Metaphysics

PLEASE CHECK THE ONLINE MEDITATION CALENDAR FOR DETAILS OF THESE MORE THAN 50 SERVICES A WEEK- https://onlinemeditation.yogananda.org/calendar/

Alexandria Pints & Pawns is now part of the Chess on Tap community! If you have a travel chess set and/or clock, please bring them so we can be sure to accommodate everyone. If not, feel free to come anyway!

Tuesdays at 6pm Suitable for everyone, these meditation classes offer practical methods to improve the quality of our lives through meditation and practical Buddhist teachings applied to everyday life. * Each class begins with guided breathing meditation, to help settle the mind, let go of distractions and cultivate inner peace. * Malik will then give a practical teaching explaining how we can integrate Buddha’s timeless wisdom into our busy daily lives. * The teaching is then followed by a guided meditation to help us mix our mind with the teaching and take it to heart. * Time permitting, at the end of the meditation class we spend a few minutes in group discussion and the teacher will take any questions that the class might have about the topic. **Registration** Each class is available by drop in. **Standard:** $5 **\| [Member Pricing:](https://meditation-dc.org/membership/) Free** [Register Here](https://meditation-dc.org/quick-class-registration/#top) Everyone is welcome to attend, no previous experience is required.

Weekly Bible study currently reading through the Gospel of Luke. We meet at Teaism in Penn Quarter. You can find us in the downstairs seating area!

**This talk has completely sold out in advance and no door tickets will be available. You must have purchased a ticket to attend.** [Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Cuba, Our Closest Enemy,”** on our country’s volatile relationship with an island nation off Florida’s coast, with William M. LeoGrande, professor of government at American University and leading expert on U.S.-Cuban relations. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-cuba](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-cuba) .] The United States and Cuba are fractious neighbors who can’t get along but can’t move away from one another. From Fidel Castro’s defiant revolution to Donald Trump’s “Donroe Doctrine” asserting U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere, U.S. relations with Cuba have been acrimonious, tumultuous, and often dangerous—marked by invasion, attempted assassinations, nuclear confrontation, and half a century of economic warfare. Gain a deeper understanding of relationships between the two countries with Dr. William LeoGrande, widely recognized as one of the nation’s foremost experts on Cuban politics and U.S. policy toward the island, having authored or edited seven books on the subject, including *Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana.* Professor LeoGrande’s talk will chronicle the trajectory of this unique relationship of “perpetual hostility,” as Henry Kissinger called it, from confrontations to secret talks aimed at reconciliation. We’ll see how America’s playground of the 1950s became a cold war ally of the Soviet Union and how Cuban refugees became a powerful force in American politics. We’ll look at how the end of the cold war changed U.S.-Cuban relations—or didn’t—and how repeated attempts at rapprochement failed to rebuild the bridges that had burned in the early days of Cuba’s revolution. Since Fidel Castro left center stage in 2006, U.S.-Cuban relations have lurched back and forth at stomach-churning velocity. Professor LeoGrande, who has advised Congress on Cuba as a member of its foreign policy staff, will explore the stories behind the headlines. You’ll learn how changes from Republican to Democratic presidents produced radical swings in relations between Washington and Havana, most dramatically between President Barack Obama’s attempt to normalize relations and Donald Trump’s threats to bankrupt or invade the island. ( Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: A Cuban military truck in Havanna in 2006 (Photo by Thomassin Mickaël / Creative Commons).

Socrates Café meets on the first Saturday of each month. Though this may be considered a "philosophical" group, there are no rules as to what is discussed. Usually, the topics revolve around social concerns, morality, and the first principles of things. Prior to each meeting we vote online for the questions we will discuss. That way, we will have enough time to ruminate on them and have more in-depth conversations. If you RSVP to a meeting, you may post your question in the event comments section below. I'll send out a survey for voting a few days prior to the meetup. We discuss two questions each night. So you will get to cast two votes in the survey. When we meet, we break into smaller groups of five to seven to discuss the top two vote-getters. Each group discusses one question for around 45-50 minutes, and we then take a short break. After reconvening, each group moves on to its second question. Hope to see you there! -Brian

Join us for an afternoon of chess in a fun and relaxed setting. Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome! Club boards are provided. Bring your own clocks or use Chess.com's Chess Clock app. We generally meet in the blue room, which is to your right after entering. If we're not in the blue room we're at the far left near the beer tanks in the back corner.

**Beyond Fear: How to Stay Calm and Strong in Today’s World** In a world filled with uncertainty, rapid change, and constant information, it’s easy for fear and anxiety to take hold. Yet within each of us lies a deeper source of stability, clarity, and strength that can help us navigate life with calm and confidence. This interactive workshop explores practical spiritual insights and meditation techniques that help transform fear into inner power. Together we will reflect on why fear arises, how it affects our thinking and wellbeing, and how reconnecting with our deeper awareness can restore a sense of peace and resilience. Through guided reflection, conversation, and meditation, you’ll learn simple tools to quiet the mind, strengthen your inner stability, and move forward with greater courage and clarity. Leave feeling calmer, more centered, and empowered to face today’s world with a renewed sense of confidence and hope. **(In person at the Meditation Museum in Silver Spring, MD)** Sat., May 2nd, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. Held at Meditation Museum, 9525 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Free Event – Register at: [https://shorturl.at/QnHul](https://shorturl.at/QnHul)

Please note **that** although the park address is 7300 MacArthur Blvd., the **main parking lot is near 5900 Oxford Rd., Glen Echo, Maryland**. Then walk across the bridge to the park. Washington Revels will kick off the celebration with a festive musical procession throughout the park (11:00 a.m.). Following the parade, all are invited to take part in some joyous dancing around the Maypole. Join us (**rain or shine!**) on Saturday, May 2, 2026, for a festival event in celebration of Glen Echo Park's 105-year-old Dentzel carousel as it opens for the season! In addition to [riding the carousel](https://glenechopark.org/carousel) **($2 per ride or $5 for an all-day pass)**, visitors will enjoy many FREE activities throughout the Park, including performances, hands-on art projects, open studios & galleries, and more! Food options include **[Praline Café](https://glenechopark.org/praline)** and **Money Muscle BBQ** food truck, as well as cold treats from **Ben & Jerry's** and **Pacha Mama Juice Co.** [https://glenechopark.org/carouselday](https://glenechopark.org/carouselday) Glen Echo Park is home to a community of artists, educators, dancers, & performers who share their knowledge and expertise with more than 350,000 people each year. The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture manages the arts and cultural programs and maintains the historic buildings at the Park. Popcorn Gallery & Stone Tower Gallery The Popcorn Gallery is located on the first floor of the Arcade Building, across from the carousel. The Stone Tower Gallery is located on the Stone Tower's first floor, next to the Glen Echo Park neon sign. Hours: Saturday & Sunday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Park View Gallery The Park View Gallery is located on the second floor of the Arcade Building. Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. GLEN ECHO PHOTOWORKS Gallery Hours SAT: 1–4 PM & SUN: 1–7 PM Darkroom & Digital Hours: SUN: 1–7 PM GLEN ECHO PARK, MD T: 301-634-2274 https://glenechopark.org/ Afterward, we could have a meal at the Silver Diner in Tysons Corner (8101 Fletcher St, McLean, VA 22102).

**Join us in Falls Church for conversations that go beyond small talk.** Higher Grounds – Falls Church is where this growing network of gatherings began: a space for thoughtful, authentic dialogue about what matters most. Whether we’re exploring the nature of happiness, the challenges and possibilities of midlife, spirituality, culture, capitalism, parenting, or the role of art and travel in a meaningful life, every conversation is shaped by the people in the room. There’s no set leader or rigid agenda—just a shared commitment to listen as much as we speak. We start with brief introductions focused on what makes you *you* (not your LinkedIn bio), then dive straight into whatever is on people’s minds. The direction of each meetup emerges organically, making every event unique. MANDATORY: PLEASE REVIEW OUR COMMUNITY GUIDELINES IN THE GROUP DESCRIPTION. Everyone is expected to engage in respectful conversations and listen deeply as well as share. We have a zero tolerance policy of sexual harassment and hate speech. Come ready to share, reflect, and connect with others in Falls Church who are also seeking deeper conversations. **Suggested Questions: Life Stages & Transitions** 1. What did you think you'd have figured out by now that you're still completely winging? 2. When did you realize your parents' advice was for a world that no longer exists? 3. What are you finally old enough to stop pretending to care about? **Suggested Questions: Identity After the Roles** 1. Who are you when nobody needs anything from you? 2. What dream keeps resurfacing even though the "practical" time has passed? 3. How do you handle having the freedom you always said you wanted? **Suggested Questions: AI & Being Human** 1. What human experiences will AI never truly understand? 2. If machines handled all your have-to's, what would you actually do? 3. What becomes more precious as everything becomes automated? **Suggested Questions: Belief & Meaning** 1. What certainties have you given up, and what rushed in to fill that space? 2. How has knowing someone who died changed how you live? 3. What do you believe now that would shock your younger self? **Suggested Questions: The Modern Psyche** 1. What anxiety do you carry that previous generations didn't have? 2. Which of your survival strategies are you ready to retire? 3. What uncomfortable truth about happiness did it take you years to accept? **Suggested Questions: Work & Purpose** 1. When did you stop believing that your job would complete you? 2. What would you do for work if money and status weren't factors? 3. How has your definition of "making it" changed over the years? **Suggested Questions: Relationships & Connection** 1. What relationship dynamic do you keep recreating, and why? 2. When did you realize your parents were just people trying their best? 3. What kind of loneliness doesn't go away even when you're with others? **Suggested Questions: Time & Mortality** 1. What are you running out of time to say or do? 2. How differently do you spend your time knowing it's finite? 3. What will you regret not trying, even if you fail? **Suggested Questions: Society & Culture** 1. What social convention do you follow even though it makes no sense? 2. Which generation do you understand least, and what might you be missing? 3. What aspect of how we live now will seem insane in 20 years? **Suggested Questions: Personal Philosophy** 1. What rule for life did you create after learning something the hard way? 2. When did you stop believing that everyone else had it figured out 3. What paradox about life have you learned to live with?

**The rules are simple:** Take photographs **Each and Every Day** and post your best **ONE** (1) shot of the day - **EACH DAY** for **April**. If you happen to miss a day or two (life happens), it is **OK** to catch up and upload the photos for the days missed or just skip those days. **Please don't post over 2 to 3 at a time**. This is part of the learning process. **DO NOT POST TO THE ALBUM *UNTIL* AFTER 05/01/2026**. Please use a browser like Chrome and the Meetup.com website to post the images, as **the Meetup app does not handle albums very well**. Towards the top-left of the page is a link to **Add Photos** for uploading your photo to the album. **CONFIRM** **that your photo was added to the correct Album.** Remember to post your **best photo (JUST ONE)** you took every day on that day! **DO NOT POST PHOTOS FROM ANY OTHER TIME!** If you have time to post an older image, you can take a new image and post it. Be creative. Please **add a caption** to know how far you are in the process. After you upload the image you took that day, find your photo at the end of the album, and edit the caption to state the day and total of days in the month like this:**?/31**. You can add the title of the image if you wish. A good title can make a photo! So, your photo for the **May 1st** caption would be "**1/31: My great photo!**" \*\* Adding a caption helps you keep track of where you are in the month. It does help. The purpose is to have fun and get in the habit of shooting every day. Learn to use your camera. Read your manual and test out a new feature you have never used before. Sometimes picking a theme/project can help focus (pun intended), like flowers, your pet(s), a lens you haven't used in a while, or whatever your passion is. Or try something new... The **end date is 05/31/2026**. Meetup.com does not allow events to be longer than 2 weeks. Other images that were not taken by you will be removed. Please keep the images family-friendly. You need to be a member of the Virginia Beltway Photography Group. I look forward to seeing how far people go and grow as better photographers!

Join us for conversations that go beyond small talk, diving into topics like the shifting nature of spirituality, the challenges and joys of midlife transitions, the impact of culture and capitalism, and the search for meaning in art, travel, and daily life. Our gatherings are about genuine, thought-provoking dialogue, with no set leader or strict agenda—just an open space to share ideas, perspectives, and experiences that matter to us. The direction of the discussion is shaped by everyone who shows up, making each event unique and enriching. Come ready to share, reflect, and connect with others who are also seeking deeper conversations. Let the conversation flow from topic to topic. Optional questions are listed below.
​
Optional Questions: Life Stages & Transitions
​
1. What did you think you'd have figured out by now that you're still completely winging?
2. When did you realize your parents' advice was for a world that no longer exists?
3. What are you finally old enough to stop pretending to care about?
​
Optional Questions: Identity After the Roles
​
4. Who are you when nobody needs anything from you?
5. What dream keeps resurfacing even though the "practical" time has passed?
6. How do you handle having the freedom you always said you wanted?
​
Optional Questions: AI & Being Human
​
7. What human experiences will AI never truly understand?
8. If machines handled all your have-to's, what would you actually do?
9. What becomes more precious as everything becomes automated?
​
Optional Questions: Belief & Meaning
​
10. What certainties have you given up, and what rushed in to fill that space?
11. How has knowing someone who died changed how you live?
12. What do you believe now that would shock your younger self?
​
Optional Questions: The Modern Psyche
​
13. What anxiety do you carry that previous generations didn't have?
14. Which of your survival strategies are you ready to retire?
15. What uncomfortable truth about happiness did it take you years to accept?
​
Optional Questions: Work & Purpose
​
16. When did you stop believing that your job would complete you?
17. What would you do for work if money and status weren't factors?
18. How has your definition of "making it" changed over the years?
​
Optional Questions: Relationships & Connection
​
19. What relationship dynamic do you keep recreating, and why?
20. When did you realize your parents were just people trying their best?
21. What kind of loneliness doesn't go away even when you're with others?
​
Optional Questions: Time & Mortality
​
22. What are you running out of time to say or do?
23. How differently do you spend your time knowing it's finite?
24. What will you regret not trying, even if you fail?
​
Optional Questions: Society & Culture
​
25. What social convention do you follow even though it makes no sense?
26. Which generation do you understand least, and what might you be missing?
27. What aspect of how we live now will seem insane in 20 years?
​
Optional Questions: Personal Philosophy
​
28. What rule for life did you create after learning something the hard way?
29. When did you stop believing that everyone else had it figured out
30. What paradox about life have you learned to live with?

Main Library, Meeting Room 2B Join us for a welcoming evening of reflection, gentle music, and meaningful conversation. We’ll begin with a short grounding moment, followed by a brief reading from spiritual or philosophical traditions, and an open reflection circle where participants can share (or simply listen). Libera Animae is an interfaith community focused on inner growth, creativity, and authentic connection. All backgrounds are welcome.

We will meet next to the restrooms at the [Big Meadows Picnic Area](https://www.metroparks.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/HBK_Web_1980.png). They're all the way at the back of the park, and they can be found at coordinates [40°09'06.6"N 83°02'30.2"W](https://www.google.com/maps/place/40%C2%B009'06.6%22N+83%C2%B002'30.2%22W/@40.151828,-83.0423587,214m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m10!1m5!3m4!2zNDDCsDA5JzA4LjAiTiA4M8KwMDEnNDUuMSJX!8m2!3d40.1522222!4d-83.0291944!3m3!8m2!3d40.151827!4d-83.041715?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIwNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) (near the playground and the zip line). We'll hike about 5 miles at [Highbanks Metro Park](https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/highbanks/) on the Dripping Rock and Overlook Trails. Afterward, we'll head over to [Olentangy River Brewing](https://www.olentangybrew.com/) for drinks, coffee, or food (their Sunday [food truck](https://www.olentangybrew.com/eventsandfood) is Venezuelan and always gets good reviews). The actual address of the brewery is [303 Green Meadows Dr S, 43035](https://www.google.com/maps/place/303+Green+Meadows+Dr+S,+Lewis+Center,+OH+43035/@40.1551938,-83.0144045,17.25z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x8838f395cef06c97:0xe407de61b3e30069!8m2!3d40.1551765!4d-83.0124352!16s%2Fg%2F11c26jc7j9?entry=ttu). If you can't make the hike, we should be there by noon. **How to find our starting point in Big Meadows:** If you are new to Highbanks, the Big Meadows picnic area is 1.5 miles into the park just after you turn into the park off of U.S. Route 23. That is, after you enter the park, drive a mile and a half into the park. You will come to a crosswalk with a yield sign in the middle of it (this is not to be confused with the first such crosswalk you come to just in front of the Nature Center, which you arrive at maybe a quarter of a mile into the park). Just after this second crosswalk, make a left. Then make another almost immediate left into the parking lot on your left. There you will see the jungle gym and the kiddie zip line to your left. I will be just in front of the restrooms just a bit further down from the jungle gym and picnic shelter; the restroom building will also be on your left.

When judging morality, should we prioritize **intentions/duty** or **outcomes/results**? It introduces two influential philosophers as representatives of these approaches. * **Immanuel Kant (deontology):** An action is moral when it is done from **duty** and follows rational, universal principles (the **categorical imperative**). Certain acts—like lying—are wrong regardless of the consequences; you can’t do a wrong thing for a right reason. * **John Stuart Mill (utilitarian consequentialism):** The morality of an action is determined by its **effects**, specifically how much **happiness/well-being** it produces. Mill argues that some pleasures are “higher” than others, and that good intentions don’t redeem harmful outcomes. ## Discussion Questions 1. **The lying dilemma:** A murderer comes to your door and asks if your friend is hiding inside. Kant would say you must not lie. 2. **Can good intentions rescue a bad outcome?** 3. **The organ harvest problem:** A surgeon has five patients dying of organ failure and one healthy patient in for a checkup. Killing the one to harvest organs would save five lives, and the math works out for the utilitarian. Why does this feel so deeply wrong? Is that feeling a point in Kant's favor, or just a bias we should overcome? 4. **Do rules need exceptions?** Kant insists moral rules must be universal, with no exceptions. But most of us can imagine extreme scenarios where any rule seems like it should bend. Does the need for exceptions fatally undermine deontology, or is the strength of the system precisely that it refuses to bend? 5. **Who gets to calculate the consequences?** Utilitarianism asks us to maximize good outcomes, but we're notoriously bad at predicting consequences. If we can't reliably know the results of our actions, is it practical to base our entire moral system on outcomes? Does this uncertainty push us back toward rules and principles? 6. **Everyday morality:** Think about a real moral decision you've made recently, even a small one. Did you reason more like a Kantian (what's the right thing to do in principle?) or more like a utilitarian (what will produce the best result?)? Do most people naturally lean one way? 7. **Justice vs. the greater good:** A town can prevent a deadly plague by sacrificing one innocent person. The greater good is clearly served. But is it just? Can an action be morally right and deeply unjust at the same time? 8. **The big synthesis question:** Are these two systems actually opposed, or do they often arrive at the same answers by different paths? Is it possible that we need both: rules to guide us in the moment and consequences to evaluate systems and policies over time?

**Hike Slate Run Metro Park and visit the Living Historical Farm. We will aim for 3.5 to 4 miles of hiking and then do a quick pass through the Living Historical Farm. From there those who are interested can join for lunch at Brewdog, 96 Gender Way, Canal Winchester, just 11 minutes away.** **If you’d like to spend more time at the Farm plan on arriving early (they open at 9).** **Living Historical Farm: Time has been turned back to the 1880s at Slate Run Living Historical Farm. Experience first-hand what life was like on a 19th-century Ohio farm. As you stroll through the gardens, barns and farmhouse, you will see the farm’s costumed staff and volunteers going about their daily chores. Pigs, geese, turkeys, Percheron horses and other heirloom animals can be seen.** **The gothic revival farmhouse was built in 1856 and restored by Metro Parks for authenticity. Visitors can tour the living room, parlor and kitchen and watch the farm ladies prepare meals on a woodburning stove and tend the house. The multi-bay barn was built by Samuel Oman, the fourth owner of Slate Run Farm, and restored by Amish carpenters.** **Allow at least three hours and maybe more if you're joining for lunch.** **Pace is 17-18 minute miles with no one left behind. Faster walkers are free to lead - I'll have the route well defined - and we can meet up at the farm.** **This is the fourth of the metro parks.**

We are excited to host Guided Meditations on Sundays at 6 pm in our Ashram/Gallery/Home! !! !! Everyone wants to know what kind of God we worship and what kind of meditation we do. We worship the GOD that LOVES US! We understand that god is an energy and it lives in us as us. Our meditations guide others to actually experience that energy! xoxo We don't just talk about peace, love and affection, we experience it :) Also we are a home not a business, so we enjoy building community one friend at a time. We always build in time for people to mingle & develop friendships! xoxo Much Love, Frank Tennyson Namaste, Frank Tennyson http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/f/9/9/600_447824953.jpeg

We will have our certified mediums available and you can receive 3 10-minute readings for $20. To keep you safe, we will be following all CDC and Health Dept. guidelines at our psychic fair today. Sitters and readers required to wear a mask. We will maintain a minimum of 6 foot physical distance during readings. Please, if you can, bring your own portable chair to use during your readings. Please note that we are at our wonderful new home at Unity of Columbus, 4211 Maize Road, Columbus, OH