Scott Schwartz, a San Francisco native, is an airline pilot, adventure traveler, financial advisor, a meditation practitioner, and a father of two daughters. His pursuit for deeper spiritual experiences has taken him to various holy places such as: Katmandu, Kyoto, Rome, Jerusalem, Cairo, Delhi, Dar es Salaam, and Machu Picchu.
During Scott's tenure as an airline pilot he became a financial advisor helping his pilot group through numerous bankruptcies and financial restructurings. Scott now serves individuals, organizations, and offers pro bono services to individuals in need.
Scott is also a student of Raja Yoga taught by the Brahma Kumaris since the mid-1990's and is an avid spiritual thinker with an ongoing interfaith interest.
This session was a brief overview of Scott's travels throughout the world including an open discussion of inner and outer personal exploration.
Oba's non-profit organization has ignited a movement centered on illuminating the minds of black people in America by teaching Ancient Esoteric African Philosophy and Cosmology.
Oba conducts hand healing sessions in his little sacred healing space in Oakland where he continually attracts African Americans. Oba is also known to be an: inspiring metaphysician; mystic motivational speaker; poet and spoken word artist; and apprentice of Alchemic studies.
"In order to move forward at the present condition of the world we have to establish a twin lineal order – where the male and female principles are harmonized and not in conflict." - Oba Oosa Gbemi Tafari Israel
"Challenge is what enthralls me and free spirit is what I exhibit. Never Give Up, Never Give In! is a phrase that works miracles for me. Courage and Conviction" has been a way of expression of my self."
MalliMastanBabu hails from a small village in Andra Pradesh, India. From an early age of 11, he dreamed of climbing Mt. Everest. Now, in his early thirties, Malli may be dubbed as "the fastest mountain climber in the world." He holds the world record of climbing the 7 summits of the world, i.e. Everest, Kilimanjaro, Vinson Massif, etc., in 171 days – in a span of 7 months in the same year.
He shared with us the experiences and the driving force that propelled him physically and spiritually to follow and fulfill his dream.
Dr. Matt Bloom is a psychologist with extensive studies on Overall Optimal Human Functions. His expertise is in Consulting Psychology, Transformational Facilitation & Education. His particular interest is in the concept of "Relational Field" and the use of "Systemic Constellations" which he will demonstrate.
Dr. Bloom received a Ph.D. from the University of Portland. His current focus is on Spiritual Practice and Human Development over the Life Cycle, and Training and Facilitation of others in the areas of methods of effective strategies for achieving optimal levels of health and Balance in Mind, Body, Ecology & Spirit. He enjoys integrating theory and practice, with an emphasis on the practical application.
Dr. Bloom is currently a student of Raja Yoga meditation. Some of this other interests include playing the guitar, teaching, photography, tai chi, biking, writing and poetry.
Mitch Hall is committed to peace building, social healing, children's rights, nonviolence and spiritual cultivation through education, coalition building, mentoring and mediating. His recent writings include The Social Healer (with Marc Pilisuk, 2006), The Power of Peace (with Madeleine Y. Gómez, 2004), Peace Quest: Cultivating Peace in a Violent Culture (2003), and The Plague of Violence: a Preventable Epidemic (2002).
Mitch's mission for peace building and spiritual cultivation is rooted in early childhood experience. He has an undergraduate degree in religion from Columbia University and a graduate degree in sociology and psychology. Over the years, in a comprehensive and humanistic spirit of dialogue, he has read widely the literature of diverse spiritual paths and has practiced for extended periods with teachers from Yogic, Jain, Taoist, and Buddhist traditions. He continues to practice taichi, qigong and meditation (primarily vipassana) and zhanzhuang (standing meditation). Life experience and significant interpersonal relationships have been his main teachers.
Mitch is a member of the Board of Directors of Parents and Teachers against Violence in Education (www.nospank.net). In recent years, he has been invited twice as a speaker to the professional summit conferences, "National Leaders in Nonviolence and the Child." He has served with such organizations as the Fellowship of Reconciliation and the Peace Corps, which gave him intercultural experience in Europe and Africa respectively. He currently works as an academic dean at a college in San Francisco.
Paradice - with a ‘c’?That is correct, not a misspelling!
John O’Neil, a game designer, founder of ‘Admcadiam’ made a spirited guest presentation to “The Men’s Wisdom Circle” at the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center on 401 Baker St in San Francisco on Saturday, October 27, 07.John’s personal qualities of heart, mind and spirit, were abundantly manifest in his presentation with much childlike and exuberant demeanor.
With Admcadiam, a self-developed philosophy, John began his journey in 1975.He brings to bear his early training in theosophy, and his spiritual bent of mind to create his vision of creating beauty of the heart, message for the soul, and challenge for the mind.
John and his games is a tour de force to reckon with.With a checkered life and involvement with numerous inventions of playing cards, postcards, board and video games, and others, John developed Paradice as first of a series of nine games that carry meaningful messages of living in a harmonious, creative, and at once in an entertaining way.
.In 1982 his company Flyghts of Fancie became synonymous with innovation in the non-violent sector of the video game industry.In 1985 “Lifespan” won the “most innovative game” award at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas.“Dolphins Rune” won “best educational game” at the CES 1987 in Chicago.John has earned accolades as the “Salvador Dali of Video Games” and “Pied Piper of the Gaming Industry”.
Paradice, a game of entertainment, designed for today’s Consciousness to explore, experience and share who we are and who we can be.The object of the game is noble, played as Giver or Taker, as the roles keep changing, leading to the conclusion that only the Giver can win by getting Humans together.
Information on sponsoring a Paradice Party of six or more can be obtained from www.admcadiam.com.
THE MWC AIM The aim of the monthly Men's Wisdom Circle is to encourage men of all cultures, faiths and backgrounds to come together as brothers to explore, deepen, share and enjoy the spiritual beings that we are. Through these conversations we will break down barriers that exist within and between us so that we can play our part in creating a peaceful, authentic and loving world.
THE MWC VISION Eventually, we expect self-awareness gatherings for men to become just as common and popular as for women. Men's need for spiritual sustenance is becoming more and more apparent and such forums provide an opportunity for men to come together to share and support each other to develop authenticity in personal relationships, profession and faith.
We look forward to the time when all men will once again recognize and value their innate goodness and play their part in healing the world. We welcome comments and dialogue with other men, who are interested in this important area.
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What to expect at the circle We begin the circle with 5 mins. of silence. We go around the room and everyone introduces themselves. The presenter introduces himself and gets into his presentation. The talk lasts for about 45 mins. We have some dicussion and Q&A at the end. Before the wrap up, the presenter guides the group through a meditation of his choice for about 5 mins. Then, we go downstairs for some tea and snacks. It's a pretty laid back format and we are flexible on how it goes.
The guest speaker typically shares some moments in his life which led to an 'awakening', moments that tested his values and the conviction that lead to success amidst adversity. Our speakers have come from varied backgrounds but the common denominator is an inclination towards spirituality.
