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馬來西亞籍的林鳴鳳女居士，來自一個亦佛亦道，也可以說是非佛非道的家庭。小時，每晚入睡前，必定念一遍母親
編寫的閩南語發音祈禱詞：「佛祖媽，保佑我，讓我一家平安無事情，有財有福氣，眠時睡定定，日時笑咪咪，身體好，無脾氣，多謝。」長大後，因為上基督教學
校的關係，研習了《聖經》，但發現有許多問題是基督教無法解答的，因此也就沒有深入信仰。
在信仰佛教以前，有一晚作夢，夢中看見天上雲中射出萬丈光芒，彩色絢爛，光中出現了觀世音菩薩，又有一尊佛，
越變越大，向她身邊走過。不久，在一九八八年上人訪馬來西亞時，第一次看見了上人，當場不由自主地就哭了起來，自己也不明白是怎麼一回事；後來聽人說這是
因為前生上人曾經救過她的關係。她那時就皈依佛教，並拜上人為師，願隨上人修行。
皈依上人之後，上人曾數次助她脫離危難。當她的大姨媽往生之後，鳴鳳曾設法自己超度大姨的魂識，因而惹上了大
麻煩，幾乎送命。上人教她要清淨自己的心意，一心念觀音菩薩聖號，這才得以脫險。上人說她是泥菩薩過江，自身難保，不要輕舉妄動；再三關照她：總要管己少
管人。
一九九○年夏天，鳴鳳偕妹妹鳴鸞連袂來萬佛城法界佛教大學就讀一年，在上人法座下修行，回去後在紫雲洞道場教
美術，並參加佛事，更加精進修行。並感化了父親成素食者。九五年又偕母親專誠來美參加上人壽筵，並拜梁皇寶懺及萬佛寶懺，以懺悔業障，並報佛恩及師恩。
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Upasika Minghong Lim grew up in a
family that had faith in both Buddhism and Taoism. As a child before
she went to bed every night, she would recite the prayer composed by
her mother in her native Fukien dialect: “Buddha mother, bestow your
protection upon us so that our family is peaceful, blessed with fortune
and bliss, well-rested at night and smiling during the day, healthy and
without bad tempers. Thanks.” She studied the Bible and attended a
Christian school when she was growing up, but did not become a
Christian because she had many questions that Christianity could not
answer.
Before she became a Buddhist, she
once had a dream in which she saw clouds emitting multicolored rays of
light. In the light appeared Guanyin Bodhisattva and a Buddha, who
became larger and larger as they approached her. When Minghong first
saw the Venerable Master in person during his visit to Malaysia in
1988, she could not help crying. She did not know why until someone
told her that the Venerable Master had saved her in a previous life.
She took refuge with the Venerable Master and decided to cultivate
under his guidance.
The Venerable Master saved
Minghong from danger and crisis on many occasions after she took
refuge. Once, she got into big trouble and almost lost her life when
she tried on her own to rescue the soul of her elder aunt, who had
passed away. The Venerable Master advised her to purify her mind and to
keep reciting Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name to get out of trouble. The
Venerable Master’s comment was that she was a clay Bodhisattva crossing
the river—it was hard enough to keep herself in one piece—so she should
take care of herself first and not mind of other people’s business.
Minghong and her sister Mingluan
came to the Dharma Realm Buddhist University in the summer of 1990 to
study for a year and to cultivate under the Venerable Master’s
guidance. After completing her studies, she returned to teach art class
at Tze Yun Tung Monastery in Kuala Lumpur. She participated in more
Buddhist activities and cultivated diligently. Her deeds influenced her
father to become a vegetarian. In 1995, she accompanied her mother to
attend the Venerable Master’s birthday celebration in Long Beach,
California. They also participated in the Jeweled Repentance of the
Emperor of Liang and in the Ten Thousand Buddhas Jeweled Repentance to
repent of their karmic obstructions and to repay the kindness of the
Buddhas and the Venerable Master.
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