The spiritual richness of Chinese Buddhism is evident by its valuable scriptures, cultural influences, as well as its flexibility to interact with diverse cultural traditions worldwide.
Its value is best illustrated by particular Buddhist scriptures hitherto available only in Chinese. These scriptures contain important messages from the Buddha about how to live a better life through a deeper understanding and improvement of oneself, others, and the world through the Bodhisattva’s efforts of six pāramitās or six perfections.
In Singapore and the South-East Asia region in general, because of limited availability of and accessibility to learning resources for Chinese Buddhism in English, the study and practice of Chinese Buddhism is often fraught with challenges to the majority of English speaking communities.
Hence, the Institute strives to bring Chinese Buddhism into everyday life by creating an affordable and accessible platform for English speakers who wish to enrich their living experience through the practice of Chinese Buddhism. Importantly, the benefits of using Buddhism to address the issues of modern society and to solve modern issues of existentialism must and will be made available to all.
The Institute of Chinese Buddhism (ICBuddhism) provides quality English learning opportunities that integrate study and practice in accordance with Buddhist teachings.
The Institute of Chinese Buddhism (ICBuddhism) aims to achieve this mission by inviting credible Dharma teachers, scholars, monastics and lay practitioners to teach a series of programmes including a structured course on the six pāramitās (perfections), a series of lectures covering the history and thought of Chinese Buddhism, its philosophy, application and iconography, among others.
In particular, we hope to engage issues such as generative AI, genetic engineering, climate protection, sustainability issues, and others facing an increasingly digital world.