Sacchidananda Acharya is the teacher at the ashram. Here is a short biography.
Sacchidananda is only Awareness. He is nobody-no-thing. As a relative concept (since there is nobody being born or dying) he was born on 26th of June 1967 in Corinth, Greece.
Sacchidananda Acharya’s first spiritual experiences of meditation and Awareness-Brahman, began when he was 5 years old, even though he didn’t really know what he was doing. He always wanted to be in solitude and enjoy the Bliss and Peace that he found inside himself and all around, whether his eyes were open or closed.
Gradually he became more and more interested in Truth and at 15 years old, started a deep search of religions, philosophy and other paths of Self-Realization and Enlightenment.
He has had guidance from several Gurus, especially Swami Paramarthananda and Sri Ramakant Maharaj and has also been inspired by masters and teaching of other similar traditions of the world, that highlight the Oneness of our existence. His study and practice has been continuous throughout his life in order to deepen his understanding and to keep the teachings alive and inspired.
He loves the teachings of Adi Sankaracharya, Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Some of his greatest inspirations and influences are the ancient wisdom of Ribhu Gita, Ashtavakra Gita, Avadhoota Gita and the Bhagavad Gita.
Since 2012, he did not feel he needed any more practice and IT was something that he just knew. He is permanently convinced in the recognition that there Is Only Brahman-Awareness and Abides As That.
He is not connected with monasteries or any religions, however since 2018, Sacchidananda Acharya has been associated with the Sringeri Math - the heart of Advaita Vedanta in India.
In 2021, during his first trip to Sringeri, outside the Vidyashankara Temple at Sringeri Math, His Holiness Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati Swamiji initiated Sacchidananda into a sacred Shiva mantra and gave him permission to pass this on to his students.
In April 2023, Sacchidananda Acharya and the Director of Advaita Vedanta Ashram Europe, Andrew David Boyle, were given two blessed statues by His Holiness in the Guru Niwas Temple at Sringeri Math, to be placed in the Greek Ashram’s Meditation Hall when it is built.
They also received a letter from the CEO of Sringeri Math, Dr. Gowrishankar stating the Ashram project has the Blessings of the Jagadgurus and that Sringeri Math will help and support the establishment and flourishing of Advaita Vedanta Ashram Europe.
Sacchidananda Acharya intends to continue to visit Sringeri regularly to understand and imbibe the tradition of Sanatana Dharma and the Vedantic teachings of Sri Adi Shankaracharya.
Sacchidananda Acharya knows absolutely that the True and Real Guru/Teacher is within, i.e. is Awareness-Brahman. Nevertheless, some appearing “illusory separate individuals”, believe that they need, in the initial stage, a so-called external Guru/Teacher. In this long dream, “some other illusory separate individuals” out of “their” spontaneous urge of fulfilment of their Prarabdha karma/destiny, will appear as playing the “role of a teacher”.
Sacchidananda Acharya does not pursue to find “students”, nevertheless he accepts “students”-friends. He teaches out of compassion to assist “illusory separate individuals that suffer” by pointing out that “who suffers” does not exist and that suffering is an illusion.
He teaches with humility and aims to guide students towards a profound understanding of Non-Duality and even Beyond Non-Duality and thus to reveal their True Self/Nature as Awareness. He aims to reveal our Ever-Present but veiled Bliss, Harmony, Peace, Presence, Awareness. The Ultimate Truth is Awareness full of Bliss, but even this is only a pointer because What There Is – Is Beyond any concepts.
As a living process, through his experience and practice, he teaches, transmits, initiates, explains and guides into the Ever-Present but veiled Truth-Awareness-Brahman, and he has offered Spiritual healing sessions in his own way through his intuition, all over Greece and abroad since 1988.
He offers all of his teachings and healing sessions Free of Charge or with Guru-dakshina, which means that he accepts any donations of money, service or food for his family although that is never a prerequisite. Whenever he is invited somewhere, he asks for the basic expenses to be covered (travel tickets / accommodation / teaching space) and accepts a free donation for his family – without that being a pre-requisite of course.
He does not wish to own anything and indeed he does not own anything except an old car. All donations are simply for paying his rent and to provide nourishment for himself and his family.
He is married and he lives with simplicity in Corinth, Greece with his wife Samadarshana and their twin daughters Tara and Samadhi “born” in 2014.