Kalyāṇa-mittatā is a Buddhist concept of "admirable friendship" within Buddhist community life, applicable to both monastic and householder relationships. One involved in such a relationship is known as a "good friend", "virtuous friend", "noble friend" or "admirable friend".
Sculpture at Vulture Peak, Rajgir, India, depicting the Buddha consoling Ānanda
In English translations of Buddhist texts, householder denotes a variety of terms. Most broadly, it refers to any layperson, and most narrowly, to a wealthy and prestigious familial patriarch. In contemporary Buddhist communities, householder is often used synonymously with laity, or non-monastics.
Buddhist monks giving a teaching or blessing to lay people in Myanmar
An illustration from an 1866 Japanese book. A long-haired householder, who is an incarnation of Bodhisattva Kannon, gives a sermon to folks.