親樺師來自馬來西亞，廿餘年間換了多份工作，看盡人生百態，深感世間人在五欲中沉迷，為名利勾心鬥角，實在不值得；
種種現象讓她耿耿於懷，心中沉悶，常想是否有「另類人生」之路可走？
1997年讀上人略傅，上人說，「捨不了死，換不了生；捨不了假，成不了真」，如雷灌頂；
又看到六大宗旨，不禁驚嘆世間居然還有不要名利的人！再看上人的開示錄，她所有的疑惑都消融了。接著打了一個地藏七，感觸良深，似有所悟，對人生又升起了希望，便毅然向服務了十年的公司辭職，搬進本會在吉隆坡的「登彼岸」道場當義工，照顧櫃臺，學打法器，法會時是好幫手。
本來憧憬著來美國萬佛城進修，但屢次簽證不准，申請加拿大則一請即准。莫非緣在加國？
也好，便來了本會在溫哥華的金佛寺。金佛寺環境幽靜，地方寬敞，想不到的是，那裏的法師們竟也都是馬來西亞來的華人；所謂「親不親，故鄉人」，接待她十分親切，讓她毫無身處異鄉之感。更想不到的是，三個月後加國竟是她落髮之地！家人也由當初的反對，到現在的支援贊助；事事順利，滿心歡喜，只能說是諸佛菩薩默默加被。
4月1日星期一是觀音菩薩聖誕正日，早課後，在加國卡格里市的華嚴聖寺，由方丈恒佐師及比丘恒逸師舉行了簡單的儀式，剃度為沙彌尼，終於如願以償；
心裏石頭落了地，覺得很踏實，「太好了，觀音菩薩聖誕正式我的新生之日」，今後就看自己的努力了。
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Chin Hua Shi came from Malaysia. After
having worked in many jobs over twenty years, she saw the
many different faces of humankind. She observed people
drowning in the five desires and fighting and scheming over
fame and fortune and felt it was meaningless. These things
left an indelible impression on her. Depressed and
frustrated, she wondered whether there was an alternative
lifestyle.
In 1997 she read the Venerable Master's
brief biography, in which the Venerable Master said, "Unable
to let go of death, one cannot exchange it for life; unable
to let go of the false, one cannot achieve the true." These
words hit her like bolts of lightning. She also read the Six
Guiding Principles and was impressed that there was someone
in this world who didn't care for fame and fortune! She then
read the Venerable Master's talks and all her doubts
disappeared. Later she participated in a weeklong Earth
Store session, which woke her up and gave her new hope. She
resigned from the company where she had worked for over a
decade and moved into Dharma Realm Buddhist Association's
Deng Bi An Temple in Kuala Lumpur, where she happily served
as a volunteer. She manned the reception desk and helped to
play the Dharma instruments during Dharma assemblies.
She wished to come to the City of Ten
Thousand Buddhas, but her application for a visa was
repeatedly denied. In contrast, her application for a
Canadian visa was promptly approved. "Are my affinities in
Canada?" she wondered. That worked out just as well. She
moved into the quiet and spacious Gold Buddha Monastery in
Vancouver, where she felt a kinship with the resident nuns
who were also from Malaysia. They received her warmly so
that she didn't feel like she was in a foreign country at
all.
Another surprise was that she would have
her head shaved in Canada three months later! Her family,
who initially disapproved, now supports her decision. She
was pleased by how smoothly everything had gone and felt
that all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas had been helping her.
After the morning recitation on Monday,
April 1, 2002 (Guanyin's birthday), her head was shaved as a
Shramanerika in a ceremony led by Abbot Heng Tso Shi and
Bhikshu Heng Yi Shi of the Avatamsaka Monastery in Calgary.
Chin Hua Shi thought, "Great, my new birthday is on
Guanyin's birthday." Her wish has been fulfilled; it is up
to her to practice diligently.
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