Amitabha Buddhist Retreat Centre

The centre is enlightening—by bringing light and dispelling darkness—dispels ignorance and then brings the light of Dharma to sentient beings. Under the guidance of our Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, we offer the vast benefits of the Buddha’s teachings through a comprehensive programme of classes, prayer sessions and community service events all year round.

Amitabha Buddhist Centre has been established as a non-profit Buddhist organisation in Singapore since 1989. We are associated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), an international Buddhist organisation headquartered in the United States.

The seed for Amitabha Buddhist Centre began in the early Eighties when two Tibetan Buddhist monks made a brief stopover in Singapore—Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Lama Yeshe was the founder of the FPMT organisation and Lama Zopa Rinpoche was co-founder and Lama Yeshe’s heart disciple. That visit brought the lamas into contact with a small group of students, to whom Lama Yeshe then suggested the name of Amitabha.

Lama Yeshe passed away in 1984 and Lama Zopa Rinpoche became Spiritual Director of the FPMT.In 1985, while on retreat in, Lama Zopa Rinpoche developed a strong and sudden impulse to visit Singapore. Following his instincts, Rinpoche arranged to visit Singapore soon after, arriving around 1986. During that visit, Rinpoche saw how introducing the proper study and practice of the Buddha’s teachings would greatly benefit many people in Singapore. He was keen to pursue its development and this marked the actual beginnings of Amitabha Buddhist Centre.

In 1986, Rinpoche introduced the first FPMT teacher to his new Singapore students. The former Venerable Dieter from Germany gave lectures on Buddhism to an English-speaking audience. It was rare to find English classes on Buddhism in the 1980s, and even more rare to hear about the teachings of the Tibetan yogi, Lama Tsong Khapa (1357-1419). The interest in learning Buddhism continued to grow as Rinpoche sent over another teacher, an American nun, Venerable Thubten Chodron, in 1988.

Amitabha Buddhist Centre is a centre for the study and practice of Mahayana Buddhism, based on the Gelug tradition of the Tibetan master, Lama Tsong Khapa, following the lineage of Lama Thubten Yeshe and our Spiritual Director, Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.

In line with the FPMT mission, we provide integrated education through which people’s minds and hearts can be transformed into their highest potential for the benefit of others, inspired by an attitude of universal responsibility and service. We are committed to creating harmonious environments and helping all beings develop their full potential of infinite wisdom and compassion.

Our vision of helping all beings live life meaningfully through the Dharma inspires our goals and activities that encompass education, prayer and community servic.To deepen your understanding and practice of the teachings, tear yourself away from the hustle and bustle of your everyday routine and make time for quiet retreat. Our spiritual programme includes group retreats, which are held both in Singapore and abroad. There is the Nyung Nay retreat based on the practice of Chenresig [Avalokiteshvara] and a group retreat that is usually held once a year in Nepal, at Kopan Monastery.