The Kinship Cafe community
Where study becomes conversation.
Kinship Cafe is a free, private community centered on the careful study of the Daodejing—also known as the Tao Te Ching—the questions it raises for life today, and the relationships through which understanding continues to develop.
Members gather to examine ideas, bring their own questions and experiences into the conversation, encounter perspectives different from their own, and explore the Way of Kinship together.
You can participate in live online or in-person gatherings, continue conversations in the community forum, or explore our growing library at your own pace.
Everything inside the community is free. There is no required level of participation and no creed you are expected to accept.
Request to Join — FreeMembership requests are reviewed to help protect the quality and privacy of the community.
Inside the community
Three ways to take part.
There is no single way to participate. Join live, ask a question, explore previous material, or simply listen until you feel ready to contribute.
Community
The community feed is our shared conversation space. Members post questions and ideas, respond to new material, continue discussions between gatherings, and interact directly with one another.
Because the community is private, member posts and conversations are not publicly visible.
Calendar
The Calendar brings all online and in-person gatherings into one place. Each event includes the time, location or meeting link, and anything you need to participate.
Join regularly or attend whenever a particular gathering interests you.
Classroom
The Classroom is our growing learning library. It includes recordings of previous Daodejing sessions, a five-part foundation for understanding the text, the 14-Day Exploration of the Way of Kinship, and more.
The material is text- and video-based, self-directed, and available whenever you are ready for it.
Our weekly rhythm
Regular places to gather.
Participate regularly, choose the gatherings that interest you, or stay connected through the recordings and community feed.
Community Share
An open conversation shaped by the people who attend. Someone brings a question or idea, and we explore it together. There is no presentation to follow and no predetermined conclusion to reach.
Daodejing Study
A careful, line-by-line exploration of the text. We begin with its historical context, then open the conversation to questions, interpretations, and possible implications for life today.
Recordings are added to the Classroom.
Daodejing Study
The same material as Friday, offering a local, in-person way to participate.
9:00–10:00 a.m.
Hilltop Spiritual Center
331 East Elder Street
Fallbrook, CA 92028
Links for online gatherings are available to members through the community Calendar.
Where to begin
Choose the starting point that fits your curiosity.
There is no required sequence through the Classroom. Explore whatever interests you, or begin with one of these two introductions.
Five-part video series
Foundations for Understanding the Daodejing
Begin here if you are primarily curious about the text itself. This series introduces its historical setting, the questions it was addressing, and some of the challenges involved in reading an ancient Chinese work today.
It is a helpful starting point before joining—or while following—our weekly study.
Text-based and self-directed
The 14-Day Exploration of the Way of Kinship
Begin here if you are primarily interested in questions about wellbeing, relationship, meaning, suffering, the sacred, community, and how we participate in the world around us.
No previous knowledge of the Daodejing is needed.
What membership involves
Belonging does not require agreement.
The goal is not to manufacture consensus, but to cultivate conversations in which people can think honestly and remain in relationship when they see differently.
You do not need to:
- Know anything about the Daodejing
- Identify as a Daoist
- Adopt a creed
- Attend live gatherings
- Post before you feel ready
- Agree with every idea
We do ask members to:
- Enter with curiosity and good faith
- Make room for different perspectives
- Question ideas without reducing people to positions
- Respect member privacy
- Examine their own assumptions
- Disagree without contempt
About the platform
Everything in one place.
Kinship Cafe is hosted on Skool, an online platform that brings our community conversations, event Calendar, and Classroom together.
- Read and participate in the community feed
- Find links and details for gatherings
- Watch previous Daodejing sessions
- Follow self-directed video and text explorations
- Keep up with new material
You need a free Skool account to enter. Kinship Cafe does not charge for membership, gatherings, classes, recordings, or new content.
The book is available as an additional resource, and members may support the work voluntarily. Neither is required.
Common questions
Before you join
Do I need to know anything about the Daodejing?
No. The Classroom includes introductory material, and our conversations are accessible to people encountering the text for the first time.
Do I need to attend the live gatherings?
No. Attend live, watch recorded Friday sessions, explore the Classroom, join the community feed, or simply read and listen.
Can I participate if I do not live near Fallbrook?
Yes. Kinship Cafe has members from around the world. The community, Classroom, Wednesday Community Share, and Friday study are online. Only Sunday requires being in Fallbrook.
Which gatherings are recorded?
Friday’s online Daodejing study is recorded. Wednesday and Sunday are not recorded so those conversations can remain more immediate and informal.
Is Kinship Cafe religious?
Kinship Cafe engages deeply with the Daodejing and Daoist philosophy, but it is not a religious congregation and does not require a creed or supernatural beliefs. People from religious, spiritual, agnostic, atheist, and other backgrounds are welcome.
Is everything really free?
Yes. Membership, gatherings, recordings, Classroom material, and new content are free. The book and voluntary support are optional.
Why does membership require approval?
Approval helps protect the privacy and quality of the community. It is not a test of your beliefs or knowledge.
What is expected of members?
Bring curiosity, treat other members with respect, protect the privacy of community conversations, and make room for different perspectives. There is no required level of participation.
Join Kinship Cafe
Add your voice to the conversation.
You do not need to arrive with the right answers, agree with every part of the Way of Kinship, or participate in a particular way.
Bring your questions, experiences, doubts, insights, and curiosity. Study with us, join a gathering, explore at your own pace, or simply listen for a while.
Kinship Cafe is private, approval-based, and completely free.
Request to Join — FreeYour request will open the Kinship Cafe page on Skool. You will need a free Skool account to join.
Not ready to join? Begin with Day 1 of the 14-Day Exploration.