Bhikshuni Heng Jin Shi's family was originally from Tong-cheng County of An-hui Province in China. She herself was born in 1921 in Ji-lin Province, Manchuria. After graduating from school trained as a nurse and mid-wife, she was assigned to Xiao Fen-man Hospital in Ji-lin City. While at work she couldn't bear to see the patients moan in anguish and would often beg the doctors to treat them as soon as possible, thus earning the title "angel in white."

When she was twelve, Japan invaded China and established a puppet government- the Manchu Empire. This act eventually led to the Second World War. She once read an instructional talk in which the Venerable Master said, "A leader who wants to invade other countries must raise the tax, build weapons, and train the people in warfare. 'A fight over a city results in casualties filling up the city; a fight in the field leaves the field filled with casualties.' You may fight, but there is no ultimate victor, Would you say that such a leader loves the people or harms them? This is something we ought to think over." Having personally experienced the Japanese invasion, she could not think of any words wiser than these.

As an elementary student, she was delighted when she heard Shakyamuni Buddha's name in a World History class. Once as she was scraping the scales off of a fish, she thought, "Isn't this like peeling the skin off of a person?" The fish twisted and jumped in pain, and she was frightened to tears. Since then, when she bows the Great Compassion Repentance she always vows, "I shall be a vegetarian in life after life. Whenever I taste meat, I shall vomit and suffer diarrhea, causing me to refrain from eating meat."  

She was deeply touched by the great vows of the Earth Store Bodhisattva while reading the Earth Store Sutra. During the seventh lunar month (also known as the "month of ghosts"), it is a Taiwanese custom to make elaborate offerings of all kinds of meat dishes. She would recite the Earth Store Sutra every day during that month, praying that the animals killed would be reborn in a better place.  

Observing that children in Taiwan liked reading comics, she wrote the Earth Store Sutra in simple colloquial style, hoping that children would learn to be filial to their parents and understand the workings of cause and effect. Someone illustrated the book, and she printed one thousand copies to fulfill her wish of benefiting living beings.

In 1982 when Bhikshu Heng Sure lectured the Avatamsaka Sutra at Gold Wheel Monastery in Los Angeles, she invited two of her daughters and their husbands to attend. After attending a few lectures, she and the two daughters took refuge with the Venerable Master. She was given the Dharma name Guo Wen ("literary fruits"). Later the Master changed her name to Guo Wen ("fruits of questioning").

In 1982 she wished to attend the celebration of the completion of the mountain gate of the City of the Ten Thousand Buddhas, but since her eldest daughter was preparing to take the exam for public accountants, she had to babysit her young grandson. The Venerable Mater told her, "If you come, I guarantee that your daughter will pass the exam." During the ceremony, the Venerable Master gave his blessings: "All of you who have come to Buddhism will be bathed in the Buddha's light and everything would be auspicious for you." Her daughter passed the exam.

From then on she would come to bow the Ten Thousand Buddhas Repentance every year. One time on her way to the Buddha Hall, she saw the Venerable Master reciting, "Sweep away all Dharmas and be apart from all marks," as he walked slowly. She had been reciting the Vajra Sutra daily for several years and could not fathom the meaning of this passage, but now suddenly she understood. She was so delighted that she decided right then and there to enter the monastic life under the Venerable Master.

On the New Year's Day of 1988 after she bowed to the Venerable Master she said, "I am not leaving anymore." The Venerable Master asked, "So you want to enter the monastic life?" "Yes." Her head was shaved on June 16th and she started studying the precepts and the rules of deportment. The next year during a Water, Land and Air Dharma Session, a full ordination was also held at the City. She was ordained as a Bhikshuni on September 3rd.

Heng Jin Shi vows to take the precepts as her teacher and wishes to live in harmony with all fellow cultivators, so that we may all get rid of our afflictions and attain Buddhahood soon.