1907 (1岁)
宏船长老于阳历十月七日（农历九月初三）出生在中国福建省晋江市霞福村。父亲朱簪甲母亲李旺娘。俗姓朱名成基。是家中独子，有五位姐姐。
Venerable Seck Hong Choon was born on 7 October 1907 (3rd day of September in the Lunar calendar), in Xiafu Village of Jin Jiang City, Fujian Province, China. He was born to his father, Zhu Yan Jia, and his mother, Li Wang Niang. Venerable Seck Hong Choon, named Zhu Cheng Ji at birth, had five sisters and was an only son.
1913 (7岁)
他开始在家乡私熟念书。
He started his education at home at the age of 7 years old.
1915 (9岁)
宏船长老母亲过世了。 在母亲的家乡新店村, 由外祖母和舅父抚养。外祖母名叫赖素姑, 平时吃素念佛，积德行善，带头捐资倡建高山亭庆莲寺。
Venerable Seck Hong Choon’s mother passed away when he was 9 years old. He was brought up in his mother’s hometown, Xindian Village, by his maternal grandmother and uncle. His grandmother, Lai Su Gu, a vegetarian who prayed daily and does many good deeds, took the lead to donate and raise funds to build Qinglian Monastery.
1918 (12岁)
宏船长老常随外祖母到庆莲寺念佛，诵《楞严咒》。
At 12 years old, young Venerable Seck Hong Choon often followed his grandmother to Qinglian Monastery to participate in the chanting of Śūraṅgama Mantra.
1919 (13岁)
他听说会泉长老在泉州承天寺大堂讲经，就天天赶到承天寺听讲经。后因观看《目连救母》的木偶戏而使他深受感动，并萌发出家的念头。
Young Venerable Seck Hong Choon heard about Venerable Shi Hui Quan who gave Dharma talks at Cheng Tian Monastery in Quan Zhou province, and made the effort to attend the talks daily. Thoughts of becoming a monk sprouted after he watched a wooden puppet show on the story of how Venerable Maudgalyayana saved his mother.
1922 (16岁)
宏船长老在泉州承天寺由会泉长老座下剃度出家。法名“本慈”，别名“宏船”。
At 16 years old, Venerable Seck Hong Choon was ordinated under Venerable Shi Hui Quan at Cheng Tian Monastery. His ordination name was Ben Ci, alias Hong Choon.
1923 (17岁)
他赴莆田广化寺，在本如老和尚座下修学律宗，受三坛大戒。
Venerable Seck Hong Choon went to Guang Hua Monastery in Putian to study under Venerable Shi Ben Ru and participated in the Triple Platform Ordination Ceremony.
1924 (18岁)
一九二四年，厦门南普陀寺住持转逢和尚提议把该寺的“子孙丛林”制度改为“十方丛林”制度。宏船的剃度师会泉法师因众望所归，被举荐担任第一任住持。宏船长老作为会泉长老的侍者，跟随在会泉长老身边三年。
据说，宏船长老刚到南普陀不久，他在俗的父亲朱簪甲便追至厦门来，把他硬拖回家，因簪甲只有宏船这个宝贝儿子，当时儿子要在泉州承天寺出家，他事先一无所知，等到儿子身穿海青，光着头出现在自己面前时，想要阻止为时已迟矣。承天寺毕竟离家不远，他还可以时常到寺中看望儿子，也就算了。而如今儿子却远走高飞，相见日少，又想到朱家有良田住宅，后继无人，不禁悲伤不已。赶紧追到厦门，硬逼儿子还俗。
可是，宏船长老俗念已断，一心向佛，被拖回家的第三天，趁父亲不留意，又跑回南普陀了。父亲见他心志已定，知无可挽回，便将家中良田悉数分给乡亲们耕种。自己也落得个心地清净，安度晚年。
In 1924, Xiamen Nanputuo Monastery’s then Abbot, Venerable Shi Zhuan Feng proposed to change the monastery’s succession system from “descendants” to a “ten directions” model. Venerable Seck Hong Choon’s ordination master, Venerable Shi Hui Quan, was selected as the first Abbot. Venerable Hong Choon became the attendant to Venerable Shi Hui Quan and accompanied him for three years.
It was said that not long after Venerable Seck Hong Choon was in Nanputuo Temple, his father came to Xiamen to forcefully bring his only son home. Venerable Seck Hong Choon’s father did not know about his son’s renunciation of lay life and ordination in Cheng Tian Monastery until he appeared in a monk robe and shaved head in front of him and by then, it was too late for his father to stop him. His father did not pursue this any further as Venerable Seck Hong Choon was residing in Cheng Tian Monastery, and he can still get to visit him often. However, now that Venerable Seck Hong Choon is in Nanputuo Temple in Xiamen, besides having no successor to his assets, his father was heartbroken that the days where he will be able to see his son is few and far between. He pursued Venerable Seck Hong Choon to Xiamen to force his son to give up being a monk.
Venerable Seck Hong Choon wanted to be a monk wholeheartedly, so despite being dragged home for three days, he rushed back to Nanputuo Temple when his father did not notice. Venerable Seck Hong Choon’s father saw his determination and accepted this outcome. He divided his farmland among his relatives and spent the rest of his life in peace.
1925 (19岁)
宏船长老跟随会泉法长老往南海普陀山朝圣。
Venerable Seck Hong Choon followed Venerable Shi Hui Quan on a pilgrimage to Mount Putuo.
1927 (21岁)
会泉长老住持南普陀三年任满，便主动告退，由太虚大师继任。会泉长老带着侍者宏船长老先后应请住锡于石井慧月精舍和南安碧云寺，开堂说法，广结善缘. 宏船长老也参加厦门闽南佛教学院校长太虚大师所教授的佛教课程，以掌握楞严经。
After three years in Nanputuo Temple, Venerable Shi Hui Quan resigned, and Venerable Shi Tai Xu took over as Abbot. Venerable Shi Hui Quan brought his attendant, Venerable Seck Hong Choon to Shi Jing Hui Yue Vihara and Nan An Bi Yun Monastery to give Dharma talks. Venerable Hong Choon also participated in the Dharma studies taught by Venerable Shi Tai Xu, principal of the Buddhist College of Minnan. Venerable Seck Hong Choon also mastered Śūraṅgama Sūtra.
1931 (25岁)
宏船长老受邀在泉州开元寺传戒仪式，作第八引礼师。
Venerable Seck Hong Choon was invited to Kaiyuan Temple as the 8th Preceptor for the Precept Ceremony.
1932 (26岁)
一九三二年，宏船长老随其师移居厦门虎溪岩寺。会泉长老创设椤严学会，而宏船长老则协助会泉长老将万石岩改建为净土道场——万石莲寺。
In 1932, Venerable Seck Hong Choon stayed at Hu Xi Yan Monastery. Venerable Hui Quan founded Luo Yan Society, and Venerable Seck Hong Choon helped to rebuild Wan Shi Lin into a Buddhist monastery named Wan Shi Lian Monastery.
1933 (27岁)
宏船长老从会泉长老的侍者升为万石莲寺监院，他夜以继日，把寺务处理得有条不紊，让师父能够安心讲学，培育僧材。同年，太虚大师拜访会泉长老，见宏船长老言行举止，知日后必成为佛门龙相，欣然题联：“海上有山森万石；人间渡世仗宏船”。
会泉长老于万石莲寺创设佛学研究社，宏船长老为社员之一。同年，宏船长老随会泉长老赴潮州弘法，并且随会泉法师第三次赴台湾讲经。
Venerable Seck Hong Choon was promoted to Chief Administrator of Wan Shi Lian Monastery. To allow him to give Dharma talks with a peace of mind, Venerable Hong Choon worked tirelessly to ensure the monastery was running smoothly.
During the same year, Venerable Shi Tai Xu visited Venerable Shi Hui Quan. Venerable Tai Xu saw Venerable Hong Choon’s speech and conduct, and knew that Venerable Seck Hong Choon will become an important Buddhist figure. He said: “Above the sea lies the grandeur of Wan Shi Yan among mountains and forests; While in the human world, Venerable Hong Choon protects and saves all sentient beings”.
Venerable Shi Hui Quan set up a Buddhist Studies Research Group in Wan Shi Monastery where Venerable Hong Choon was a member. During this year, both Venerables went to Chao Zhou to spread the Dharma, and for the third time, to Taiwan to give Dharma talks.
1935 (29岁)
宏船长老泉州承天寺开戒，受邀为第六引礼师。
Venerable Seck Hong Choon was invited to be the 6th Preceptor for Cheng Tian Monastery’s precept ceremony.
1937 (31岁)
宏船长老住锡厦门的弘一法师提出“念佛不忘救国”，“救国必须念佛”。宏船也以出家人的名义，加入僧侣救护队：为弘一法师送行青岛。
Venerable Shi Hong Yi, who was residing in Xiamen, said, “Do not forget the country’s salvation during your Dharma practice; to save the country is to practice the Dharma”. Venerable Seck Hong Choon also joined the Sangha first aid team in his position as a venerable.