Washington, DC PHP Developers And Mission of Love Charities

Greetings and welcome to the DCPHP Blog . Whether you want to know what's going on, who's hiring, tips and tricks, or generally want to meet and talk with some other smart people, this is the place for you. We hope to be your one-stop shop for all things PHP in the Washington DC Metro region Mission of Love Charities, Inc is a community based non-profit geared towards building self-sustainability for families experiencing the effects of poverty.

Saturday, 11 October 2025

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] This Sunday - Assume the Throne

Dear sangha,

Wishing you well as can be amidst everything that's happening in the world. We were made for these times, and meditation was made to support us in staying present and steady with whatever is happening.

Thankfully, we'll all get a little joy infusion as the most wonderful time of the year is just up ahead. No, I don't mean Santa and reindeer, but World Toilet Day! That's right, the UN declared that every Nov 19 should be a day to celebrate the humble loo, and all it does to protect human health, ecosystems, and more. But toilets, and what goes down them, also offers us insight into how we might mindfully relate to all the crap in our lives. This Sunday, we'll assume the throne, study the Four Noble Poops, and stop flushing and forgetting in order to compost that 💩 and convert it into usable nutrients.

Join us…

In-person: Sunday, Sept 21 from 7pm 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 class listed for Sunday under the name, "FREE (14th St.) Insight Meditation @ 1910 14th St"
Online via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/466237117?pwd=cGxHaTJlTVhBdldVSk8weDZuSW5udz09

Thanks so much. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Shawn

P.S. Want to dive even deeper into this stuff? Join me and Shambhala's Touching the Earth Collective at 12pm tomorrow to learn more about poop taboos, problems with current sanitation infrastructure, and alternative eco-technologies.

https://touchingtheearthcollective.org/event/25-10-12-earth-salon-the-poop-project/

P.P.S. Laugh your a$$ off and celebrate World Toilet Day on Nov 16, 4pm at DC Comedy Loft with me, the hilarious musical duo Griefcat, and headliner Alex Pearlman (from the podcast Too Many Tabs). Tickets to Loo Aid: The Fourth Flush coming soon:

https://www.dccomedyloft.com/events

--
Shawn Shafner

Body-positive movement classes, meditation, group facilitation and more! www.ShawnShafner.com

New book, Know Your 💩, available now via hardcover and audiobook: https://www.amazon.com/Know-Your-Shit-Telling-Bathroom/dp/1646432231
Published by Cider Mill Press, distributed by Harper Collins and Audible.

Founder: The People's Own Organic Power Project
www.thePOOPproject.org
https://youtu.be/nMATjaylbi8
https://youtu.be/72clhQyV6FY

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Friday, 10 October 2025

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] Sangha Activity - Celebrate Fall with a Contemplate Haiku Hike (Please RSVP!)

Hello!

As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, there is still so much beautiful nature to experience. We are excited to continue this informal Downtown Dharma haiku series with an autumnal hike through Rock Creek 😊

What: Please join us for our Fall Contemplative Haiku Hike through Rock Creek Park! Participants will learn how haiku relate to mindfulness and Zen Buddhism and receive brief instructions on how to write haiku. We will then take a mindful hike, taking breaks to write our own haiku about the nature we observe. (Haiku are short, accessible poems that typically evoke nature and contemplation of the present moment. Find examples of famous haiku here.)

When: Sunday, November 2, Noon-4pm (We will inform the sangha listserv and RSVP'd participants at least 24 hours in advance if the event will be canceled due to inclement weather.)

Where: We will meet at Noon near the Pierce Barn (2401 Tilden St NW) to gather for a ~30-minute introduction. Then, we will hike approximately 2.5 miles up the Western Ridge Trail to Boulder Bridge and loop back down the Valley Trail to end where we began. Lot parking is typically available near the start/end of our route. See the tentative route at the bottom of this email.

Who: Please RSVP on Partiful. (You can email us if you don't want to use Partiful.) All are welcome–no experience required! We have capped participation at 25 to ensure a great experience for everyone. While our pace will be slow and steady, this event is best suited for people who feel comfortable hiking more than 2.5 miles on park trails that are uneven and have some steep inclines and declines.

How: No experience necessary! We will go over simple instructions on how to write haiku. A handout on haiku will be provided. Please bring a pen and notebook.

Why: While haiku is not a strictly Buddhist form of poetry, haiku and Zen are closely linked historically and thematically. Haiku relies on the senses and encourages contemplation of the present moment, so both new and experienced meditators may enjoy practicing haiku as a way to engage with mindfulness. See additional resources at the bottom of this email for more info.

Questions? Please email Jude (judelavellewrites@gmail.com) and Shannon (shannon.hosmer@gmail.com).

<3 Jude & Shannon

Further Resources on Contemplative Haiku:

These are completely optional! No need to explore them before you attend.

Podcast: Writing and Haiku as Spiritual Practice (Tara Brach Interviews Natalie Goldberg)

Discussion on haiku, its relationship to spirituality, and Goldberg's book Three Simple Lines begins in earnest at 10:35.

Article: Haiku: A Whole Lot More than 5-7-5

This comprehensive article covers a linguistic perspective on the differences between Japanese and English haiku, as well as some principles ("rules") of haiku and the traditional haiku masters.

Article: Why Haiku Holds the Flavor of Zen

This brief article explores the Zen nature of haiku and connects the form to some principles from Western writing, if folks are more familiar with that.

Site: The Monthly Tricycle Haiku Challenge

This site is a hub for Buddhists interested in writing and sharing haiku, including submitting to a regular contest.

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Thursday, 9 October 2025

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] Downtown Dharma Book Club - OCTOBER EVENT INFO (10/16 @ 7PM) - Seeing, Feeling & Overcoming Fear

Hi all,

*NEW FOR OCTOBER* The Washington Buddhist Vihara has graciously opened their doors to our group as an ongoing location for these events. October will be our soft launch. Pending feedback, we plan to continue to run them monthly on the 3rd Thursdays of each month at this new location. The concept will be the same as in the past, but there will not be a veg potluck. (Big 'thank-you' to community member, Robert Rhyne, for connecting us with the Vihara.)
_____________________________________________

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Downtown Dharma will host its October reading group on Thursday, 10/16, from 7-8:30pm at the Buddhist Vihara Society (5017 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20011).

THEME: Seeing, Feeling and Overcoming Fear

READINGS (required):

"Fear and Fearlessness: What the Buddhists Teach" by Judy Lief
"Living In an Age of Fear" by Phillip Moffit
"Working With Fear" by Michael Grady

SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS (optional):

"Overcoming Fear by Recollecting the Buddha: His Role in Early Buddhist Texts" by Bhikkhu Anālayo
"Perception of fear and its role on the path of Buddhist spiritual practice" by Pham Ly Mong Van

If you have any questions about the theme/readings, please contact our facilitator, Kaila Philo (kailaaphilo@gmail.com).

ACTION NEEDED:

Join us! An RSVP is not required but adding your name will help us gauge numbers and interest, so please sign up if you think you'll attend: RSVP here.
Note: You are welcome to bring food and water for yourself; and dana for the Vihara.

___________________________________________

FUTURE EVENTS (FYI):

November: Event will be on 11/20 at the Vihara. Standby for more info from Kaila Philo as the date approaches.
December: Event will be on 12/6 at 6pm in Mt Pleasant. This will be our end of year book club event and veg potluck. The book will be Suzuki's classic, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. Standby for more info as the date approaches.

Looking forward to all of these!

-Megan
Reading Group Coordinator

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[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] IN PERSON - Insight Dialogue with The Center for Mindful Living

Hi Dharma Friends,

Ben Lasso and I would like to invite you for a practice of Insight Dialogue this Saturday in Tenleytown, from 10:30am to 12:00pm.

No prior experience is needed—just curiosity and kindness.

Together, we'll explore the first three Insight Dialogue guidelines: Pause, Relax, and Open—and how the inner practices of Pause and Relax can gently bridge into the relational practice of Open.

We'll begin by pausing and relaxing, then opening to our surroundings and to one another—allowing ourselves to notice, moment by moment, what arises. We'll practice this in dyads, bringing mindfulness into the shared field of awareness and connection.

We'd love to share this time of practice with you.

Warmly,
Michele & Ben

When: Sat. Oct. 11th at 10:30am - 12:00pm
Where: 4125 Albemarle St NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA

For more information: https://tockify.com/e/cmldc/detail/670/1760193000000

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Tuesday, 7 October 2025

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] a few spots left on retreat with Devin + Ellen this weekend

Hi friends,

If you'd like to spend this coming weekend in deep practice, there are just a few spots left for The Intimate Heart of Dharma. Devin Maroney and I are so glad to be offering this non-residential retreat at beautiful Journey Space in Glen Echo, MD.

It will run from 9am-6pm Saturday and 9am-5pm Sunday, leaving you (hopefully) with Monday's holiday to integrate at home. Registration is $75, and the rest is dana-based.

The spacious schedule will include dharma talks, guided heart practices, movement and embodiment, and the nourishment of practicing in community.

Learn more and register here: http://futurevessel.art/events

In friendship,

Ellen

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Monday, 6 October 2025

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] Workshop on Mapping Your Role in Social Change, Sunday Oct. 12

Hi everyone!

I wanted to share an upcoming event hosted by the Center for Mindful Living (DC) that some of you might be interested in: a two-hour online workshop with Deepa Iyer, author of Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection and creator of the Social Change Ecosystem Framework.

This will be an interactive session where we'll explore how to engage in social change work as an extension of our dharma practice — in ways that are sustainable, grounded, and aligned with our unique strengths.

The workshop will include:

Learning about the ten roles in social change and how they complement one another
Reflecting on which roles resonate with your own values, talents, and energy
Deepening our connection to community and collective well-being

Sunday, October 12th | 3:00 - 5:00 PM ET
📍 Zoom
Registration required.
FREE to attend, optional donation to the Festival Center.

Let me know if you have any questions and please feel free to share with friends,

Monisha

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RE: Final Shipping Documents

Good Morning ,

Pls. find attached scan copy of final shipping documents for your ref.

Original documents will be couriered through our Bank to your nominated Bank, & DHL c/n. no. upon receive from our Bank , we’ll surely share it with you.

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=====================

Sunday, 5 October 2025

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] Musicality of Being in Rock Creek Park, October 11 & 25

Dear Friends,

The Musicality of Being workshop returns to Rock Creek Park next Saturday October 11, 10am-1pm and also on the 25th. You are warmly invited.

The phrase 'musicality of being' is my way of describing the dynamically changing flows of energy that are always passing through the world and through our bodies. During the workshop, we spend 3 hours walking the trails, dialoguing with partners and as a whole group, meditating by the creek and exploring the somatic connections between all these moving parts.

In the process, we practice simultaneously listening to our own bodies, our walking companions and the natural environment that surrounds us. It's a kind of immersion into sensation, emotion, perception, movement and relationship. By slowing down together in beautiful surroundings we highlight these qualities in a new way, while recognizing that this richness is actually available in any present moment experience when we are deeply attuned.

The workshop is being offered every other weekend throughout the year. Right now, the fall colors in the park are amazing! Returning participants love how the practice deepens each time.

You can register here. The cost is $20. There is also a sliding scale option if that's better for you.

And please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you might have.

Warmly,

Seth Dellinger

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Friday, 3 October 2025

[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] This Sunday: Alive and Awake with Connection - Part 2 of 2, The Outer Field

Greetings Dear Sangha,

This Sunday, we return to our exploration of Dharma as relational practice by turning toward the wider field of systems, structures, and shared becoming.

As deep fractures in our culture come to the surface—from shutdowns and political violence to economic precarity and ecological grief—we gather to deepen our capacity to see the dominant collective mind with more clarity: both its delusions and its profound suffering. We can attend to our growing precarity amid these breakdowns—the reality violence and loss—without being defined by fear, anger, or grief. There is more to us than this.

How might we refuse that separation, that fracture, at every level? What does it mean to stay relational in a time of rupture? What ways forward become available when we learn to stay steady, individually and collectively, in the mess of it all—when we can stay together with the trouble?

Join us on Sunday as we reflect on a Dharma that doesn't retreat from the world's pain, but meets it with wisdom, ethics, and revolutionary love.

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.

In Sangha,

Kristin

kristin barker

One Earth Sangha

Pronouns she, her and hers; on occupied land of the Piscataway.

kristin@1earthsangha.org

No mud, no lotus.

— Thích Nhất Hạnh

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RE: Confirm Shipping doc / shipment schedule

Hi sir ,

We just got instruction from our client to contact you on the above subject.

Below attachment is your shipping doc and about the shipment and latest shipping schedule.

Thank you and Best regards,

Mingzheng Wang

(Export Manager)

COSCO SHIPPING LINE

Unit 4706, 80/F, Central Plaza, 18 Harbor Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Thursday, 2 October 2025

Celebrate Compassion Tonight

Dining with Dignity

An evening of Hope, Community, and Compassion

Join Us for a Meaningful Cause

You're invited to Dining with Dignity, a special fundraising event dedicated to combating hunger and homelessness in our community. This evening brings together caring individuals like you to make a real difference in the lives of those who need it most.

Your participation helps provide:

Nutritious meals for families in need
Emergency utility and housing assistance
Support services for those experiencing homelessness
Hope and dignity for our most vulnerable neighbors

The evening will feature tastings from area chefs, good music, and the opportunity to connect with others who share your commitment to making a difference.

When: Wednesday, November 19, 2025 | 6-10 PM

Where: Newton White Mansion, 2708 Enterprise Rd, Mitchellville, MD 20721

Reserve Your Spot: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/dining-with-dignity

Sponsorships Still Available!

Be part of this amazing night of compassion.

Questions? Contact Ana Sorto at asorto@molc-inc.org or (301) 333-4440

Learn more at WWW.MOLC-INC.ORG

Buy Now

Home

Donate

Mission of Love Charities, Inc. | 6180 Old Central Avenue | Capitol Heights, MD 20743 US

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[Downtown Dharma Sangha Listserv] Impromptu shutdown retreat at the Washington Buddhist Vihara tomorrow

Hi friends,

For everyone who is also currently furloughed or otherwise available, tomorrow I have arranged for a pretty informal half day retreat at the Washington Buddhist Vihara. We will meet there at 9 am and stay to have lunch with the monks. Everyone is welcome but let me know if you plan to come as I'd like to give them a rough headcount.

I'm envisioning that the retreat itself will be a fairly informal time to practice on your own, but we can also decide how we want to structure it as a group tomorrow.

Also sending well wishes to everyone affected by the shutdown!

Peace,

Kavya

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