Acharyas
Swami Dheeranandaji
SPiritual head, CMWRC
Swami Dheerananda 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 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.
Today, Swamiji oversees and guides all the activities of CMWRC, and personally presides over 3 Bala Vihar sessions and Adult Gita Classes at Silver Spring chapter (Chinmayam), conducts Thursday Vedanta classes, and CMWRC Children Summer Camps in Maryland and Northern Virginia.
Acharya Vivekji
Having experienced much of what the world has to offer, from studying at the Ivey School of Business to traveling to almost fifty countries, Vivekji still sought more. Tired of the inconsistent peace associated with extrovert pursuits, he decided to turn his journey within.
In 2005 Vivekji was accepted to the intensive residential Vedanta Course at Chinmaya Mission’s Sandeepany Sadhanalaya in India. There he studied and lived under the guidance of Pujya Swami Tejomayananda for over two years!
Discovering that the only purpose of life is to be infinitely, constantly and unconditionally happy, Vivekji continues to explore this purpose by sharing the same with others.
Through his inspiring, innovative and insightful style, Vivekji makes Vedanta relevant, relatable and reachable. Intrigued that a young-adult born and raised in Canada would walk such an untraveled path, an array of community groups, academic forums, professional associations, medical departments and religious organizations around the world (i.e. The Office of the Pentagon in Washington, Regional Mental Health Care Hospital in London, etc.) have invited Vivekji to share his wisdom on Life and living.
Amidst all his efforts, Pujya Swami Tejomayananda has continuously blessed Vivekji with greater responsibilities: in 2008 as the Resident Acharya of Chinmaya Mission Niagara, in 2011 as the Deputy Director of Chinmaya Yuva Kendra West and in 2013 as the Visiting Acharya of Chinmaya Mission Pittsburgh.
