Do I need to be a Buddhist in order to come to events at Gar Drolma?
No previous experience with Buddhism is necessary in order to attend practices. In addition, students need not make an appointment to attend practices.
Is everyone welcome there?
We are an open and inclusive sangha, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, income, or sexual orientation.
Is there a fee to come to practices?
There is no fee to attend regular practice sessions on Sundays and Thursdays. Instead, we sustain our operation through regular donations and membership donations made by participants. We deeply appreciate any donation you are able to offer.
What should I wear at the temple?
The dress at the temple is casual. If you want to sit on a cushion, you may want to wear loose clothing. We take our shoes off before going into the shrine room.
Are all Buddhists Vegetarians?
Although abstaining from eating meat is considered a preferable practice, there is no strict prohibition against eating meat. His Holiness the Dalai Lama summed it up this way: "Killing and eating meat are interrelated, so do we have to give up eating animal products? I myself once tried to give it up, but health problems arose and two years later my doctors advised me to again use meat in my diet. If there are people who can give up eating meat, we can only rejoice in their noble efforts. In any case, at least we should try to lessen our intake of meat and not eat it anywhere where it is in scarce supply and our consumption of it would cause added slaughter." -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama from The Path to Enlightenment, published by Snow Lion Publications