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今年一共三位居士通過出家的申請，分別是西班牙籍的男眾 Jose Gomez (法名親和)、以及台灣籍的女眾邱素華(法號近山)，與越南籍的凱蒂(法號近歡)。
 按照往例，新出家者會邀請在前一晚談談自己出家的因緣。來自西班牙的親和，是在去年阿彌陀佛聖誕前來到聖城的，當年他還被邀請上台分享自己參加佛七的心得。今年在同樣的講台、同樣的日子，但不同的是他已決定把自己奉獻給佛教，真正地去體悟修行的生活。現在的他，內心除了依然像去年充滿感恩以外，更多了一份對佛教、對眾生的使命感。
目前在金聖寺常住的邱素華，曾經是馬里蘭州華嚴精舍的護法之一，這次她的兒子、女兒及女婿特地從東岸前來觀禮。二年前，當她決定放下努力經營的事業和家庭時，兒子曾不解地問她：「您為什麼要跑到那麼遠的加州去呢？在東岸這邊不是也可以修行嗎？」然而她以自己成全兒子去紐約工作為譬喻，解釋親情雖然難捨，但為了追求自己更有意義的人生，這些都是該放下的。對邱居士而言，尋找療治生死輪迴痛苦的解藥，是她後半生要努力的目標，而這也正是自己發心出家的目的。
 越南籍的凱蒂，出家前已在法界聖城常住三年，出家後的她依然回到法界聖城服務。當談到自己的出家因緣，她最要感激的是她的母親。因為從小多病的她，母親經常帶著她到寺廟參拜，同時也教她要多念觀世音菩薩聖號；於是漸漸長大之際，每當遇到挫折或是恐懼的時候，心中便憶念起觀世音菩薩的聖號，遂而度過種種的難關。她還打趣地說，從小只要是媽媽贊成她去做的事，最後一定都會非常順利成功。以前還沒接觸上人道場時，每每向母親提及出家的念頭時，都是被打退票。可是這次請求母親允許出家時，母親非但沒有反對，而且還非常高興地答應了，所以令她感到十分地有信心。
出家剃度的典禮在大眾迴向功德的偈讚聲中，圓滿地劃下句點；但對這三位新出家的大丈夫而言，一條任重道遠的修行之路才正要開始。希望在修道路上，他們都能通過各種考驗挺立而行；同時希望他們三位不同國籍僧眾的加入，法總僧團能發揮更多元化的力量，將佛法弘揚到世界上各個角落，利益一切的眾生。
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Three laypeople had applied and received approval to enter the monastic life: Jose Gomez (Dharma name Chin Ho), a native of Spain who has been in the Male Novice Trainee Program, Su-Hua Chiu (Dharma name Jin Shan) from Taiwan, and Cathi Tran Nguyen (Dharma name Jin Hwan) from Vietnam.
As usual, the candidates for entering the monastic life spoke about their reasons for wanting to join the Sangha the night before the ceremony. Jose came to CTTB to attend the Amitabha Session last year and was asked to share his experience. In the same place and on the same day one year later, he decided to devote himself to Buddhism and to truly experience the life of spiritual practice. In addition to feeling grateful for the past year, he now has a sense of mission towards Buddhism and all beings.
 Su-Hwa Chiu was a lay supporter at Avatamsaka Vihara in Maryland and more recently has been staying at Gold Sage Monastery. Her children and son-in-law came from the East Coast to attend the ceremony. When she decided to renounce her family and the career she had established through hard work, her son asked her, “Why do you have to go so far away to California? Can’t you practice here in the East?” She explained by using the analogy of how she had supported her son to go to New York to work, knowing that although it would be hard to bear being apart from him, it would be worth letting him go so he could pursue a more meaningful life. Laywoman Chiu’s goal for the rest of her life is to seek a way to end the suffering of reincarnation; that’s why she resolved to enter the monastic life.
Vietnamese laywoman Cathi has been living at the City of the Dharma Realm for three years and will return there after the ceremony. When she talked about her reasons for entering the monastic life, she was most grateful to her mother. Since she was often sick in her childhood, her mother would take her to the temple to worship and taught her to constantly recite Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name. That was how she survived hardships. She also joked that ever since she was little, if she got her mother’s permission to do something, she would eventually succeed in doing it. Before she encountered the Venerable Master’s monasteries, every time she brought up the idea of becoming a nun, her mother would reject it. However, this time when she asked for approval, her mother not only did not refuse, but happily agreed, so Cathi felt quite confident.
The ceremony for entering the monastic life concluded with the transference of merit and virtue. For the three great heroes who have just entered the monastic life, a long path of heavy responsibilities and spiritual practice lies ahead. May they successfully pass all tests and go with courage on the spiritual path. And with three members of different nationality, may the DRBA Sangha display the strength of greater diversity to spread the Dharma to all corners in the world and benefit all living beings.
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