Growing up in Malaysia, I became acquainted with a number of spiritual traditions, including various strands of Buddhism as well as Taoism and Confucianism. A turning point in my spiritual life occurred when I was 12 when the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua visited and lectured in Kuala Lumpur. My whole family was struck by his genuine, sincere teachings. We all took refuge with him and later joined the DRBA community at a branch monastery in Kuala Lumpur.

After that, I attended various retreats at The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) in the United States. I made the decision to leave home and become a nun at CTTB in 1995. CTTB is my home now, at the same time that it is a sacred place available to everyone.

The growing student body at Dharma Realm Buddhist University brings a special energy to the CTTB campus. Because it’s an unusual setting for learning, DRBU students tend to be uniquely independent, motivated to learn about themselves in a spiritual context, and open to meeting people of different backgrounds. Even as I play a role in guiding their classroom discussions, I learn a great deal from them. I see them growing and transforming in ways deeper and more profound than I’ve ever observed among students at other universities I’ve attended.

I am drawn to bringing Buddhist thought into curriculum studies at the K-12 as well as university level. I am eager to explore the potential that Buddhist liberal studies education offers for developing personhood among democratic citizens of the world.

Subjects I have taught or co-taught at DRBU include Pali Texts, the Avatamsaka Sutra, and Buddhist Hermeneutics. I am especially drawn to the Avatamsaka Sutra, which is useful in reminding us of the light that imbues all of us, even during times of chaos and confusion. Master Hua always encouraged us to start with the basics: be harmonious in relationships with others and appreciate each others’ being. I hope this sensibility will continue to find expression among the coming generations of DRBU community members.