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Friendship in Practice
A Half-Day Men's Retreat
with Paul LaVigne
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Saturday, November 14, 2026
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
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► HELD IN PERSON and ONLINE via Zoom ◀︎
At the core of any Buddhist community is the notion of Kalyana Mitta, or spiritual friendship. The Buddha noted that this type of friendship is critical to our efforts to maintain practice and develop a full and dynamic spiritual life.
In this special men's retreat, we will explore together what it means to be a spiritual friend -- a friend to others, as well as to ourselves. Through guided and silent meditation, Dharma reflection, and group discussion, we will open to the beauty (and barriers) of deep and authentic connection.
We will also use the gathering as an opportunity to talk about how to strengthen Kalyana Mitta at PIMC, potentially mapping out a regularly recurring men's practice group or discussing other ideas.
This retreat is meant to hold open and loving space for all self-identifying men as well as non-binary practitioners who feel drawn to this type of gathering. If you have any questions, reach out to teacher Paul LaVigne (paul.lavigne AT gmail.com).
Paul LaVigne is a lifelong seeker and insight meditation student of over 12 years. You may recognize him from his participation in many events at the center over the years. As a teacher, he offers caring guidance, encouragement, and perspective to his fellow travelers and seekers as we all come face-to-face with the truth of suffering.
Registration
You may self-select Dana below. Please consider paying at the highest rate that you can afford: your generosity supports teachers, PIMC, and your fellow Sangha members.
No one is turned away due to lack of funds
Full scholarships may be requested via THIS FORM. Please email office@portlandinsight.org with questions.
All ages, ethnicities, socio-economic groups, religious backgrounds, abilities, sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome.
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