About Kirk Dennis

Kirk Dennis

Founder, Creator Chalice Heart Teaching

Kirk Dennis is a Christian mystic; born in Wisconsin and raised in Michigan. Since his family always attended the local Protestant Church, he was baptized in a Lutheran Church, attended Sunday School at a Methodist Church, confirmed as a teenager in a Presbyterian Church and graduated from Wittenberg University (preeminent Lutheran College in Springfield, Ohio) in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. While at Wittenberg, he traveled to Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India to conduct research that was documented and consummated in a book length manuscript entitled: “Bodh Gaya – The Holiest Buddhist Shrine.” For your information, Bodh Gaya is where the Buddha sat under the Bodhi Tree and received enlightenment. Just like Jerusalem for the Judeo/ Christian religion and Mecca for Islam, Bodh Gaya is considered the holiest place in the Buddhist world.

While living in India, Kirk stayed at the Bodh Gaya Ashram – the international headquarters for disciples of Mahatma Gandhi. After India achieved independence from Great Britain in 1949 and Gandhi was assassinated, Vinoba Bhave (1895 – 1982) became the new leader of the Gandhi organization. Bhave was an Indian advocate for nonviolence and human rights. Often called Archaya (teacher in Sanskrit), he is best known for establishing the Bhoodan Movement. As an eminent philosopher, he is considered the National Teacher of India and spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi.

On April 18, 1951, Bhave initiated the Bhoodan Movement at Pochampally of Nalgonda district Telangana. He took donated land from Indian landowners and gave it away to the poor and landless, for them to cultivate. Then after 1954, Bhave started to ask for donations for entire villages in a program he called Gramdan. He garnered more than one thousand villages by way of donations. Out of these, Bhave obtained 175 donated villages in Tamil Nadu alone.

When the Bhoodan Movement was completed in 1957, Dwarko Sundrani (1922 – 2021) became the new leader of the Gandhi organization. Sundrani was the last living disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and enjoyed close, personal friendships with Rev. Martin Luther King and his holiness the Dalai Lama. Sundrani is best known for continuing the Sarvodaya Movement throughout India. Sarvodaya means ‘progress of all’ or ‘Universal uplift.’ Gandhi started this Sarvodaya Movement, and people consider it an important addition to his efforts in the non-violence crusade. The main objective of this organization was to establish a new India based on non- violence and love. The Movement aims at creating a society that uses politics of co-operation instead of politics of power. It is an intellectual and powerful movement to develop India’s socio, economic and moral independence.

By devoting his life to the welfare of the people, Sundrani founded a network of 360 schools and engaged in all kinds of social action: from eye camps to vocational services for the underprivileged. He was a staunch believer of non violent social change. In 1953, Vinoba Bhave and Sundrani set up the ashram named Samanvaya in Bodh Gaya and in 1962 Sundrani was appointed as the chair of the Ashram.

While staying at Samanvaya in 1971, Kirk had the privilege of meeting Vinoba Bhave and intimately working with Dwarko Sundrani. As it turns out, Surrendra Ji (spiritual teacher and confidant of Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave, and Dwarko Sundrani) was visiting the Ashram in 1971. After a formal introduction by Sundrani, Kirk received spiritual instructions from Surrendra Ji, and after becoming good friends, he asked Kirk to live with him one on one. Kirk was extremely fortunate when Surrendra Ji introduced him to his friend and world-renowned spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986). From 1972 to 1976 Kirk led a Krishnamurti study group and continued to have contact with Krishnamurti in Ojai, California until his death.

Upon leaving India, the last thing Surrendra-Ji (Hindu monk) unexpectedly told Kirk: “When you get back to America, please promise me that you will learn everything you can about Jesus Christ.” And the last thing Kirk said to Surrendra Ji was “Yes, I will” And the rest is history.

In 1975 Kirk lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. At that time, he heard about a new set of books called “A Course in Miracles” with a profound and contemporary Christian message. Through a unique set of circumstances, Kirk was invited to the home of Robert and Judy Skutch in Tiburon – the eventual publishers of the “A Course in Miracles” through the Foundation for Inner Peace. While visiting their home, Robert and Judy told the story about Helen Schucman who channeled the “Course” and showed Kirk one of the original manuscripts. So, later in 1976 when the books were first released, Kirk not only acquired a copy for himself (day one), but also purchased (wholesale) several boxes of books for distribution to family, friends, acquaintances, and bookstores. Since “A Course in Miracles” was so meaningful for Kirk, he started a study group that he led for eight years from 1976 to 1984.

In 1976 Kirk also became a devotee of Adi Da Samraj (a.k.a. Da Free John). During this time- frame, Kirk attended 400+ weekend meditation retreats at the Johannine Daist Communion near Clearlake, California. Although he was deeply touched by Adi Da’s presence and teaching, Kirk found it difficult, but necessary, to leave his spiritual community in 1984. Adi Da has significantly influenced Kirk’s spiritual life and he is grateful for the opportunity to be with him. Kirk continues to have contact with Saniel Bonder – a spiritual teacher in his own right – who edited most of Adi Da’s books.

In 1984 Kirk became a student of Hameed Ali (a.k.a. A. Almaas) – founder of the Ridhwan School and creator of the Diamond Approach® for Spiritual Realization. After completing an 11-year teacher-training program in the School, Kirk became an ordained Minister/Spiritual Teacher in August 1999. In his first year as a teacher, Kirk was a member of a team that taught a 10-day course on the soul for sixty-seven priests, nuns, and monks at the Dominican monastery in Cork, Ireland. Before and after ordination, Kirk conducted private teaching sessions with students for over twelve years; established the Diamond Approach in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2000; and facilitated the growth of the group to forty people by 2003. Due to philosophical and personal differences, Kirk resigned from the Ridhwan School as a student and teacher in May 2003. As some of his friends framed it at the time, Kirk graduated from the Ridhwan School and its teachings like a “ripe fruit falling from a tree…”

During this 18-year time-frame, Kirk attended fifty-four 10-day silent meditation retreats. When these meditation retreats are combined with the four hundred weekend meditation retreats hosted by Adi Da Samraj, Kirk has garnered the recognition/ reputation for meditation mastery.

In 2003 Kirk created and established the Chalice Heart teaching which is supported by the Dominican Order of the Catholic Church. Chalice Heart Mission Statement:

“Revitalize the Precious Human Soul within the Judeo/ Christian contemplative tradition.”

Chalice Heart is remarkably similar to the teachings of Meister Eckhart (AD 1260 – 1328) – the Father of “Dominican Mysticism” and Saint Catherine of Sienna (AD 1347 – 1380). Over the last two decades, Kirk has worked with 100+ people from around the country and currently conducts weekend meditation retreats throughout the United States. Since founding the Chalice Heart teaching, Kirk has studied in great depth and detail the I AM teaching by Aadi (a.k.a. Aziz Kristoff out of Poland) that includes a very comprehensive and in-depth teaching on the human soul.

In 2018, Kirk systematically and thoroughly explored the Christian teachings from the time of Christ to the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. By contemplating teachings of “Lost Christianity” and the “Desert Fathers,” Kirk rediscovered the importance and value of the soul in the foundational years of early Christianity. In addition, Kirk has ardently studied the life and teachings of more than one hundred mystics and saints from Catholic and Protestant traditions to confirm his realization of the soul and to understand and adopt Christian teachings regarding the soul. Consequently, Kirk has written a 320-page unpublished book entitled “The Precious Human Soul” as a resource for the Chalice Heart teaching and meditation on the soul.

When people who know Kirk through spiritual interests find out about his business achievements, they are pleasantly surprised. When people who know Kirk through business interests find out about his spiritual life, they find it hard to believe he has taken the time and energy for this passionate pursuit throughout his entire adult life.

For his business career, Kirk has been in the Information Technology industry for over 50 years and is currently the principle of Kirk Dennis Inc (KDI) – a management consulting firm that specializes in developing marketing plans and sales strategies for all types of companies. Besides KDI, he has founded and built three other diverse companies including a wholesale computer distributor, Boulder Computer Systems; a nationwide LAN/WAN systems integrator – SigmaCom, Inc; and a videoconferencing company, VideoCom, Inc. Business highlights include:

  • $250M plus in personal sales for entire career
  • $110M sale to Lockheed Martin in 1986 (world-wide conversion from IBM to Compaq computers)
  • Starting SigmaCom with one other person and a credit card and taking it public as Cavion, Inc. on the NASDAQ Exchange in 1999
  • Successfully provided consulting services to over twenty small to mid-sized businesses since 1997

On a personal note: Kirk did not get married to Toni until 1989 and feels fortunate that his three stepchildren (Christopher, Heather, and Hilary) adopted him as their father. When Kirk got married, being a grandfather was not even on his radar. But as it turns out, his six grandchildren (four boys and two girls – ages 13 to 28) are the greatest gift in his life. Since Kirk never had his own children, he has thoroughly enjoyed their dance recitals, soccer games and graduations, etc. With good health and blessings, Kirk hopes to become a great grandfather someday and take pleasure and delight in the “little ones” all over again.