Western Philosophy

**Living with Purpose: Meditations for a Peaceful Life** **Wednesdays, 7:00pm-8:00pm** **With various Kadampa Teachers** Buddha’s life and teachings reveal a blueprint that anyone can follow to awaken our fullest potential for happiness. Using the New Meditation Handbook by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso as our guide, learn how to meditate on core insights and practices that lead to personal transformation – from precious human, impermanence and refuge up to karma, future lives and liberation in a practical, accessible way. **June 17th:** The Value of Our Life **June 24th:** The Power of Meditating on Impermanence **July 1st:** What Happens after Death? **July 8th: Creating Inner Protection** **July 15th:** Happiness & the Law of Karma **REGISTRATION** Standard: $12 \| Financial Hardship $6 \| Free for [Members](https://meditation-dc.org/membership/) [Pre-Register Here](https://meditation-dc.org/lamrim-meditation/) Each class is available by drop in. Everyone is welcome to attend, no previous experience is required. **LOCATION** Kadampa Meditation Center DC 1200 Canal St\. SW \| Washington\, DC 20024 **Metro Stop:** Waterfront or Navy Yard

Join us at Crafthouse in Reston Town Center for Libertarian Happy Hour! Connect with fellow Libertarians in Northern Virginia and the wider DC area for good conversation, drinks, and food! We will have a reserved table at Crafthouse. Look for the LPNOVA sign. The Libertarian Party of Northern Virginia is your local affiliate of the national Libertarian Party. Since 1971, the Libertarian Party has been fighting for personal freedom, economic freedom, and peaceful foreign policy. We run candidates for office, advocate for liberty in our community through our presence at local fairs and festivals, and connect fellow DC area libertarians through events like these.

Holy Shift! is a weekly small group focused on spiritual growth, authentic conversation, and exploring faith through different forms of media. Each series rotates formats — including books, podcasts, TV shows, movies, and more. For a fresh way to engage spirituality, theology, philosophy, and everyday life, join your small group hosts Steven Robeson and Allie Olson on Wednesdays from 6:00–7:25 PM in the Vine Church Middle School Room. 6:00–6:30 PM — Bring-your-own dinner & casual conversation 6:30–7:25 PM — Spiritual discussion The group will begin June 17th by exploring the Unbelief Podcast, hosted by Jeremy Steele, pastor of NOOMA, which recently joined Vine as a cooperative parish. Holy Shift will expand into deeper seasonal studies in the fall, with future topics ranging from the contemplative writings of Richard Rohr, the Biblical reimagining of The Chosen, and the philosophical underpinnings of The Good Place. Questions? Contact [jennifer@thevineva.org](mailto:jennifer@thevineva.org)

We play a variety of games with a focus on high interaction Euros. Events will start with quick games while people arrive and eat lunch. We will start longer games between 1:30pm and 2pm. While the official end time is 5pm, people are welcome to continue playing games afterwards. Western Market closes at 7pm on Sundays. This page has more examples of high interaction Euros: [Old-school German-style Games](https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/view/3948). Here are some games that have been played at past events: High Interaction Euros * [Medici](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/46/medici) * [Catan](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13/catan) * [Hansa Teutonica](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43015/hansa-teutonica) * [Puerto Rico](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3076/puerto-rico) * [Concordia](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/124361/concordia) * [Power Grid](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2651/power-grid) * [Brass: Birmingham](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/224517/brass-birmingham) Other high interaction games * [Innovation](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/63888/innovation) * [Imperial](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/24181/imperial) There are a variety of food and drink options. Western Market is allowing us to use the space for free. Please reciprocate by purchasing something, even if it is just a soda. Directions If you're taking the Orange, Silver, or Blue lines, exit at the Foggy Bottom metro station and walk two blocks to the east. If you are taking the Red Line, Farragut North is an approximately a 15 minute walk away. There is also free street parking to the north.

Socrates Café meets twice a 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

Every Sunday afternoon before church, one of the Covenant Life Church prophetess' hosts a prophetic training class that activates participants in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. During this class, participants will be provided opportunity to be taught how to use the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and will have opportunity to ask questions and talk with someone who has been used in the Gifts during ministry. Teaching is provided on the gifts with emphasis on the Gift of the Prophecy. A combination of lecture and experiential learning is employed to teach, guide and instruct the participants. Everyone is welcome, all classes are free. Childcare is not provided.

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?

Details **Location:** Bus Boy and Poets (K st) The purpose of Thinkers and Drinkers is to facilitate casual but meaningful and interesting conversations with other people in a face-to-face setting. The topics cover a wide variety of issues and are different for every meeting. While conversations may get heated at times, we ask that all members be respectful of each other and refrain from personal insults. **Topic: Party Politics and the Future of the Two-Party System** For more than 150 years, American politics has been dominated by two major parties. While third parties have occasionally influenced elections or introduced new ideas, the Democratic and Republican parties have remained remarkably resilient. In recent years, public frustration with the current system has become increasingly apparent. According to a 2025 [Gallup poll](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/05/01/americans-continue-to-view-both-the-republican-and-democratic-parties-negatively/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), **62% of Americans believe the Democratic and Republican parties are doing such a poor job that a third major party is needed.** This dissatisfaction has led the percentage of Americans identifying as political independents to increase from **33% in 1988 to a record 45% in 2025**, **Questions to Consider:** 1. Could a third party ever find success within the near future? 2. Will the main parties see an increase in factionalism? (Socialist faction in the Democratic Party MAGA in the Republican Party) 3. Would electoral reforms such as ranked-choice voting or proportional representation improve political representation? 4. Is today's political polarization primarily caused by the two-party system? 5. What do you think American politics will look like 20–30 years from now?

**NOW ONLINE** The weekly Sunday morning (10:30 am to 12 noon) class begins with a welcome, short reflection on an aspect of the teachings, and includes an arriving meditation (15 minutes) that will often incorporate poems and may end with a reflection or question. The opening meditation is followed by an invitation to each person to share their name and a few words (for example, what is alive for them right now or what their intention is for the class or the day). The sharing has been a powerful support to help welcome new people, get to know each other, and build community/sangha. Following a brief period of mindful stretching/movement, we finish with a longer meditation (25-30 minutes) and final reflections on the teachings, sharing, Q&A, and announcements. Class participants are welcome to stay and engage with other members of the community or adjourn to a neighboring restaurant or coffee shop. This space is inclusive, everyone is welcome, and we invite you to bring with you all aspects of yourself. Learn more here: https://imcw.org/Calendar/Event-Calendar/EventId/3686/e/drop-in-class-livestreamed-19-apr-2020

With the 250th anniversay of the signing of the Declaration of Independence right around the corner, let's talk about the American story. Where have we been and where do you think we are going, from a philosopical perspective? I want to avoid discussing politics, as that tends to devolve into tribal emoting. We'll be oustide, weather permitting. Feel free to bring food to share! We'll socialize for about an hour before the discussion begins at 8:30. ***Ideas to Discuss:*** * What is the American Experiment, and what does its future look like? * If a political system is an "experiment," what are the criteria for its success or failure? * In a hyper-pluralistic society with vastly different moral frameworks, what is the unifying thread that holds "We the People" together? * How should a we balance healthy historical critique with civic inspiration? * Can an 18th-century political system designed for slow, deliberate compromise survive intact when paired with hyper-fast, godlike digital technology? * Recent SCOTUS cases. ***Resources/Quotes*** "The earth belongs always to the living generation… Every constitution, then, and every law, naturally expires at the end of 19 years. If it be enforced longer, it is an act of force and not of right." — **Thomas Jefferson**, Letter to James Madison, 1789 * Is our deep reverence for a 250-year-old document a source of essential stability, or does it trap us in the past just like Jefferson feared? "The challenge of social justice as a unifying myth is that it is essentially a vision of endless conflict, an unresolvable struggle between competing identity groups for power and recognition... We need a story that brings us together, not one that perpetually sorts us into victims and oppressors." — **Francis Fukuyama**, *Liberalism and Its Discontents*, 2022 [https://www.brookings.edu/articles/is-consent-of-the-governed-possible-amid-polarized-politics/](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/is-consent-of-the-governed-possible-amid-polarized-politics/)

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.

This meeting will be a discussion about living your life with vision loss. For some, the incremental or sudden loss of vision is traumatic and hopeless. Our group assures those with vision loss that adjustment is possible and necessary. Through their lived experience, our participants support and encourage all. You can also join the meeting by Conference Call at (518) 263-8851.

This is not an event, but an announcement that we are accepting new members. If you'd like to pursue joining our group, please read the "about us" section and then write us at columbusmensgroup@gmail.com with a few paragraphs about yourself, what you'd like to experience in the group, and the contribution that you'd like to make. Thank you!

**Welcome to the Women’s Columbus Bogleheads® Sub-Group** This sub-group is for **women who want to learn and discuss finances in a safe, supportive space**. For those interested in moving towards financial independence and retirement by learning investment basics, choosing your 401(k) investments, minimizing taxes, and more. We’re a local chapter of **Bogleheads®**, following a long-term, practical investment philosophy: [Investment Philosophy](https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy): https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy [Bogleheads Forum](https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php): https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php No question is too small, and no experience is too simple. Share, ask, and learn — at your own pace, without judgment, in a group of like-minded women. Let’s build confidence and knowledge **together**!

Be prepared for an entirely different type of sci-fi movie! Unofficially, the second movie in director Lars von Trier's "Depression Trilogy," 2011 Melancholia depicts the events that occur before a rogue planet is about to collide with the earth. Considered by many to be a masterpiece, the film was included in BFI's 2022 Sight and Sound Poll of the greatest movies of all time. It is available at the library as well as on Kanopy.

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!