Kalyana mitrata: friendship with the beautiful

Online opportunity to deepen our understanding of spiritual friendship

People placing their hands into a circle

The retreat will take place entirely online through the weekend, so you can participate from home. Short online sessions will be interspersed with offline private reflection and writing time.

The Buddha once said that kalyana mitrata, spiritual friendship, or ‘friendship with what is beautiful’ is the whole of the spiritual life. Our Triratna community takes these words to heart. You might say kalyana mitrata is the whole of the Triratna Buddhist Community.

As you first walk through the doors of our spiritual Buddhist community, we consider you a friend. You may take part in all our public activities and there is no obligation to take their involvement further. For those who do want to go further though - there is the opportunity to get to know other practitioners and strengthen those connections. Our structures can all be seen as a framework for kalyana mitrata or friendship to develop.

Spiritual friendship doesn’t involve any kind of power relationship, it’s a friendship based on maitri or loving kindness. This kind of friendship, which takes time, effort and awareness to cultivate, forms the basis of the Sangha or spiritual community.

We'll ask you to set aside your whole weekend, as best you can, for this online retreat.

Our online gathering will start on Friday night from 6-8pm and then again on Saturday and Sunday starting from 9am with meditation. Hopefully reflecting on kalyana mitrata in ways you are not expecting and that will leave you with a new appreciation for what is possible.

Suitable for those who are familiar with our meditation practices.