[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] This Sunday at Downtown Dharma: Winter shadows, winter light

Dear beloved sangha,

Happiest of holidays to all! This Sunday at 7:00 pm we'll gather in community to celebrate and commune on gaining wholeness in the face of division. 

 

Our culture pushes us to divide the world around us—and even ourselves—into darkness and light, good and evil, us and them. Meditation and Buddhism reorient us to a more integrated perspective, ultimately leading us to a life of connection, compassion and joy. 

 

This Sunday we'll do some meeting and mingling, meditate, I'll share some reflections on reorienting ourselves toward our true selves, and we'll do some more small group conversations. 

This is a wonderful opportunity to gather in spiritual community and make new friends. Come join!   

  

🙏🏻♥️

Mark 

In-person: Sunday, 7:00 to 8:30pm @ Yoga District — 1910 14th Street NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC

Online via Zoom:  Join here  

A reminder if you're joining us in person: please arrive at least 10 minutes early as the line to check in can be long. There are plenty of friends to make while you're waiting for the formal program to begin.

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"kind speech...has the power to turn the destiny of the nation"  Eihei Dogen.

Mark Stone (he/him)

Practice Leader, All Beings Zen Sangha allbeingszen.org

Teacher & Treasurer, Insight on the Inside insightontheinside.com

Meditation & mindfulness teacher stonemindful.com

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[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] Year-end daylong retreat tomorrow, Saturday 12/20

Hi friends, 

Marina Colby and Greg Hermsmeyer are offering a year-end daylong tomorrow at the Buddhist Vihara (8:30 am to 3 pm) on the dharma of endings. This solstice time is a perfect moment to reflect on endings and to clear space to invite new beginnings. 

Sign up is here:

https://dandelion.events/e/i3svm

There will be a vegetarian potluck. 

Sending you good wishes from California,

Robert Rhyne 

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[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] This Sunday: Insight Dialogue and the winter season

Hi Dharma Friends,

Ben Lasso and I will co-facilitate Insight Dialogue this Sunday from 7:00pm-8:30pm at Downtown Dharma.  

No prior experience is needed—just curiosity and kindness.

This ID practice is inspired in the beginning of the winter season mirroring nature's inward turn to nourish our spiritual journey during the colder months. Together we will explore how the stillness of the practice allows us to notice what is changing inside and outside as we listen deeply and speak the truth. 

We look forward to sharing this practice with you!

• In-person: 7:00pm to 8:30pm @ Yoga District — 1910 14th Street NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC. 
• Please arrive 5-10 minutes early and register in advance here; it's the last Sunday class and listed under: "FREE (14th St.) Insight Meditation @ 1910 14th St"
• Online via Zoom: Join here 

Warmly,
Ben & Ana María

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[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] Retreat Invitation & PSA

Hi friends,

I will be co-leading, with Dechen Ellen McSweeney, a 3-day meditation retreat in the Insight Tradition March 12–15 in the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains at the Seven Oaks Retreat Center, and you are welcome to join us.

For those of you who are new to retreats, it is a chance to learn how your mind works, experience the peace that comes from collected mental energy, and explore your radiant heart. For details and registration information, click here.

***

PSA: On a different note, I would like to offer a PSA to the community. Someone I know was recently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the entrance to Clara Barton Parkway near my house. He has a wife and two children. We have been aware of this checkpoint and have taken efforts to share it with potentially affected individuals, but I failed on this occasion to realize that this person might get caught in it.

So, I'm taking a more proactive approach and reminding the communities I am a part of that federally owned highways in the DC area have checkpoints that routinely stop drivers and demand proof of citizenship. Please share this information with people who might benefit from it, even if you suspect they already know. This Instagram post provides a summary of the local highways affected in English and Spanish and I am attaching a screenshot of the slide that specifies the impacted locations.

If you would like to provide financial assistance to support this family during an unbelievably challenging time, please email me directly.

With love,

Devin

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[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] Re: This Sunday: On Praise and Blame

Hi all,

Thanks to those who came out last night! Here are the sources for my talk:

-  Kaira Jewel Lingo, We Were Made for These Times

- Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart

- 

https://suttacentral.net/an8.6/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false

- 

https://ancient-buddhist-texts.net/English-Texts/Buddhist-Wisdom-Verses/14-Blame.htm

- 

https://www.lionsroar.com/love-me-hate-me/

- 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-deal-with-praise-a_b_111693

- 

https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/science-of-mind/training-programs/balanced-sensitivity-5-advanced-training/19-dispelling-discomfort-at-eight-worldly-concerns

With metta,

Ava

El El vie, dic 12, 2025 a la(s) 6:03 p.m., Ava Morgenstern <ava.morgenstern@gmail.com> escribió:

Hi friends,

This Sunday we'll explore praise and blame. These are two of the eight phenomena of the Eight Vicissitudes, or the Eight Worldly Winds — the Buddha's teaching on how to be at peace with the inevitabilities of life. 

I hope you're able to join us for seated meditation and dharma reflection.

• In-person: 7pm to 8:30pm @ Yoga District — 1910 14th Street NW, 3rd Floor 

  • Please arrive 5-10 minutes early and register in advance here; it's the last Sunday class and listed under: "FREE (14th St.) Insight Meditation @ 1910 14th St"
• Online via Zoom: Join here 

With metta,

Ava

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[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] This Sunday: On Praise and Blame

Hi friends,

This Sunday we'll explore praise and blame. These are two of the eight phenomena of the Eight Vicissitudes, or the Eight Worldly Winds — the Buddha's teaching on how to be at peace with the inevitabilities of life. 

I hope you're able to join us for seated meditation and dharma reflection.

• In-person: 7pm to 8:30pm @ Yoga District — 1910 14th Street NW, 3rd Floor 

  • Please arrive 5-10 minutes early and register in advance here; it's the last Sunday class and listed under: "FREE (14th St.) Insight Meditation @ 1910 14th St"
• Online via Zoom: Join here 

With metta,

Ava

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[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] Meditation at the White House & the Musicality of Being

Dear Downtown Dharma Friends, 

I have two invitations for you as the New Year approaches, both of which are about improving the quality of our listening.

Meditative listening at the White House every Sunday, 10am-12pm

As I've previously shared, I'm meditating in front of the White House every Sunday morning. In the past couple weeks, others have been joining me and it's been a fascinating experience to share together. Although this time of year requires real preparation for the cold, everyone involved so far has had really valuable experiences. 

You are welcome to join us this Sunday or any other Sunday. 

We always watch the weather and those who are participating regularly stay in touch to adjust timing when necessary, but generally speaking, we plan for 10am-12pm.

Please reply to this email if you'd like to join and/or check out one of these two online resources for more information:

- Facebook event

- Info page

If you'd like to help spread the word about this, a flyer is attached and you are welcome to make use of it.

Musicality of Being workshops - Saturdays, December 20 & January 3, 10am-1pm

The Musicality of Being workshop is very simple: we just take a walk together in Rock Creek Park! 

However, by slowing down, tuning into our bodily sensations, emotions and thoughts, the richly unfolding perceptual field offered by the park and our interactions with each other, we discover a deeper embodied sense of "what interconnectivity feels like." 

Throughout the 3-hour gathering, we walk the trails with a series of different partners, sharing our moment-by-moment sensations and emotions. This aspect of the workshop is very much in the same spirit of Insight Dialogue practice - with the added dynamism of being in the park and relating to a series of different partners. There are also portions of time set aside for individual reflection, including the opportunity to sit directly next to the creek.

The last workshop of 2025 is on December 20 and the first workshop of 2026 is on January 3. Both workshops run 10am-1pm. You are warmly invited for either or both!

Register for either workshop here

Happy weekend to all.

Warmly, 

Seth Dellinger

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