What to expect:
Explore our Dharma classes, workshops, and retreats designed to support learning, reflection, and meditation in daily life.
At Compassion and Wisdom Vihāra, our programmes offer a supportive environment for understanding Buddhist teachings and applying them meaningfully in modern life. Rooted in the Mahāyāna tradition and conducted in English, these sessions are accessible to both beginners and experienced practitioners in Singapore.
To support meaningful learning and encourage quiet contemplation, our classes are intentionally kept small. This creates a more focused and supportive space where participants can engage deeply with the teachings and receive guidance tailored to their pace and needs. Whether you are new to Buddhism or continuing your practice, you are welcome to learn and reflect in a space that supports clarity, mindfulness, and personal growth.
As part of the learning journey, we also introduce key Buddhist texts, including selected bilingual Sūtras and guided readings. These materials support both study and reflection, helping participants engage more directly with the teachings in meaningful and practical way. You may explore our Dharma Resources here.
Our classes, workshops, and retreats are made possible through community support. Participants are invited to offer a contribution towards the running costs of these programmes. Any additional support is offered at your own discretion and is deeply appreciated. Your generosity helps sustain a welcoming space for ongoing learning, practice, and reflection.
If you wish to support our work or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.
May your generosity bring wisdom, well-being, and happiness to yourself and all beings.
Module Six (2026)
July 10, 17, 24, 31 (Fridays)
Module Seven (2026)
August 7, 14, 21, 28 (Fridays)
Module Eight (2026)
October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Fridays)
Module One (2025)
[Registration Closed]
July 4, 11, 18, 25 (Friday)
Module Two (2025)
[Registration Closed]
October 10, 17, 24, 31 (Friday)
Module Three (2026)
[Registration Closed]
January 2, 9, 16, 23 (Friday)
Module Four (2026)
[Registration Closed]
April 3, 10, 17, 24 (Friday)
Module Five (2026)
[Registration Closed]
May 1, 8, 22, 29 (Fridays)
Time: 7pm to 9 pm
Language: English
Support for Class Materials & Logistics: $15 per session | $50 per module
Buddhist teachings are not meant only for study — they are meant to help us navigate daily life with greater clarity, wisdom, and compassion. This course offers a practical and structured introduction to Buddhist teachings and cultivation, supporting participants in applying the Dharma meaningfully in work, relationships, emotions, and daily challenges.
Flexible Modular Learning
Each module is designed to stand alone, allowing participants to begin with any module even if they did not attend earlier ones. While earlier modules establish essential foundations, the later modules explore deeper into the Dharma, drawing from sutra teachings and structured analytical frameworks, while remaining accessible to both beginners and experienced learners.
Suitable for both beginners and continuing practitioners, the programme combines Dharma learning, meditation, reflection, and guided cultivation in an accessible and grounded way.
Participants may attend individual modules independently or progress through the full series at a pace that suits their circumstances.
Learning Through Practice
Rather than focusing on theory alone, this course emphasises the living application of the Dharma. Participants are guided to reflect on the teachings, understand their meaning, and apply them thoughtfully in daily life—at work, in relationships, and in personal cultivation.
Guided by Venerable Chuan Jia, participants will explore key sutra teachings alongside essential Buddhist principles, with explanations that are clear, structured, and grounded in practice. The emphasis is on understanding the Dharma not only intellectually, but as guidance for daily conduct and inner development.
What the Course Includes:
Designed to go beyond conceptual learning, these modules support participants in integrating the Dharma into daily life, enabling them to respond to challenges with greater awareness and discernment.
What to expect:
Who Should Attend?
Practitioners looking to strengthen the link between study and daily practice
If you have further questions, you may refer to our Frequently Asked Questions below, or feel free to reach out to us.
Dates: July 10, 17, 24, 31 (Fridays)
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Language: English
Support for Class Materials & Logistics: $15 per session | $50 for the course (all four sessions)
Abhidharma is often regarded as one of the most profound yet least approachable areas of Buddhist thought.
This short course offers a gentle and accessible introduction to its key ideas, helping participants understand not only what Abhidharma teaches, but why generations of Buddhists studied it as part of reflection and practice.
No prior background in Buddhist philosophy is required.
What to Expect:
Over four sessions, participants will explore Abhidharma traditions such as Vibhajyavāda and Sarvāstivāda, along with key ideas from the Madhupiṇḍika Sutta, Dharma Theory, and the Theory of Moment. Participants will also see how these insights influenced later Buddhist thought, including Mahāyāna developments.
If you have further questions, you may refer to our Frequently Asked Questions below, or feel free to reach out to us.
Led by: Dr. Lee Foong Ming
Dr. Lee graduated from the National University of Singapore and did her postgraduate studies in Buddhist Studies in the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. She specialises in Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma and received her PhD degree after seven years of studies. Her academic interests in recent years have also expanded to include interfaith dialogues, and Yogacara studies.
Term III
July 10, 17, 24, 31 (Fridays)
Term IV
August 7, 14, 21, 28 (Fridays)
Term I
[Registration Closed]
April 3, 10, 17, 24 (Friday)
Term II
[Registration Closed]
May 1, 8, 22, 29 (Fridays)
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Language: English
Support for Class Materials & Logistics: $15 per session | $50 per term
Explore the Buddha’s core teachings through clear, practical, and beginner-friendly guidance. Led by Venerable Shi Chuan Jia, this course introduces essential Buddhist principles in a way that supports reflection, mindfulness, and meaningful application in daily life.
Through guided discussions, examples, and reflective exercises, participants are encouraged to gradually integrate the Dharma into everyday experiences and personal cultivation.
What to Expect:
Engage in interactive sessions with reflective exercises, discussions, and real-life examples that show how the Dharma can be applied in daily life. Each session is paced for understanding, giving you time to absorb and reflect on the teachings.
Who Should Attend:
This course is suitable for anyone curious about Buddhism, whether you are completely new or have some prior experience. It is ideal for those seeking clarity, mindfulness, and practical ways to integrate spiritual insights into everyday life.
Why Attend:
If you have further questions, you may refer to our Frequently Asked Questions below, or feel free to reach out to us.
Retreat Dates
July 4 (Saturday)
August 1 (Saturday)
September 5 (Saturday)
October 3 (Saturday)
November 7 (Saturday)
Time: 8am to 6pm
Language: English
Support for Class Materials, Logistics and Lunch: $40
The Eight Precepts Retreat is an opportunity to step away from daily distractions and dedicate a day to ethical living, mindfulness, and inner reflection.
More than simply observing rules, this guided retreat explores how the Eight Precepts support clarity, awareness, and inner peace when practised with understanding and intention.
Learning Through Practice
Under the guidance of Venerable Chuan Jia, participants will explore how the precepts are not merely restrictions, but practical foundations for cultivating awareness, discipline, and wisdom in daily life.
Through guided sessions, sutra recitation, prostrations, mindful offerings, silent practice, and simple living, the retreat offers a direct experience of the benefits of observing the Eight Precepts..
To support meaningful learning and attentive guidance, participation is intentionally kept to a small group size.
This retreat is suitable for both first-time participants and those wishing to deepen their practice through a focused day of cultivation.
What to Expect:
If you have further questions, you may refer to our Frequently Asked Questions below, or feel free to reach out to us.
Dates: October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Fridays)
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Language: English
Support for Class Materials & Logistics: $12 per session | $50 for the workshop (all five sessions)
Happiness is not merely an emotion—it is something that can be gradually cultivated through understanding and practice.
In this five-week workshop, Venerable Chuan Jia guides participants in applying Buddhist wisdom to everyday life. Through reflection and practical methods, you will learn how to work with stress, navigate challenges, and nurture a more stable sense of inner well-being.
Whether you are new to the Dharma or returning to the course, you are most welcome. In this 2026 refreshed offering, the teachings continue to unfold, allowing students the opportunity to revisit familiar principles with fresh understanding and deepen their application in daily life.
What You May Find Helpful in This Workshop:
• Bringing the teachings into daily life—at work, at home, and in relationships
• Simple, step-by-step approaches to working with thoughts and emotions
• Gentle guidance on making small, meaningful shifts that support long-term well-being
Topics We Will Reflect On:
• How our thoughts and actions shape our experience of happiness
• Applying Buddhist principles to cultivate contentment and inner steadiness
• Mindfulness practices for working with stress and reactivity
• The role of compassion and gratitude in daily living
If you have further questions, you may refer to our Frequently Asked Questions below, or feel free to reach out to us.
This eBook may serve as a helpful companion to Venerable Chuan Jia’s teachings, supporting continued reflection between sessions.
Part One (2027)
January 8, 15, 22, 29 (Fridays)
Part Two (2027)
February 12, 19, 26, March 5 (Fridays)
Part Three (2027)
April 9, 16, 23, 30 (Fridays)
Time: 7pm to 9 pm
Language: English
Support for Class Materials & Logistics:
• Individual series (4 lessons): $50
• Full workshop (12 lessons across 3 series): $135
The Diamond Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (金刚般若波罗蜜经) is one of the most profound and influential teachings in the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition. Revered for its penetrating wisdom, it challenges our habitual ways of seeing ourselves, others, and the world, revealing a path towards greater freedom, clarity, and compassion.
Yet many practitioners find its teachings difficult to grasp at first. Through this three-month workshop, Venerable Chuan Jia will guide participants in exploring the key themes and insights of the Diamond Sūtra in a systematic and accessible manner.
Drawing from both the sūtra’s teachings and practical application in daily life, participants will learn how attachment to views, identities, and fixed perceptions gives rise to suffering, and how wisdom can transform the way we relate to our experiences.
Whether you are encountering the Diamond Sūtra for the first time or returning with deeper interest, this 3-month workshop offers a structured exploration of one of Buddhism’s most transformative teachings, held in a supportive learning environment.
The full 3-monthworkshop is designed as a progressive unfolding of the teaching, where each month deepens and builds on the previous.
At the same time, each month is taught as a complete module, so participants may also enter from any point—whether Part One, Two, or Three—according to their interest and circumstances.
What You Will Explore
May the study and contemplation of The Diamond Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra support the cultivation of wisdom, compassion, and inner freedom.
If you have further questions, you may refer to our Frequently Asked Questions below, or feel free to reach out to us.
Dates: January 30, February 6, 13, 27 (Fridays)
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Language: English
Support for Class Materials & Logistics: $15 per session | $50 for the workshop (all four sessions)
“Gone, gone, gone beyond—completely gone beyond—Enlightenment, all accomplished.”
The Heart Sūtra is one of the most treasured scriptures in Mahāyāna Buddhism, offering profound insight into emptiness, wisdom, and freedom from suffering. For centuries, its verses have guided practitioners to realise the nature of emptiness and to see reality as it truly is.
In this special workshop, Venerable Shi Chuan Jia will guide participants through insights from his book, “The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra” (般若波罗蜜多心经), in a way that is both accessible and practically relevant to daily life.
Through reflection on core Buddhist teachings such as the Five Aggregates, Dependent Origination, and the Six Pāramitās, participants will explore how the wisdom of the Heart Sūtra can support clarity, compassion, and inner freedom.
Whether you are new to Buddhist practice or a seasoned practitioner, this session offers a rare opportunity to:
Come and let these profound teachings be a mirror, a guide, and a quiet light on your path.
If you have further questions, you may refer to our Frequently Asked Questions below, or feel free to reach out to us.
For those who wish to deepen their reflection, you may also refer to our eBook, which is available online as a supporting resource alongside the course.
You are warmly welcome to begin wherever you feel comfortable. Many participants start with introductory Dharma classes, beginner-friendly workshops, or guided meditation sessions.
No prior background is required for most of our programmes. Many participants join with little or no previous exposure to Buddhism. The teachings are introduced in a clear and accessible way, with guidance suitable for beginners as well as continuing practitioners.
Yes. Our classes are designed to support those who are new to Buddhist teachings, meditation, or mindfulness practice. Participants are encouraged to learn at a comfortable and steady pace.
No. Our programmes are open to anyone interested in learning, reflection, mindfulness, and personal cultivation, regardless of background or religious affiliation.
Our classes, workshops, and retreats are conducted primarily in English to support accessibility for contemporary practitioners in Singapore.
Depending on the programme, sessions may include Dharma talks, guided meditation, reflection exercises, discussions, chanting, and/or opportunities for questions and sharing. The emphasis is on understanding how Buddhist teachings may be meaningfully applied in daily life.
For modular programmes, participants may generally attend individual modules independently unless otherwise stated. This allows flexibility for those with varying schedules and commitments.
No prior meditation experience is necessary. Guidance will be provided, and participants are encouraged to approach the practice gradually and comfortably.
Comfortable and modest attire is recommended. Participants are encouraged to dress respectfully and avoid overly revealing clothing.
Participants are invited to offer a contribution towards the running costs of the programmes and facilities. Any additional support may be offered voluntarily in the spirit of Dāna (generosity).
If you are unsure where to begin, feel free to contact us at contact_us@compassionwisdomvihara.org. We will be happy to suggest a suitable programme based on your interests and familiarity with Buddhist teachings.
Yes. People from different backgrounds and faith traditions are welcome to attend our programmes for learning and reflection.
No. Anyone interested in cultivating greater calm, awareness, and clarity in daily life are invited to explore these practices.
The Eight Precepts are a set of ethical training principles observed to support mindfulness, simplicity, and inner cultivation. They encourage practitioners to temporarily step back from habitual distractions and live more mindfully for a period of practice.
Yes. Beginners are warmly welcome. Guidance will be provided throughout the retreat, and no prior experience observing the Eight Precepts is required.
Many participants attend for the first time. The retreat is conducted in a supportive and guided environment, allowing participants to learn gradually and practise at a comfortable pace.
Depending on the programme, the retreat may include taking the Eight Precepts, guided meditation, Dharma talks, silent reflection, Buddhist etiquette, chanting, mindful meals, and opportunities for questions and sharing.
Some periods of quiet reflection may be encouraged to support mindfulness and inner calm. Specific guidance will be shared during the retreat itself.
A simple vegetarian meal is provided as part of the retreat to support mindful living and the cultivation of gratitude and contentment.
The retreat is a learning and cultivation experience, not a test of perfection. Participants are encouraged to practise sincerely and gently, with mindfulness and openness.
Comfortable and modest attire is recommended. Participants are encouraged to dress respectfully and avoid overly revealing clothing. For participants who have taken refuge in the Triple Gem or received the Five Precepts, they are encouraged to bring along their 海青 (haiqing) or 缦衣 (manyi) for the retreat. If you do not have either, you are still able to attend and participate the retreat fully.
Participants are invited to offer a contribution towards the running costs of the programmes and facilities. Any additional support may be offered voluntarily in the spirit of Dāna (generosity).
As retreat practice is designed as a complete experience, participants are encouraged to attend the full programme where possible. If you have concerns about timing or commitments, feel free to contact us at contact_us@compassionwisdomvihara.org beforehand.