Kalyana Mitta: Spiritual Friendship as the Path to Freedom
Mini Retreat
Saturday, November 13, 2021
9:00 am - 12:45 pm ET
Registration is now closed.
In the Pali language, a wise or admirable friend is known as a Kalyana Mitta (Kalyāṇamitta). The Buddha himself noted the importance of spiritual friendship in the discourse known as the Samyutta Nikaya (45.2), sharing with his own dear friend Ananda that "Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life."
How does wise friendship—with ourselves, with others, and with the world—lead to freedom? Can associating with good-hearted people really help us on the path to personal liberation? What can we learn from those who have walked this sacred ground before us? And how might we consider the cultivation of friendship, companionship, and camaraderie a complete and total spiritual journey unto itself?
This November, join IMS Teacher Devon Hase for an exploration of what it means to give or receive as a Kalyana Mitta, a true spiritual friend. Through dialogue, silence, stillness, and movement, we'll gather to practice freedom— moment by moment—with deep spiritual friendship toward one another.
All are welcome. This program is offered live and will not be recorded.
About the Teacher
Devon Hase
devon hase is empowered to teach in the Insight and Vajrayana traditions of western Buddhism. Since discovering meditation in 2000, she has put dharma and community at the center of her life: she spent a decade bringing mindfulness to high school and college classrooms before entering several years of silent, solitary retreat in the mountains of Oregon. She now teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and the Forest Refuge, among others. She enjoys supporting practitioners in long and short retreats, and also with personal mentoring, emphasizing relational practice and the natural world. Along with her life partner nico, devon co-authored How Not to Be a Hot Mess: A Buddhist Survival Guide for Modern Life. When she’s not traveling and teaching in their van, she’s most likely in wilderness retreat. For more, visit devonandnicohase.com.