Thirty spokes share a single hub,
Its emptiness makes the cart useful.
Form clay to make a container,
Its emptiness makes the container useful.
Cut doors and windows to make a room,
Its emptiness makes the room useful,
So, a thing's existence makes it beneficial
But emptiness makes it useful.

(Pepper/Wang, 2018)

Thirty spokes share the hub of a wheel;
yet it is its center that makes it useful.
You can mould clay into a vessel;
yet, it is its emptiness that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows from the walls of a house;
but the ultimate use of the house
will depend on that part where nothing exists.
Therefore, something is shaped into what is;
but its usefulness comes from what is not.

(Kari Hohne, 2009)

Thirty spokes unite in the middle of the wheel,
And because of the part between them where nothing exists,
We enjoy the use of the carriage wheel.
Clay is formed into bowls and vessels,
And because of the hollow in it where nothing exists,
We use them as vessels.
Doors and windows are cut into the walls of the house,
And since they are empty space, we can use them.
Therefore, on the one hand, we have the advantage of what exists,
And, on the other, we utilize the non-existent.
Without that which does not exist, we cannot take advantage of the wheel, the vessel, or the house.
Without wooden spokes, clay, and walls, we cannot take advantage of the space they contain.
Ultimately, existence and non-existence coexist and are intertwined.

(Chohan 'Chou-Wing)

**Symptom-free** (of potentially contagious disease) people with the capacity to listen considerately to diverse viewpoints are invited to attend after **successfully RSVPing**.

We begin the meeting at **7:30 pm sharp** in the **mezzanine of the Graduate Hotel**. Feel free to come up to 30 minutes early and hang out with us beforehand. After you come down the stairs we may be in either the main room on your left or in the conference room around the corner on your right.

From the front Hotel entrance go to the right around the corner to enter through the north valet entrance. If the valet questions you just say you're here for the philosophy group. Go straight to the main lobby and turn right behind the large bookshelves before the elevators. Go up the stairs to your left and through the first door you encounter to enter our meeting room.

**AMAZON FORMAT (AZF):**
At the beginning of the meeting we will take turns reading lines from the above text aloud together.

**OPENING ROUNDTABLE FORMAT (ORF):**

1. The topic presenter begins the discussion by explaining why they are interested in the topic and some introductory thoughts on it.
2. Each participant in turn going clockwise from the presenter describes their general thoughts on the topic.
3. If one is not ready to speak they can just say “pass” and the next person speaks.
4. After we've gone around once anyone who passed will get a second chance to comment.
5. Once everyone has given opening remarks or passed twice, Opening Roundtable is completed and the meeting shifts into its main format.

**TIMED DIRECTION FORMAT (TDRF>5):**
If there are more than 5 people present we will use the format below.

1. We will divide up the timed direction discussion time by the number of participants plus one (for a buffer). A timer will be set for this amount of time.
2. Each participant in turn will become a Discussion Director and lead the group discussion.
3. If one is not ready to direct they dimply say “pass” and the next person becomes the Discussion Director.
4. Anyone who arrives after step 1 (above), may participate but will not get a turn as Discussion Director.
5. The Discussion Director can make statements or ask questions, or interrupt or redirect the discussion at their discretion.
6. The discussion participants can state their own opinions only when asked by the Discussion Director, not Interrupt others and accede to the Discussion Director’s interruptions or redirections.
7. When the timer goes off the person speaking finishes their thought and then the next participant clockwise becomes the next Discussion Director.
8. After we've gone around once anyone who passed will get a second chance to direct.

At the end of the meeting, participants will have an opportunity to vote on the topic and format for the following meeting.

Robert Abrahamsen

Mark

Marina Barnes

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Dao De Jing chapter 11 (Marina presents, AZF) 

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Seattle Philosophy Club

Dao De Jing chapter 11 (Marina presents, AZF)

Seattle Philosophy Club

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