Amitabha Buddhist Centre - Amitabha Buddhist Centre

Amitabha Buddhist Centre

Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, an international non-profit organisation founded by the late Lama Thubten Yeshe. The history of ABC can be traced to 1984 when Lama Yeshe first visited Singapore with his disciple, Thubten Zopa Rinpoche. Lama Yeshe felt that establishing a Dharma centre in Singapore would greatly benefit a growing number of affluent Singaporeans.

After Lama Yeshe died in 1984, Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche became its Spiritual Director. The Singapore centre was finally realised in 1985, but had no permanent base. Its followers met in various venues such as Dharma Cakra Society and Cheng Beng Buddhist Society.

In 1987, Lama Zopa sent Venerable Thubten Chodron, an American Buddhist nun to Singapore as its Resident Teacher. Before coming to Singapore, she taught Buddhism and meditation in countries like United States, Europe and Hong Kong. She taught in Singapore for over a year, teaching in schools as well as at different Buddhist societies. She also published several books such as Working with Anger, Open Heart, Clear Mind, Buddhism for Beginners et cetera.

In 1988, the group decided to organise as a Buddhist society under the name "Amitabha Buddhist Centre", and leased a small house at Butterfly Avenue for its activities. Amitabha Buddhist Centre was officially registered in January 1989. In 2000, ABC began to raise funds for the purchase a permanent home at Lorong 15 Geylang. In 2004, they began to build a new seven-storey Tibetan-style structure at nearby Lorong 25A. It was completed in mid 2006.

The current Resident Teacher is Geshe Thubten Chonyi, who graduated with the highest Tibetan monastic degree of Geshe Lharam (the equivalent of a Ph.D.) after 17 years of intensive study at Sera Je Monastery in south India. He was born in Nepal in 1962 and was ordained by Lama Yeshe in 1974. He has been with ABC since 1999.