VITA

Vivek was born in Bavaria, Germany in the summer of 1971. He was raised Christian, attending church every Sunday with his Grandmother. Vivek remembers with fondness the local Priest whose preaching fascinated and delighted him. It was here that Vivek first felt a deep connection to the teachings and wonders of Jesus Christ.

As a boy, Vivek spent a lot of time in nature. He developed an extraordinary attentiveness to the natural world, learning the way of the woodlands by heart. This love and closeness to nature still holds true for Vivek, and he feels it deeply.

At the age of 3, Vivek had a near-death experience. He and his father took a trip out to the edge of the forest after a strong rainfall. When stopping to take a break, his father fell asleep. Curious, unattended and unable to swim, Vivek fell into a mud pool, went under and drowned.  As he passed over, young Vivek saw spirits in the form of light moving in the water all around him, taking care of him. He recalls watching the spirits in awe and peace. When his father woke, he found Vivek in the water and immediately pulled him out. He experienced coming back to life as a shock because he remembers being so entranced and safe in the presence of the spirits. Vivek almost died, or rather, he witnessed the ‘other side’, which had a permanent effect on his awareness.

As a teenager, Vivek could clearly see that something in society was not working. Music was his channel of expression, he wrote songs about how he perceived the world, some of which became well-known across Bavaria.

At 20, he began to work in his father’s bistro, and at 21, opened his own bar. A few years later, Vivek started a restaurant with his father in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps.

The restaurant business showed Vivek both sides of the same coin – being very successful, he experienced wealth and recognition. On the other side, Vivek was stressed, restless and had trouble sleeping because his mind was so active.  He saw that no matter how good the business was, nor how much he had, it was not satisfying.

By the age of 30, Vivek realised that despite all that belonged to him, and all that he had created, he was not happy and ‚something had to change.‘

Then, the shift began and it happened very fast. Vivek gave it all up, left Bavaria and travelled, with a deep interest in discovering if something could bring true, lasting fulfilment. He travelled to many countries, and in 2002, arrived in Crete. It was in the potent land of the South, in a small village called Lentas, that Vivek had his first awakening.

For the first time in his life, Vivek stopped all activity. The stillness took over with such intensity that Vivek didn’t want to move anymore. He no longer had any desire for anything, yet deep fulfilment prevailed. Tears ran down his face for hours, until in the evening a Greek mama walked out of a taverna, put her arm around him and said, “Come on son, you need to eat something.”

Though he didn’t know what was happening to him, a profound change took place that day.

Vivek continued to travel. After some time he came up with a new concept for a restaurant – one to be run from love, peace and awareness, not stress and fear. Returning to Germany, he created this restaurant, which had a profound effect on many who came.

He brought all that he knew of spirituality into the restaurant environment, and customers came back again and again. The food and the space ignited such life and wellness in them. The head chef was a healer, and together they deepened their understanding of energywork, healing, and how consciousness can enhance food and cooking.

Most importantly, it was in this restaurant in 2005, that Vivek met his teacher, Shanti. There was a strong connection and Shanti invited Vivek to his Satsang. There he recognised the Truth that Shanti shared, and his search ended. He knew that he had finally found what he had been looking for. Shanti and Vivek developed a strong bond. They would often walk together in nature, where Shanti would teach him and they would enjoy the moment together. It is with Shanti’s loving guidance that Vivek’s awakening deepened and a clear self realisation happened. He received the name Vivek which means discernment; the ability to see the difference between truth and illusion.

Having heard Shanti speak about Ramana Maharshi and the holy mountain of Arunachala, Vivek travelled to India to discover both.

He sat in Satsang, studied traditional yoga and practised meditation.

Upon returning to Germany, Vivek started to teach yoga and meditation. He spent more and more time with Shanti, and the moment came in 2010 when Shanti told Vivek to hold Satsang. Vivek has been traveling and teaching ever since.

So far he has held Satsang in Australia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Lithuania, and India. He continues to travel and teach, supporting people in their awakening and liberation.