#389. What the Buddha Taught About Friendship | Kate Johnson

Friendship was important to the Buddha. In fact, there’s a whole passage in the Buddhist scriptures, or suttas, about friendship, with seven strategies for friendship, some of which we will discuss in this episode, with Kate Johnson.

Kate has been meditating for over twenty years and is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s four-year teacher training program. She is the author of a new book that has drawn praise from people like Lama Rod Owens, Jack Kornfield, and Ruth King. The book is called Radical Friendship: Seven Ways to Love Yourself and Find Your People in an Unjust World. In the book, and in this conversation, Kate draws on an ancient Buddhist text known as the Mitta Sutta to offer actionable strategies for realness, generosity, and other key ingredients for friendship. 

Radical Friendship is available on Bookshop, Indiebound, Barnes and Noble or Amazon

To practice cultivating radical friendship, check out some related meditations in the Ten Percent Happier app. If you're already listening to this episode in the Ten Percent Happier app, just scroll down to the "Related" section for meditations on friendship from Sebene Selassie, Oren Jay Sofer, and Joseph Goldstein. If you're not a subscriber, click here or download the Ten Percent Happier app wherever you get your apps and click on the "Podcasts" tab to get started.

And while you’re there, be sure to listen to our new podcast, Twenty Percent Happier, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app. 

Where to find Kate Johnson online: 

Website 

Social Media:

• Facebook 
• Instagram

Book Mentioned:

• Radical Friendship is available on Bookshop, Indiebound, Barnes and Noble or Amazon

Other Resources Mentioned:

• Ananda, Buddhist monk
• Kalyana Mitta, spiritual friendship
• Mika Brzezinski, Know Your Value
• Marisela Gomez