After her father's death, the Master often went to a nearby temple to explore Buddhist teachings. Master Hsiu Tao (right), the abbess of the temple, helped answer Master Cheng Yen's questions and guided her into Buddhism.
In
1961, Master Cheng Yen resolved to devote herself to all humanity by becoming
a Buddhist nun. She thus ran away from her family and left behind her
luxurious, comfortable life. Bringing nothing with her, she left her hometown
with Master Hsiu Tao and wandered through Eastern Taiwan in search of
a place to carry out her spiritual practices. They finally settled down
in the small village of Luyeh, living under conditions of scarcity and
poverty. That same winter, they went to Hualien and met old Hsu Tsung-Ming,
a devout Buddhist who was knowledgeable about Buddhist teachings. In the
winter of 1962, the Master asked Mr. Hsu to be her teacher and shaved
her own head (a very untraditional act) to become a novice nun. Master
Hsiu Tao, however, returned to her hometown due to poor health.
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