What to expect:
Explore our Dharma course schedule and workshops, specially designed to support your personal growth through learning, reflection and meditation.
At Compassion and Wisdom Vihāra, our Dharma classes, workshops, and retreats are structured to provide a nurturing environment for deepening your understanding of Buddhist teachings. Rooted in the Mahāyāna tradition, these sessions are offered in English to make the teachings accessible to contemporary practitioners in Singapore.
Our classes are designed to foster personal growth, well-being and mindfulness in everyday life. 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 the Dharma or seeking to deepen your practice, we provide a supportive space for learning and reflection.
To help sustain our activities, participants are encouraged to make a small contribution towards the running costs of the classes, practices, and retreats. If you feel moved to offer additional support, you may do so at your discretion. Your contributions directly support the Vihāra’s efforts in maintaining a welcoming space for ongoing learning and practice.
Click here for more details on how you may offer support, or feel free to reach out to us with any questions.
May your generosity bring wisdom, well-being, and happiness to yourself and all beings.
Term I
April 3, 10, 17, 24 (Friday)
Term II
May 1, 8, 15, 29 (Friday)
Term III
July 10, 17, 24, 31 (Friday)
Term IV
August 7, 14, 21, 28 (Friday)
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Language: English
Support for Class Materials & Logistics: $15 per session | $50 per term
Discover the Buddha’s core teachings designed to make profound concepts clear, practical, and meaningful. Guided by Venerable Shi Chuan Jia, you will explore the fundamental Dharmas at a gentle, approachable pace, with explanations that are easy to understand and apply in daily life.
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:
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)
April 3, 10, 17, 24 (Friday)
Module Five (2026)
May 1, 8, 15, 29 (Friday)
Module Six (2026)
July 10, 17, 24, 31 (Friday)
Module Seven (2026)
August 7, 14, 21, 28 (Friday)
Module Eight (2026)
October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Friday)
Time: 7pm to 9 pm
Language: English
Support for Class Materials & Logistics: $15 per session | $50 per module
Whether you are new to Buddhism or seeking to deepen your practice, this programme provides step-by step guidance on integrating wisdom into everyday challenges.
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.
Whether you are continuing from previous modules or joining for the first time, the course supports steady and meaningful learning.
Participants may attend individual modules independently or progress through the full series at a pace that suits their circumstances.
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.
This course offers a unique blend of:
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
Dates: July 10, 17, 24, 31 (Friday)
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Language: English
Support for Class Materials & Logistics: $15 per session | $50 for the course (all four sessions)
Abhidharma is often described as one of the most profound yet least understood areas of Buddhist teachings. For many, it can feel distant or too technical. This short course offers an accessible introduction, with no prior background in Buddhist philosophy required.
Rather than presenting Abhidharma as an abstract theory, this course shows why Buddhists studied it and how it supports learning, reflection, and practice.
By the end of the course, participants may gain a clearer sense of what Abhidharma is, how it arose, and why it remains relevant for Buddhist study and spiritual practice today.
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.
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.
Retreat Date
March 7, 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 8am to 6pm
Language: English
Support for Class Materials, Logistics and Lunch: $40 per retreat
The Eight Precepts Retreat is a rare opportunity to step away from daily distractions and dedicate a full day to moral discipline, mindfulness, and inner reflection. More than just a retreat, this is a guided experience in mindful living, where each precept becomes a tool for cultivating wisdom, inner peace, and clarity.
Under the guidance of Venerable Chuan Jia, participants will explore how precepts are not just rules to follow, but practical principles that bring mental clarity and deeper awareness when applied in daily life. Through silent practice, guided sessions, and simple living, this retreat offers a direct experience of the benefits of observing the Eight Precepts.
In keeping with the spirit of mindful learning, we maintain a small group intentionally, allowing each participant to receive the most attentive guidance and support along the way.
This retreat is recommended for those seeking a structured, focused day of cultivation, whether you are deepening your practice or experiencing the Eight Precepts for the first time.
What to Expect:
Dates: January 30, February 6, 13, 27 (Friday)
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—brief yet profound, simple yet limitless. 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 walk you through insights from his book, “The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra” (般若波罗蜜多心经), offering more than just an explanation of words. Through exploring the Heart Sūtra alongside core Buddhist teachings—the Five Aggregates, the Six Pāramitās, and Dependent Origination—you will uncover how this timeless text speaks directly to our daily lives.
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.
We are encouraged by the strong interest in this workshop and have made additional seats available. Registration is open while places last.
Dates: August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2025 (Friday)
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Language: English
Support for Class Materials & Logistics: $12 per session | $50 for the course (all five sessions)
Happiness is not just an emotion — it is a skill that can be cultivated. This five-week course helps participants apply Buddhist wisdom in everyday situations to develop genuine inner joy. Venerable Chuan Jia provides practical tools for handling stress, negativity, and personal challenges.
This course is suitable for anyone seeking a practical approach to inner well-being.
What Makes This Course Different?
Topics Covered:
The power of compassion and gratitude in daily life