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今年十歲，出生在美國亞里桑那州的果柔師，兩歲時即皈依上人了。在很小的時候，自己也不知道為什麼，就有要出家的這個念頭；也常常夢見自己出家。又覺得如果不在六歲前出家，就太遲了。小時每當聽佛教音樂時，自然就跟著調子唱：「我又要出家作尼姑了。」要是有人問她長大想作甚麼，她總是很篤定地回答：「要出家，當尼姑。」
一次母親抱著她去見宣公上人；上人笑著說：「不一定都要出家。」當時聽得母親一頭霧水，心想誰要出家啊？等到一對兒女要剃度時才明白過來。
果柔師搬進了萬佛城後看到當時已出家的小沙彌尼們，覺得出家有伴了，便將自己平日心愛的玩具衣物打包整理好，送給玩伴；徵得父母同意後，也就出家了，一切經過就這麼簡單順利。這是 1994 年，她六歲，正是上人走前一年；難怪她一向覺得定要在六歲前出家。
離家前，果柔師並且還交待父母要好好互相照顧：爸爸要常帶媽媽出去玩；媽媽要好好煮飯給爸爸吃；假如他倆做錯事，要記下來，每月交給她，她會為他們在觀音菩薩面前懺悔。讓正感難分難捨的母親，聽了也不得不破涕為笑。
出家後的果柔師先在萬佛城受訓三年，課程包括早晚課、背經、沙彌律儀、打坐等等，後住金峰寺三年。現在洛杉磯金輪寺繼續受訓，生活充實而有規律，精神愉快，父母也很放心。
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Arizona-born Guo Rou Shi, who is ten years old this year, took refuge with the Venerable Master when she was two years old. Ever since she was very young, she had wanted to leave the home-life and often dreamed that she was a nun. She thought that if she didn't become a nun by the time she was six, it would be too late. Whenever she heard Buddhist music, she would sing, "I'm going to become a nun again." If people asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would say with conviction, "I'm going to leave the home-life and be a nun."
Once when her mother took her to see the Master, he smiled and said, "They may not all have to leave the home-life; it's not for sure." Her mother was puzzled, wondering who was going to leave the home life. It wasn't until her son and daughter both left the home-life that she understood what the Master had meant.
When Guo Rou Shi moved to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and saw the other young novice nuns, she knew she wouldn't be alone after she left home, so she gave away all her favorite toys to her playmates, obtained her parents' permission, and left home. It was as simple as that. She was six years old, and it was 1994, one year before the Master passed away. No wonder she insisted on leaving home by the age of six.
Before leaving home, Guo Rou Shi told her parents to take good care of each other. She told her dad to take her mom out more often, and told her mom to cook good food for her dad. Moreover, she told them that if they did anything wrong, they had to write it down and mail it to her every month, and she would repent for them before Guanyin Bodhisattva. Hearing that, her tearful mother couldn't help breaking into a smile.
As a novice nun, Guo Rou Shi first underwent three years of training at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, which included morning and evening recitations, memorizing Sutras, studying the novice precepts, meditation, and so on. Later she moved to Gold Summit Monastery for three years, and now she is training at Gold Wheel Monastery in Los Angeles. She has a full schedule every day and is very happy, and her parents can set their hearts at ease.
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