Garbis was ordained as a Buddhist lay minister under the auspices of the Sangha Council of Southern California at the Rosemead Buddhist Monastery. He has studied various Buddhist traditions including Theravada, Mahayana (Zen), and Vajrayana (Kagyu, Nyingma, Gelug), each of which he fully engaged in during a dedicated portion of his life.
Garbis is currently writing his PhD dissertation in Buddhist Studies at the University of the West.