Our Mission Dharma Friends supports meditation practice in Toronto's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, based in diverse Buddhist and mindfulness philosophies and methods. We cultivate a social environment that is inclusive and caring, and welcome anyone who embraces LGBT people as equals. We are run by a volunteer committee of members, who take turns facilitating our sittings. There is no cost or procedure required to join our group.
Our History Dharma Friends was started in 1999 to support Buddhist meditation practice among Toronto's LGBT community, friends and allies. Our members come from a variety of different meditation backgrounds. We have Zen, Tibetan and Theravadan practitioners as part of our eclectic group, and others with backgrounds in mindfulness, and no connection to a particular tradition at all. Somedon’t identify as Buddhist, but come for silent meditation in an LGBT-positive environment. And some of our members have many years of meditation experience, while others had none at all before they came for the first time.
You are Welcome! If you are interested in our group, simply come to one of our weekly Wednesday evening sittings. We do not have a process for new members to “join”, nor do we charge a fee – although donations to our “dana bowl”are gratefully accepted to cover our operating costs. Our modest expenses include insurance, special events, refreshments, dana gifts to speakers, and donation for the use of space. In addition to regular meditation sessions, we also have occasional speakers throughout the year, and sometimes one-day retreats.
Dharma Friends sends out event announcements to keep our members informed about upcoming events and topics of interest. Learn about the basics of meditation at Dharma Friends, and have all your introductory questions answered.
