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恒惠師，他現年八十五歲，生在中國四川省的中縣。這個地方的居民都是以務農為業，是個民風淳樸的鄉下地方。恒惠師少年的時候，正好遇上日本人侵略中國，他因此從軍報國，成為一位憲兵軍官。他歷經了抗日戰爭和國共的內戰，由於戰局節節失利，他隨著部隊一路向南撤退；撤退到了最南邊的雲南省，才由當時的國民政府，派了飛機把他們空運到了臺灣，安頓下來。
恒惠師至今還深深記得當時撤退的情況。當飛機到達機場以後，準備接運部隊到臺灣。這個時候，司令官召開會議，討論各單位搭機的先後和順序。這時大家都知道戰局已經是大勢已去，因此，在會議裡每個單位的長官都為了能先上飛機，而爭論不休；只有他的憲兵隊的長官，官階比較低，沒有說話的餘地，在會議中始終都默然不語，也不爭取先走的機會。這個會議因為沒有人願意讓別人先走，大家都爭得面紅耳赤，一直無法做出決定。這時有一位將領，他很生氣地指著憲兵單位的長官說：「好吧！既然我們大家做不出決定誰先撤退，我們誰也不要先走，憲兵單位你們第一批上飛機好了。」大家一聽都同意了，決定讓憲兵先走，就這樣恒惠師他們才上了飛機。當他們的飛機起飛以後，共產黨的軍隊也攻進了機場，其他部隊沒有一個搭上飛機到臺灣。恒惠師常常感嘆，幸好他的長官在會議裡不與別人爭來爭去，否則他的後半生就陷在苦難之中了。
恒惠師來到臺灣以後，他就投身到教育界，在國中教國文，直到六十五歲退休。退休以後，他和太太（現在是恆中師）開始接觸佛教。
一九九二年，恒惠師七十三歲的時候，他突然感到喉嚨很痛，醫生診斷以後，說是聲帶上長了一個肉瘤，需要檢驗治療。回家以後，恒惠師每天誠懇恭念地藏王菩薩聖號，過了一星期再去醫院檢查，醫生很驚奇的說：「你的肉瘤怎麼消失了？現在只有一塊白點。」這件事加深了恒惠師對佛教的信心。不久之後，他就跟著家母來到聖城，成為常住眾，每天持誦〈大悲咒〉。
當恒惠師七十四歲時，在聖城住了已有一年。雖然他每日上殿作功課、誦咒，但常常說他要落葉歸根，一心要回臺灣去，當然也不會想到要出家了。1993年下半年，恆中師準備報名出家，他還難過了好一陣子。在剃度法會前約兩、三星期，他們的兒子陳威宏前往辦公室為母親報名申請出家。在辦公室裏服務的朱先生突然對他說：「令尊要不要也報名出家呢？你去問問他如何？」他想，「這是不可能發生的事情。」但是，回去見到恒惠師，就說：「要不要也一起出家？」他竟然回答：「好啊！那我也報名出家。」一百八十度的大轉變，令陳威宏大吃一驚，趕快到辦公室為他報名。
雖然恒惠師報名要出家了，但每隔一兩天，他就會改變主意。他今天說：「好！我要出家，我就是要出家。」過了兩天：「欸！我不要出家，我就是不要出家。」到了大後天他又說：「我要出家！」到了剃度的前一個晚上，還好是他變到要出家這一邊，第二天早上就在金山寺出家了。轉眼已經十年了，出家到現在，他覺得出家非常好，每天都在念阿彌陀佛求生淨土。每次法會要上台應供的前一天，他一定要他兒子為他剃頭以正儀容。陳威宏常常問他：「法師！今天有沒有煩惱啊？」恒惠師總是回答說：「哦！沒有，沒有。煩惱都是自己找的。這個世界就是這個樣子，我已經看開了。」
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Bhikshu Heng Hui is eighty-five years old. He was born in Zhong County in Sichuan Province, China. This county's residents were simple and sincere folk who farmed the countryside. During Heng Hui Shi's youth, the Japanese invaded China. He decided to join the army to repay the country and became a military police officer. He went through the war with Japan and the civil war with the communists. As the government lost one place after another, he followed the troops retreating south. Eventually, they arrived at the southernmost part of China, Yunnan Province, where the government arranged for planes to take them to Taiwan to settle.
Bhikshu Heng Hui still remembers very clearly the circumstances of their withdrawal. When the government planes arrived at the airport, the Commander held a meeting to discuss who was leaving in what order. At that moment, everyone knew that the government had lost the war. As a result, the leaders of each military unit argued about who would board the plane first. Due to his low rank, Heng Hui Shi's superior had no grounds for argument and was silent during the entire meeting. Since no one at the meeting was willing to yield, people got very annoyed. They could not come to a decision Then one of the generals stood up angrily, pointed at Heng Hui Shi's superior and said, “All right, since we cannot figure out who is leaving first, no one is going anywhere. You, the Military Police Unit, will be the first ones to go.” Upon hearing this, everyone agreed to let the Military Police Unit leave first. Therefore, Heng Hui Shi boarded the plan. Right after their flight took off, the communists invaded the airport. None of the other troops was able to leave for Taiwan by plane. Heng Hui Shi often expresses relief that his superior did not argue in the meeting, for otherwise Heng Hui Shi would have been doomed.
After Heng Hui Shi arrived in Taiwan, he dedicated himself to education. He taught Chinese at a junior high school until he retired at sixty-five. After retirement, he and his wife, now Bhikshuni Heng Zhong, started learning about Buddhism.
In 1992, at the age of seventy-three, Heng Hui Shi suffered severe throat pain. According to the doctor, he had a tumor on his vocal cord that required treatment. After returning home from the doctor's visit, Heng Hui Shi recited Earth Store Boddhisattva's name very sincerely everyday. A week later, he went back to the hospital for a follow-up. The doctor said in amazement, “How come your tumor has disappeared? Only a white dot remains on your vocal cord now.” This incident strengthened Heng Hui Shi's faith in Buddhism. Not long after that, he visited the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas where he has settled permanently and recites the Great Compassionate Mantra everyday.
A year passed and Heng Hui Shi turned seventy-four in the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Though he went to the Buddha Hall for daily ceremonies and mantra recitation, he often mentioned that ‘fallen leaves should return to their root' – meaning that one should return to his hometown in his old age. His mind was set on returning to Taiwan. As a result, he never thought about leaving the home life. During the second half of 1993, when Heng Zhong Shi was preparing to apply to leave home, he was depressed for a while. Two or three weeks before the leaving home ceremony, his son, Wei-Hong Chen, went to the office to sign up for his mother. Mr. Chu at the administration office suddenly said to him, “Do you want to apply for your Dad as well? Why don't you ask him?” The son thought: “Impossible.” However, he asked Heng Hui Shi, “Do you also want to leave home?” Unexpectedly, Heng Hui Shi replied, “Sure, I'd like to apply to leave home too.” Amazed by this complete turnaround, Wei-Hong Chen hurried to the office and applied for his father.
Although Heng Hui Shi had signed up to leave home, he changed his mind every other day. One day, he would say, “I don't want to leave home and I really mean it.” Two days later, he would say, “I am going to leave home!” Luckily, the night before he left home, he decided he wanted to leave the home life. The next morning, his head was shaved at Gold Mountain Monastery.
In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed. Heng Hui Shi feels that leaving home is truly wonderful. He recites Amitabha Buddha's name every day to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Usually, the day before the great assembly makes offerings on special occasions, he will always ask his son to shave his head so that he has a proper appearance in the assembly. His son often asks him, “Dharma Master, do you have any afflictions today?” Heng Hui Shi always answers: “Oh, no. No afflictions today. All afflictions come from ourselves. That's how the world is. I have seen through these matters already.”
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