Written by Sis Tan Bee Li
Venerable Chuan Yu is a Singaporean monk and founder of Aranya Sangha Dana Fellowship Limited. His spiritual journey began in his childhood, with initial exposure to Buddhism through visits to various temples with his uncle, sparking a profound connection to the Buddha Dhamma. What started as a practical decision to shift from Confucian studies to Buddhism in secondary school evolved into a lifelong commitment as he participated in Buddhist groups, volunteered at temples, and immersed himself in the teachings.
At age 17, Venerable Chuan Yu formally took refuge in the Triple Gem, motivated by a desire to understand fundamental questions about existence. His path to ordination was not without challenges, particularly in securing his mother’s approval, which took 14 years.
Eventually, at the age of 33, he renounced worldly life under Venerable Sik Kwang Sheng at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery and spent a year supporting the newly established Buddhist College of Singapore.
Following his ordination, Venerable Chuan Yu’s journey led him beyond Singapore, first to India and then Nepal, where he practiced under Trulshik Rinpoche. In 2007, a series of serendipitous events guided him to Guru Lama Tsering Wangdu Rinpoche, with whom he developed a profound and lasting connection. He spent many years with his Guru, before gradually shifting his focus back to serving the local community.
In 2018, he conceived the idea of a charity to address the challenges faced by community-based monks in Singapore, particularly the lack of spiritual, emotional, and financial support. With the assistance of several laypeople, he co-founded Aranya Sangha Dana Fellowship Limited together with Venerable Wei Zhi in 2020.
Today, Venerable Chuan Yu serves as the Vice Chairman and Honorary Deputy Executive Director of Aranya Sangha Dana Fellowship Limited, as well as a Board member for Care for the Elderly Foundation (Singapore). He also dedicates his time to providing palliative care to senior monastics and offering spiritual counselling to the Buddhist community. Despite the challenges he sometimes faces, he feels blessed and is committed to wholeheartedly dedicating his time and energy to his practice and to serve the Buddhist community.
