“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
The Buddha praised kalyāṇa-mitta, or spiritual friendship, as “the whole of the holy life” (SN 45.2). In order to facilitate such connection and deepening of practice, Clear Mountain encourages out-of-town visitors to stay with local community members and all to align practice through Clear Mountain’s Dedicated Practitioner (Upāsakā) Framework, Mitta Meetups, and Sāriputta Study Groups.
Visiting Clear Mountain
Though Clear Mountain does not yet own land, many still wish to visit Seattle to meet the growing community, tapping into daily alms round, Saturday morning gatherings, & other in-person events. Staying with a local community member allows visitors to save funds, connect with another practitioner, and receive guidance in navigating the local Dhamma landscape. Hosting guests allows local community members to cultivate new spiritual friendship, develop generosity of heart, and honor the Buddha’s elevation of hospitality to one of the “Six Objects of Reverence” (AN 6.40). To visit, or become a host, join Clear Mountain’s “Hosting, Visiting, House/Pet-sitting, & Housing” channels on WhatsApp and Discord, or email hospitality@friendsofclearmountain.org. Welcome!
Dedicated Practitioner (Upāsakā) Framework
Upāsakā (literally “those-who-sit-near”) is the term for Buddhist lay followers intent on keeping the Five Precepts. The form, however, may include other practices, many of them ancient, which frame a life of deep devotion to the Buddhist path. Those who wish to undertake this level of training may find guidance in Clear Mountain’s Upāsakā Guide, and support in a community of similarly dedicated practitioners both in-person and online. Those who wish – either for personal inspiration, to inspire others, or for a level of social accountability – may note their aspirations in the Clear Mountain Upāsakā Aspirations Google form for just the monastics to see, or to share publicly. Anumodana!
Mitta Meetups
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 WhatsApp Community’s local groups, the #seattlites channel on Discord, or a Sariputta Study Group.
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 an existing group or forming a new one, fill out this Google Form. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Matt Warning at mattwarning@gmail.com