Cittavān first arrived at Aryaloka in 1995 on a search for a meditation teacher. In the following years, his depth of engagement with Buddhism and the Triratna community deepened, which culminated in his ordination in 2017. The name Cittavān (pronounced Chit-ah-von) means" kind hearted, intelligent."
Cittavān's livelihood is in the biotechnology realm and his interests include supporting retreats at Aryaloka, yin yoga, meditation, music, history, submerging in nature and hiking in the New England 4000 footers.