Act On Wisdom

PlayHaven.org

Act on Wisdom — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:24:02 +0000

Now that our new non-profit organization, PlayHaven, has been granted tax-exempt status by the IRS and has purchased a site in central Tucson for its new center, you may want to get involved in its planning and development. Please visit the new website, http://playhaven.org. We welcome your input and involvement!

History of Global Chant

Act on Wisdom — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:03:11 +0000

This week, I received a question about the history of Global Chant, and so I thought I would share this information:

Global Chant started in 1996. Originally, it was called "Sanctuary Among Neighbors" and was simply a support group for people pursuing a spiritual path. We would meet weekly to meditate together, and very quickly our meditations evolved into chanting sessions. The reason was just that people enjoyed chanting so much.

In 2001, we adopted the name, "Global Chant," and focused exclusively on chanting. We made a commitment to embrace chanting and spiritual wisdom from all traditions without being affiliated exclusively with any one religion or spiritual tradition. This is what makes Global Chant relatively unique. Unlike other groups, we are completely unaffiliated. Our members include individuals who consider themselves to be practicing Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Bahai's, and pagans. Everyone feels equally welcome because we do not impose any kind of ideology on anyone. At our chanting circles, there are no sermons and certainly no prosyletizing--just intention-setting, chanting, quiet meditation, and plenty of hugs at the end.

After 2004, we began incorporating shamanic principles into our chanting circles. Today, our circles emphasize healing intention and are structured in many ways like traditional shamanic circles. We always set intention at the beginning of our circles, dedicating our chanting to the Earth as well as to specific people,places, and other entitites that we feel can benefit from the healing energy that we generate.

With the publication of "The Chanter's Guide: Sacred Chanting as a Shamanic Practice" in 2007, our chanting circle began to grow. Our original Wed night circle has outgrown two locations in three years, and we now have chanting circles that meet in five different locations throughout Tucson. Other chanting circles have also started in California, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and other parts of Arizona.

In Tucson, Global Chant has hosted an exhibit of Buddhist relics in December 2007 and the first of several WAVE1 events (involving one million people globally) in June 2008. Today, WAVE1 is a monthly full-moon event in which we generate love and joy through chanting, dance, rhythm, and other forms of divine play.

Question about the Sai Ram Chant

Act on Wisdom — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:40:15 +0000

Q: I came across this BBC documentary about Sai Baba I thought you might be interested in (.http://www.mazalien.com/secret-swami-sai-baba.html). It so clearly exposes him as a fraud, and I've also had recent experience with a Sai Baba devotee that has also made it ever so clear to me how guilty he is of every single red flag of the false guru. Anyway, I love Global Chant and so I wanted to throw my two cents in here about including the Sai Baba mantra in the chant pages (#84 is it?). It doesn't keep me from attending (fer sure) but I sure do have to brace myself every time it comes up at the chant. It potentially plants a dark seed in the minds of those present as well, I think.

A: Thanks for your concern. The mantra "Sai Ram" is not specific to the current Sai Baba. One of its many translations is "God is wise" or "God is wisdom." The mantra originated not with the current Sai Baba but dates back at least to Shirdi Sai Baba (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sai_Baba_of_Shirdi). I consider the mantra to be pure or I would not want it to be part of the GC chant collection. That being the case, I will ask the Chant Selection Committee to review it carefully when the next revision/update of our collection happens later this year. You are more than welcome to be part of that committee!

New East Central Global Chant Group

Act on Wisdom — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:46:23 +0000

Starting January 26, this new circle meets the fourth Tuesday of every month, 6:30pm, Atria Valley Manor, 5549 E. Lee.

New NW Tucson Global Chant Circle

Act on Wisdom — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:39:44 +0000

Starting February 1, NW Tucson GC meets at 6:30pm the first and third Monday of every month in the Fireside room of the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3601 W Cromwell Drive. For more information, please call Katta at 304-4812

Directions: Cromwell Drive is 3/4 of a mile North of Ina Rd on Thornydale (1/2 way between Ina and Cortaro Farms Rd). Turn East onto Cromwell -- at the flag pole at the fire station. Stay on Cromwell to the end and you will see the church entrance on the right.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4ADBS_en___US267&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=3601+w+cromwell+drive,+tucson&fb=1&gl=us&hnear=3601+w+cromwell+drive,+tucson&cid=0,0,9934102809978217469&ei=3rxMS5PuKozCsgOTn6CKAQ&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQnwIwAA

The Words to "As I Walk in Beauty"

Act on Wisdom — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:15:48 +0000

This chant, which is based on a Navajo prayer, has two parts. Most people chant:

"As I walk, as I walk, as I walk in beauty."

The second part includes the following lines:

"The universe is walking with me as I walk in beauty."

"In beauty it walks before me as I walk in beauty."

"In beauty it walks behind me as I walk in beauty."

"In beauty it walks above me as I walk in beauty."

"In beauty it walks below me as I walk in beauty."

"Beauty is all around me me as I walk in beauty."

Wed night Tucson Global Chant is Moving!

Act on Wisdom — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:08:53 +0000

Beginning December 2, our Wed night Global Chant circle will move to Grace St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams. The church is on the NW corner of Adams and Norton, four blocks north of Speedway and one block west of Tucson Blvd. We will be meeting at 6pm every Wed in McBride Hall. This space is 3-4 times the size of our current location. We will have room to really stretch out. Plus, the church has a large parking lot tthat can be accessed easily from Norton (just north of the church) and that can accommodate 100 cars. No more concerns about where to park! We are grateful to the Little Chapel staff for making us feel so welcome these past 14 years. At the same time, we are also looking forward to starting our 15th year in this ample new space and to our new partnership with Grace St. Paul's.

Tucson Global Chant Group Seeks a New Space

Act on Wisdom — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:36:06 +0000

After 14 years, the Tucson Wed night group has outgrown its current space in the McCormick Library. We are in the process of finding a meeting space that holds at least 75 people. If you know of any meeting space that we can use for little or no money every Wed night (6-7:30pm), please e-mail support@actonwisdom.com.

Next WAVE1: Monday, November 2

Act on Wisdom — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:32:56 +0000

This coming month's full-moon and WAVE1 event coincide with the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos). You can combine both by doing a ceremony that honors dead loved ones while remaining in the space of love and joy. WAVE1 festivities start at 7pm in your time zone. For an update on the Tucson WAVE1 celebration, please check the Upcoming Events page.

Next WAVE1: Friday, September 4

Act on Wisdom — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:32:08 +0000

September 4 is the full moon. At 7pm, we ask that you do something that brings you into the space of love and joy, for at least one hour, and dedicate it to the Earth and all its inhabitants during this time of great change. If you do a full-moon ceremony of some kind, anyway, please consider doing it at 7pm in your time zone. The objective is to create a wave of love and joy that moves around the world, from one time zone to the next, over a 24-hour period. Please visit our WAVE1 page or e-mail us for more information.