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近智師是馬籍華人，俗家在馬來西亞生根已經好幾代了，講得一口標準馬來語、英語、華語、粵語，原想當律師。祖母拜觀音娘娘和關帝公等道教諸神，全家跟著初一、十五持素。一出生，算命的說她命不好，於是父母送她給觀音娘娘當女兒，所以她跟觀音菩薩的緣，是從她呱呱墮地時就結下了。
8歲時父母送她到南傳廟上念周末佛學班，打下了學佛基礎。廟上活動多，合唱團教佛教歌曲；潑水節時放蓮花燈，都是她的最愛，玩得不亦樂乎；在英制學校學了9年鋼琴，都沒時間練習，但深懂樂理，日後學法器、唱誦，上手即會。
1988年上人最後一次訪問馬國，在吉隆坡佛教講堂講《地藏經》，母親領著一家6口皈依了，法名果燕。當法界佛教總會1991年在吉隆坡的 Taman Yarl 成立了道場，她就常去接近上人的法。92年，恆實法師帶團到馬國拜萬佛寶懺。她發心拜全程，不知何故，幾次拜到下午結束時的迴向懺悔就流淚不止；拜完後她歡喜得不得了，連在外用餐時也自動持素了。同學們說她變了，她心裡知道，以後和她們再也玩不到一塊兒了。4月拜完懺，8月她來萬佛城參加水陸空大法會，受了五戒。
那次法會上人邀了臺海兩岸的法師共同主持，好不熱鬧！上人天天出來回答問題，加持信眾，每天可見到上人幾次！臨走前，她問上人可不可以留下；上人不答，但她知道自己該走的路了。那年她16歲。
回去後，她常到般若觀音聖寺（原名紫雲洞）參加法會，當清潔工，看櫃檯，打鐘鼓，拜水懺時當悅眾，聽經，忙得沒時間回家。聽了上人講解的《楞嚴經》後，立即將一頭烏溜溜，油光水亮的長髮鉸了；鉸的是長髮，斷的是女相執著，心頭頓感輕鬆。
94年，她來法界聖城參加上人的壽筵，申請出家未成，但回去後再不想當律師了，為早早畢業，選了所短期專科學校讀。95年再回聖城，上人走了，她卻留下了，先後在君康真素齋服務，女校教書，本刊排版。
98年11月4日紀念上人出家日時，滿願剃了頭，法名親嚴，隨即入法界佛教大學念書、受訓，並在大寮服務，時到分支道場支援法會，打法器。近智師年輕，心智靈敏，粗細活都能幹，平時以拜佛，持大悲咒及觀音菩薩名號為法門，是佛門人才。2002年8月3日受了具足戒，相信今後更能為佛教出力。
她記得94年到法界聖城參加上人的壽筵時，不知何故發燒不退，吃不下任何食物。一日朦矓中見上人在她頭上摸了摸，醒來燒退了，病也好了。所以近智師對於自己沒能趕上讓上人親身剃頭，心裡也曾滴咕過；但是你要是說上人已經不在了，她是絕對不會相信的。
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Bhikshuni Jin Jr is from Malaysia. Her family has been in Malaysia for many generations. She is fluent in Malay, English, Mandarin Chinese, and Cantonese. She once aspired to be a lawyer. Her grandmother worships Goddess Guanyin and other Taoist gods such as Guan Gong, and the whole family observes vegetarianism on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month. Since it was predicted at her birth that she would suffer misfortune, her grandmother gave her to Goddess Guanyin as a goddaughter. Thus her affinities with Guanyin Bodhisattva began at birth.
When she was eight, her parents sent her to attend Sunday school at a Theravadan Temple, where she laid the foundation for studying Buddhism. Among the many educational programs, her favorites were the choir and the annual Loy Kratong (Water Splashing) festival. She enjoyed these activities so much that she didn’t have time to practice piano, although she took piano lessons for nine years. However, the lessons did expose her to musical concepts, which has helped her learn the Dharma instruments as well as chanting.
In 1989, the Venerable Master visited Malaysia for the last time and lectured the
Earth Store Sutra in the Buddhist Lecture Hall. Her mother took the family of six to take refuge at this assembly. She was given the Dharma name Guo Yan. She began drawing near to the Venerable Master’s Dharma when a temple was opened in Taman Yarl, Kuala Lumpur in 1991. In 1992, Dharma Master Heng Sure led a delegation to Malaysia to host the 10,000 Buddhas Repentance Ceremony. Jin Jr Shi fully participated in the ceremony. A few times, without knowing why, she shed tears when reciting the transference verses. After completing the repentance, she became a fulltime vegetarian. Her schoolmates thought her eccentric, but she knew that she would no longer seek their company like before. She finished the repentance in April and in August she went to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) to participate in the Water, Air & Land Ceremony and receive the Five Precepts.
That particular year, the Ven. Master had invited Dharma Masters from both Taiwan and China to host the event jointly. What a crowd! The Master came out to meet with the assembly every day, answering questions and bestowing blessings. Before she left, she asked the Master whether she could stay at CTTB. The Master remained silent. However, she knew the path she should walk. She was sixteen.
After returning to Malaysia, she went to Prajna Guanyin Monastery Temple (formerly known as Tze Yun Tung) where she attended ceremonies, helped with cleaning, worked at the counter, played the Dharma instruments, and listened to Sutras, till she didn’t have time to go home. After she listened to the Master’s
Shurangama Sutra lectures, she cut her long, beautiful hair, thereby severing the attachment to femininity. What a relief!
In 1994, she attended the Venerable Master’s birthday celebration at the City of the Dharma Realm, where she requested to leave home. The ceremony for leaving home was cancelled, however, and once again she returned home, this time not thinking of becoming a lawyer but rather of completing her college studies in the shortest time possible. In 1995, she returned to CTTB to attend the Venerable Master’s Nirvana Ceremony and stayed for good afterwards. She volunteered in Jun-Kang Vegetarian Restaurant, taught at the Girls School, and did layout for
Vajra Bodhi Sea.
On November 4, 1998, the Anniversary of the Venerable Master’s Leaving Home, she left the home-life and received the Dharma name Chin Yan. She underwent training, studied at Dharma Realm Buddhist University, and helped out in the kitchen. Sometimes she helped play the Dharma instruments during special sessions in branch temples. Jin Jr Shi is young, intelligent and quick in mind. She is capable and willing to do both physical and intellectual work. She likes to bow and recite the Great Compassion Mantra and Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name. She received the full precepts last August. We believe she’ll do much to help Buddhism flourish.
She recalls that in 1994, while attending the Master’s birthday celebration, she came down with a fever and couldn’t eat. One day she dreamt that the Master came to rub her forehead. When she woke up, she was completely well. Although she once regretted not being able to leave the home life under the Venerable Master, if you say that the Master is not here anymore, she’ll never believe you.
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