Mooji

Mooji is a spiritual teacher known for leading Satsang, a traditional form of spiritual gathering in which students gather in the presence of a teacher to inquire into the nature of the Self. Born Anthony Paul Moo-Young in Port Antonio, Jamaica in 1954, he moved to the United Kingdom as a teenager and later became a disciple of the Advaita Vedanta master Papaji (H.W.L. Poonja) in Lucknow, India. His teaching draws directly from the Advaita tradition, emphasizing non-dual inquiry and the recognition of consciousness as one's true nature.

Mooji's approach is marked by a conversational, direct style in which he responds to students' questions in real time, often using metaphor, humor, and silent presence to guide seekers past intellectual understanding toward experiential recognition. Unlike teachers who rely on formal lectures or structured curricula, his method centers on spontaneous dialogue, what Advaita practitioners call Satsang, combined with practices such as the "I Am" meditation and self-inquiry techniques that trace back through Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj. His sessions blend question-and-answer exchange with periods of silent sitting and devotional kirtan music, creating a format that alternates between rigorous inquiry and devotional surrender.

He has released several books documenting his teachings, including "White Fire," "Before I Am," and "Writing on Water," each composed of transcribed Satsang dialogues. His audio and video recordings circulate widely on YouTube, where his channel has accumulated millions of views, and he has published guided meditation albums that accompany practitioners through self-inquiry practices. Devotional music albums recorded during Satsang sessions, such as "Breath of the Absolute" and "Satsang Is Here," feature chants and bhajans sung by Mooji and the Sangha community.

Mooji founded Monte Sahaja, a spiritual community and ashram located in the Alentejo region of southern Portugal, where he holds silent retreats and extended Satsang intensives. The ashram opened in 2013 and serves as both his primary teaching residence and a retreat center that welcomes students from across the globe for programs that range from weekend gatherings to month-long silent retreats. He also continues to hold public Satsangs in Lisbon and has led events in cities including London, Rishikesh, and Tiruvannamalai. Monte Sahaja additionally operates as a monastery for those who commit to longer-term residential practice under his guidance.

His work has reached audiences through the Mooji Sangha online platform, which streams live Satsangs and hosts a library of recorded teachings, daily contemplations, and guided meditations accessible to students worldwide. He has been featured in interviews with publications such as Watkins' Mind Body Spirit magazine, which named him among the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People multiple times between 2012 and 2019. His YouTube presence alone has brought Advaita teachings to a generation of seekers who might not otherwise encounter traditional Vedantic instruction, with his most widely viewed talks garnering several million individual views.

Mooji continues to teach regularly from Monte Sahaja, offering both in-person Satsangs and daily online sessions that are broadcast freely. Recent years have seen the expansion of his digital offerings, including the Mooji app, which provides access to guided self-inquiry meditations, silent sitting sessions, and a growing archive of Satsang recordings. He also facilitates annual events such as the Zmar Silent Retreat, a large-scale gathering held each spring in Portugal that draws over a thousand participants for intensive silent practice.

For those new to his teaching, Mooji offers an entry point into Advaita Vedanta that prioritizes experiential investigation over doctrinal study, inviting seekers to examine the question "Who am I?" not as philosophy but as direct, present-moment inquiry into the nature of awareness itself.