Kalyana mitrata: friendship with the beautiful
Non-residential retreat
The Buddha once said that kalyana mitrata, spiritual friendship, or ‘friendship with what is beautiful’ is the whole of the spiritual life. Our community takes these words to heart. You might say kalyana mitrata is the whole of the Triratna Buddhist Community.
Our centre is not simply just a place for teaching meditation and Buddhism. When a person first attends they are considered a friend. They 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 meet on Friday night from 7-9pm and then again on Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 1pm. All our time will be spent discussing, meditating and reflecting on kalyana mitrata but perhaps in new ways that you are not expecting. Hopefully in ways that will leave you with a new appreciation of what is possible.
Suitable for those who are familiar with our meditation practices.
When
Cost
$120 waged/$80 low or unwaged
Caring for each other's health
Before attending, please read our current Covid Guidelines. This is part of how we practice together.
Led by
Ratnavyuha
I've been actively involved with the Triratna Buddhist community since 1992 while still at University. As with many other people, my personal journey…
Karunajoti
Karunajoti’s first introduction to Buddhism was through a meditation class at the Auckland Buddhist Centre in 1999. This led to a strong desire to…