Whenever there is a Dharma Assembly, a distinguished guest or group of visitors at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, you'll see someone holding pen, paper and camera, moving skillfully through the crowd. Her accurate, steady and clear mandarin Chinese has also attracted people's attention. She is the City's reporter, Upasika Yvonne Chen.
In Taiwan, she was a TV reporter and her husband worked in Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Their lives were quite glamourous and exciting. She earned two Master's degrees in Taiwan and the United States. Needless to say, she specializes in interviewing, broadcasting and writing articles. Not only does she hold unique views on environmental protection, she also puts them into practice. Other than being a reporter in the City, she also volunteers in the elementary and high schools, teaching classes on public speaking, the environment, the Chinese language, and so on. She is also an editor of this magazine. Although she is busy teaching and editing articles everyday, she still takes the time to do recycling work, and does not mind saving paper, bottles and cans for the recyling company.
Although she always modestly pokes fun at herself as being the least vigorous person, the last one in the line of cultivation, judging from her words and deeds, she is certainly walking towards the Bodhisattva Path!
She first came to the City during an Earth Store Bodhisattva Session in early August, 1988. She was curious to know what kind of great virtue the Ven. Master had, which had caused her husband to take refuge under him so sincerely. What was his Way-place like? As it turned out, she was deeply impressed by the Venerable Master's spirit of the proper Dharma, and immediately took refuge and received the five precepts. She later received the eight lay precepts for six days. The change in her body and mind gave her some experience of "purity" in the sense of "unmoving mind." This planted the seed which led them to renounce everything and move to the City with their daughter in May, 1991. Having switched from a glamourous lifestyle to a simple one, she hasn't the slightest regret, but instead feels lucky and grateful. She said, "We must all courageously cultivate, let go of the myriad conditions, and not have any attachment. Only then can we ensure that we won't go astray and be lost for ten thousand eons." |
