Chinmaya Mission West. In 1991 he named her as Executive Secretary of CMW. She is presently serving as Acharya for Adult Vedanta Classes and Director of the CMWRC Bala Vihar Program for all chapters, which has many dedicated teachers imparting spiritual values to 600-plus children every weekend.
Acharya
Pramila Poudel -
Acharya - CMWRC-Springfield
Chapter
Dr. Pramila Poudel,
together with her husband Dr. Bishnu Poudel, has been an active member of the
Chinmaya Mission family here in the Washington Regional Center for well over
twenty years. Over these years she has taken up assiduously to the spiritual
path shown to her by Gurudev. She seldom missed a chance to attend Gurudev’s,
and later Guruji’s, yajnas. Not content with only studying, Pramilaji converted
her house to a veritable temple where she also taught Gita, Yogasutra etc to
many Northern Virginian devotees.
A native of Nepal, Pramilaji acquired an M.A in Economics and a Ph.D in resource economics from a prestigious American university. After graduation, she worked for the federal government in Washington D.C. as a research scientist for several years. Taking early retirement from her career a couple of years ago, Pramilaji did not waste any time before enrolling in the two-year Brahmachari course at Sandheepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai, under the guidance of Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji.
Now that Pramilaji has completed this course, we are indeed very fortunate to have her designated by Guruji as the Acharya of the Springfield chapter.
Acharya Pramilaji is back home and the members of the Springfield are certain to feel at home also with their new Acharya as she does what she does best- teach Vedanta.
Acharya
Anant Sarma -
Acharya - CMWRC-Dulles
Chapter
He has an in depth understanding of the needs and ambitions of our members. He holds an undergraduate engineering degree from IIT, Madras and graduate degrees in Engineering and Business Administration from Texas. Anant ji has extensive experience in teaching in US universities and in financial administration for not-for-profit organizations.
His association with the Mission began when he first attended Gurudev's Yajna in 1981 in Houston. When he moved to the Washington DC area in 1989,he pioneered our Mission activities in Baltimore, MD.
A serious student of Vedanta and one of the key sevaks of the Mission, Anant ji has served as a member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees of CMWRC. He has played a leading role in building a strong foundation for the growth of CMWRC in the areas of finance and administration. He has organized some of Gurudev's Camps and Yajnas in the Washington DC area and has conducted Vedanta classes for our groups in Baltimore and Frederick, MD. Anant ji studied Sanskrit at and also served the Chinmaya International Foundation. His rigorous studies and sadhanas under the guidance of Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji will no doubt be a great asset to CMWRC
Dr.
Sadananda, a retired scientist by profession (US Naval Research Lab), is a
disciple of Swami Chinmayananda, and one of the founding members of Chinmaya
Mission Washington Regional Center . He was a former Trustee of CMWRC and was
responsible for starting and guiding several major activities, including
organizing Spiritual Camps with Pujya Gurudev and Swami Tejomayananda. Dr.
Sadananda has been one of the spiritual guides of the Northern Virginia Chapter
of Chinmaya Mission for the past decade. He has conducted weekend Spiritual
Camps at Chinmayam over the past many years on various
Upanishadic
texts and prakarana granthas (Upadesasara, Dakshinamurthy Stotram, Saddarshanam,
Advaita Makaranda, Mandukya aagama prakarana and Sadvidya of Chandogya). He
continues to conduct Vedanta classes
on
weekends in Northern Virginia .
Acharya
Brahmacharini Arpita Chaitanya
- now
at Chinmaya Mission - St. Augustine, FL (Chinmaya - Govardhan)
Brahmacharini Arpita,
(affectionately known as Arpitaji), met Pujya Swami Chinmayananda in 1978 and
was inspired to join the Vedanta Course of study at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya,
Powai, Bombay. She went through the course during 1987-88 under the guidance of
Sri Swami Tejomanayanda (present Head of Chinmaya Mission®, Worldwide). Since
1989, she has served at the Washington Regional Center, at Krishnalaya in Piercy,
CA and in the Los Angeles area teaching Vedanta (Bhagavad Geetha and other
texts) for adults and children.
She has lately moved to Florida and is setting up a camp for children. Her long standing dream of having a camp. It will be called Chinmaya Children's Spiritual Camp - Govardhan. Arpitaji also enjoys playing the guitar and teaching Eastern and Western devotional music to the children and youth. She has released a tape of childrens' devotional songs titled "Come to Me, My Krsna".
Click here for A Journey
Into The Fragrant Mind: The Fragrant World,
by Vandana Bapna.
This poem is dedicated to our
Acharyas: Swami Dheerananda, Brni. Arpitaji, and Vilasiniji. Their support for our programs has no limits.
Their motivation and encouragement inspires us to keep doing seva for Pujya
Gurudev.