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我出生臺灣純樸的農村，在中興大學讀中文系時，系裡開了「敦煌學」和「佛學概論」的課，教授派我負責潤稿，修改同學語譯敦煌變文為白話文故事，這是我與佛教的第一個文學因緣。
真正把佛學轉為學佛，是在 1990年為墮掉的胎兒受幽冥戒而皈依上人時。第一次在高雄勞工中心見到上人，即感受到一種像親人般的熟悉。因景仰上人的慈悲，以及譯經、教育的大願，為了讓更多人認識上人的法，便與朋友一起編了〈春日蓮華〉和〈上人法語開示〉兩本書。
因健康欠佳，得到也是虔誠佛教徒的婆婆的同意，1996年辭了工作到萬佛城當義務教師，沒想一住就是三年。
1999年8原計劃返臺，再去印度、大陸朝聖，過境加拿大時看到金佛寺辦地藏法會、梁皇寶懺缺人手，就留下幫忙，後來又去華嚴寺拜梁皇寶懺，而將返臺日期延後。
一日，我走在溫哥華街上，看到報紙刊出一張「九‧二一」臺灣大地震時震倒扭曲變形的大樓照片。「噫！好面熟！」仔細一看，唉！正是我的房子！這次回臺正打算去住的，卻因為留在道場幫忙而逃過此劫。母親曾說算命的告訴她，我四十歲左右會有一個大劫。回想起來我真是全身戰慄，不禁感嘆業力牽引的可怖，讚歎佛菩薩加被力的不可思議。
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I was born in a rustic village in Taiwan. While studying Chinese at Zhongxing University, I took two courses called "Dunhuang Studies" and "Survey of Buddhism." My professor assigned me the work of polishing my classmates' translations of Dunhuang writings into colloquial stories. Thus, my first contact with Buddhism was through literature.
My transformation from a mere student of Buddhism into a Buddhist practitioner took place in 1990, when I received the Precepts for the Deceased on behalf of my aborted baby and took refuge with the Venerable Master. The first time I saw the Venerable Master at the Laborers' Center in Kaohsiung, he seemed as familiar to me as a member of my own family. In my admiration for his compassion and his two great missions-Sutra translation and education, I wished to let more people know about the Master's Dharma. Thus, my friends and I edited two books, Springtime Lotus and Venerable Master's Dharma Talks.
Due to my declining health, I resigned from my job in 1996 with the consent of my mother-in-law, who was a sincere Buddhist, and became a volunteer teacher at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. I remained at the City for three years.
I had originally planned to return to Taiwan in August 1999, and then to make a pilgrimage to Buddhist holy places in India and China. However, when I stopped over in Canada, I noticed that Gold Buddha Monastery in Vancouver needed volunteers for its Earth Store Session and Repentance of the Emperor of Liang. I decided to stay and help, and later went to Avatamsaka Monastery in Calgary to bow another Repentance of the Emperor of Liang, postponing my trip to Taiwan.
One day while walking down a street in Vancouver, I saw a newspaper photo of a high-rise that had been contorted in the massive earthquake of September 21st in Taiwan. "Hey, that looks familiar!" A closer look revealed that it was my apartment, where I would have stayed after returning to Taiwan. By staying to help out in the monastery, I had escaped a calamity.
According to my mother, a fortune-teller had predicted that a calamity would befall me around age forty. Remembering that gave me the chills. I am awed by the terrifying force of karma and praise the inconceivable power of the Buddhas' and Bodhisattvas' aid.
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