“Spiritual friendship, spiritual companionship, spiritual comradeship is the whole of the holy life. When a monk has admirable people as friends, companions, and comrades, he can be expected to develop and pursue the Noble Eightfold Path.” – SN 45.2
“If beings knew, as I know, the result of giving and sharing, they would not eat without having given.” – Iti 26
Mitta Meetups are informal, in-person gatherings for practice, discussion, and giving, organized by members of the Clear Mountain community in Seattle. The Buddha emphasized the importance of kalyāṇa-mitta, or “spiritual friends,” as essential to the Path. These meetups foster community through shared meals, meditation, and Dhamma discussions.
Gatherings focus on giving, meditation, monastic teachings, and shared Dhamma topics. Hosts facilitate without assuming teaching roles, and recorded Dhamma talks should feature Theravāda monastics. To maintain inclusivity, avoid narrowing events to one teacher or topic. Consider hosting weekly or monthly, allowing time for regular attendance.
Consider organizing something like a Dhamma Daylong, Dhamma Dinner, Bhāvana Brunche, Kalyāṇa-mitta Coffee, Chanda Chat, Samādhi Session, Bodhi Backpack (hiking with friends), or a Sāriputta Study Group. If you’d like to post and hear about such events, join Clear Mountain’s local WhatsApp Community , the #seattlites channel on Discord, or a Sariputta Study Group (see below).
Sāriputta Study Groups
Sariputta Study Groups are self-organized community book groups (named after Venerable Sāriputta, the Buddha’s disciple foremost in wisdom)! To learn more about the structure and guidelines for these book groups, please refer to this guidelines document. If you are interested in joining a group or forming a new one, take a look at the list of groups below and fill out this Google Form. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Matt Warning at mattwarning@gmail.com
