Many girls dream of becoming a star. But Lusa Chen, a glamorous actress, left the entertainment industry at the peak of her career. Now she lives every day of her life being a good daughter, a good wife, a good mother, and above all, a good person who spreads the message of love wherever she goes.

"Lusa, I'll put you through college even if I have to sell my last pair of trousers to do it!" said Lusa's father. Yet her heart was not in schooling at all. She was not a rebellious girl; she simply wanted to share her parents' financial burden. Ever since she was little, her family of six had had to squeeze into a two-bedroom apartment with no kitchen or toilet. Being the oldest daughter, Lusa wholeheartedly wanted to pull her family out of their financial strain and let them live in a bigger flat. Therefore, before she finished high school, she entered show business to earn money. Her father fully understood her motive in helping, but he still cried over her decision to quit school.

Lusa first debuted as a singer. Every day she sang at different restaurants until midnight. When she began acting, she played whatever roles were offered to her. Lusa did not forget that she was doing show business to earn money. She did not pick up the luxurious lifestyles of other stars, but stayed frugal and hardworking. Day after day, she worked late into the night. She gave all her money to her father and kept only enough money for her bus fares.

Then one day her father took her to a construction site and pointed his finger upward. "The flat on the fourth floor will be our new home!" he said proudly. Finally, after working for four years, she had bought the family a new apartment. While everyone rested in their rooms that first night they moved in, Lusa sat alone in the living room with only a small lamp on. In the solitude, she let the moment sink in. Her heart was full of happiness and satisfaction.

Lusa's popularity continued to rise. Gradually she appeared on almost every Chinese TV program. But just as she had abruptly dropped out from high school, she abruptly ended her showbiz career at the age of 24 and emigrated to the United States with her new husband, Sam Lee. What many considered to be a big loss actually gave Lusa a new perspective in life. It gave her ample time to carry out two things that could not be put off: charity and filial piety.

Seeing another world

A van carrying twelve Taiwanese tourists sped along Highway 93 in Arizona. Suddenly, a door of the vehicle was thrown open as the van made a sharp turn. Seven passengers who were not buckled up flew out of the speeding van, slammed onto a cliff, bounced back onto the highway, and were run over by other cars following behind. Lusa and other Tzu Chi volunteers rushed over to comfort the injured. This was not an episode from a movie, but a real event that happened in the summer of 1995.

Although Lusa had played various roles as an actress, she had never before witnessed seven corpses covered in blood and sand. Holding the hands of heartbroken, bereaved family members, she chanted the holy name of the Amitabha Buddha for the deceased. Deep down she was scared, but she stayed calm in order to perform the role of a Tzu Chi volunteer.

Lusa joined the Tzu Chi U.S. chapter in 1989. Her active participation opened a door to another world she had not been aware of before. In the past, making money had been her top priority. But after dealing with Tzu Chi care recipients, especially young cancer patients, Lusa willingly put more and more time into Tzu Chi. After all, as her husband pointed out, Lusa had gained more from Tzu Chi than what she had given.

The car accident was not Lusa's first encounter with the fragility of life. In 1994, four children afflicted with blood cancer came from Taiwan to California for treatments. Lusa was there with them throughout their battles with death.

On July 18, 1994, a relapse of cancer brought Ren Su-yu and her parents to California a second time. Everyone thought Su-yu would live a normal life again after she had received a successful marrow transplant, but she suddenly fell ill again on July 14. The cancer had metastasized to her skull and pelvic bones. Lusa and two other volunteers waited anxiously at Los Angeles Airport for the Rens. When they came out of the airport, Lusa's heart sank--Su-yu was too weak to walk. Mr. and Mrs. Ren kept crying all the way to the Ronald McDonald House, which provides accommodations for families with children who are afflicted with life-threatening illnesses.

What words of comfort could Lusa and other volunteers say to them? The treatment lasted for two months and left glaring bruises on the four-year-old's body. Each time after chemotherapy, blood oozed out of Su-yu's body openings. Mr. Ren said that he could not live without his favorite daughter. Seeing how much pain her daughter was going through and how lonely she must have been by herself in the germ-free isolator, the mother sobbed, "My baby, just leave us and be a carefree little angel." "But mommy, little angels have tiny wings... Besides, I'm worried that I might not be able to fly back to Taiwan to see you if you don't draw me a map," Su-yu answered feebly. Her innocent reply broke Lusa's heart. Despite all efforts to save this little life, she left to become an angel.

Lusa took in everything she saw. These children were angels indeed. By helping to take care of these children, she ended up pulling herself and her family out of their biggest financial crisis as well.

Financial crisis

Lusa and Sam are in the real estate business. The recession in the early nineties took away millions of dollars they had earned and put them in debt for millions more. Life was so difficult that one time Lusa could not even give her son three dollars for school lunch. Misfortune never comes alone. On her birthday in 1993, the bank foreclosed on a family-owned beach resort hotel worth US$10 million and auctioned it off. Lusa did not cry. She just asked herself with a wry smile, "Is this my birthday present?"

How could Lusa stay so calm and not be upset over such a setback? Looking back, she realized that all the underprivileged people she had helped had taught her how blessed she was. Compared to those who had lost their lives, her financial setbacks were nothing serious. Money could always be earned back, but not their lives. "By losing worldly possessions, I gained inner enrichment!"

She unwound from stress quickly. She only needed to scream several times inside her car to alleviate her anxiety as she drove home. She could then face her family and deal with problems again with a bright smile. She had learned not to yell at her husband or to blame him for putting all of their assets into real estate. When he became depressed, she reminded him that he still had her and the children. To this day, Sam is grateful for her trust in him.

During that period of time, her friends in Tzu Chi gave her great support. Some offered to lend personal savings, while some wanted to mortgage their own houses to help her. Lusa refused to take their money, but in her heart she accepted their kind intentions to help. She felt that she was a very blessed person indeed.

Lusa remembered a conversation between Master Cheng Yen and a Tzu Chi commissioner who seemed to have a perfect life with everything a person could ever dream of. One day the commissioner was diagnosed with cancer--a fact she could not accept. In deep grief, she asked the Master how such a tragic event could befall her when she had done so many good deeds.

The Master told her a story about a fisherman whose net was so full of fish that its weight was about to drag him to the bottom of the ocean. Fortunately there was a little hole in the net through which some of the fish escaped. The fisherman still kept most of his fish but luckily stayed alive. "You've had so many blessings. The cancer is actually a blessing in disguise that will keep your life in balance," explained the Master.

Whenever Lusa encountered difficulties, she would gratefully regard them as "holes" in her life. By staying optimistic, she and her husband eventually paid off their debts. The happiest thing from the incident was that she could now wholeheartedly participate in Tzu Chi activities.

A good daughter

The stage light faded. The audience's attention focused on the lone figure on stage--a frail old woman who had been abandoned by her only child. Every day, she would sit on a rocking chair to rock her time away as she waited for her son to visit. But he never showed up. Slowly, the gray-haired figure turned to the audience and shouted grievously, "All you children, come home!" The people in the audience could no longer hold back their tears. The theater echoed with sobs.

Lusa played the old woman in the musical, The Sutra of Profound Gratitude toward Parents. The performance aimed to remind viewers of the importance of repaying kindness to parents. Parents love their children just as water naturally flows downstream; but for children to love their parents is as difficult as making water flow upstream. Parents unconditionally give all their love and attention to their children. But as children gradually grow up, they also grow further apart from their parents and give more time to their own families.

Lusa is a fitting character to convey the message because she is a good daughter. She sacrificed her education and time for her family. Moreover she is a good daughter-in-law. Nowadays many people have problems with their parents-in-law. It is not uncommon for the husband's mother and wife to fight for attention. But in Lusa's case, it could be said that her in-laws, the Lees, love her even more than their own son. There is a reason for this: Lusa was "brave" enough to move in with her parents-in-law, so they liked her even more. [In Taiwan, it is not unusual for newlyweds to live with their parents for a while.]

When Lusa and Sam first arrived in the States, Sam's parents decided to give their fish-fillet shop to the young couple. Lusa wanted to live with the Lees in order to hold down living expenses and to show them kindness. Sam wouldn't listen. He even warned that she might later regret living with his folks. Even his older siblings and their families had chosen to live away from their parents. But Lusa was not one to give up easily.

Sam finally yielded. The Lees were very happy and thought Lusa was "brave" for being willing to live with them. But Lusa did not see this as an act of courage; she simply thought that old people would feel more safe and content with children beside them at home. Because of Lusa, Sam's older siblings began to visit their parents more often.

Lusa, who is proud of the fact that Sam treats his parents well, recounted proudly that her husband once told her, "I only have one mother, but if you treat her badly, I can always have another wife." Even if Sam did not remind her, she would have treated her in-laws with great care because she believed children should respect their parents.

Mrs. Lee was a superwoman who did things quickly and well. Lusa worked hard to run the shop well enough to keep Sam's parents happy. She remarked that not many people could fry fish and clean up the store faster than she could. Her performance pleased Mrs. Lee. One day when Lusa had a quarrel with her husband, she recounted the argument to her mother-in-law. Mrs. Lee then approached her son and slammed his face with her heavy purse before even saying a word. "Smack!" The sound pained Lusa's heart.

"Mom, why did you hit him?" Lusa asked while looking anxiously at her husband.

"This serves him right for treating you badly," she replied.

"But you didn't have to hit him so hard!"

"Does your heart ache to see him getting hit?" Mrs. Lee smiled. Since then, Lusa has never complained about Sam because she does not want him to get hit again. She also realizes that Mrs. Lee truly treats her like her own daughter.

Were there no frictions between Lusa and Sam when they lived together? Lusa tried hard to convey an example while emphasizing over and over again how forgetful she was. Perhaps it was her forgetful nature of never taking unpleasant social frictions to heart that helped her get along well with others. "Oh, whenever my husband and I dined out, my parents-in-law would say that young people nowadays are so wasteful." In the beginning, the remark bothered her. But being one who did not cling to the past, she forgot the moment quickly. After joining Tzu Chi and taking care of old people, Lusa realized that nagging was a way that old people showed their genuine care for their children. Compared with old people paralyzed by stroke, the Lees were fortunate to remain in good shape.

Good friends

"Lusa, I hid the money behind that cabinet," whispered her father-in-law, who often suspected that people would steal his money. But he trusted Lusa and always told her where he put his money every time he changed hiding places.

"Remember, don't tell anyone."

"Ok, I won't," she whispered back with a nod. Mr. Lee looked reassured.

After Sam and Lusa moved out from the Lees' place, they made sure to visit as often as possible. They met more frequently than when they had lived together under the same roof. Lusa's Tzu Chi experience taught her how to "play" with old people. Her presence added laughter to their insipid lives. Through time, Lusa grew dearer to her parents-in-law.

Aging inevitably increases the chances of getting ill. Mrs. Lee became bedridden with Parkinson's disease in 1995, while Mr. Lee had to be in a wheelchair most of the time. The two old people and a maid named Naiping lived in their big house; the emptiness of the house seemed to sap away their energy all the more.

"Lusa is here," Naiping announced. Mrs. Lee, who could hardly move now, eagerly turned her head to the door, hoping to see Lusa. Yet the former actress took her time. She hid behind the wall. First she showed only her face. Then she slowly extended her fingers, her hand, her lower arm, then upper arm. Inch by inch, she extended her leg. "Voila!" she shouted like a clown happily declaring her presence. Mrs. Lee's eyes opened wider and wider. If she could have moved, she would have pushed herself out of bed.

"Cut it out," Naiping interrupted. "Come and let mother have a look at you."

Lusa planted kisses on her mother-in-law's cheeks. Her playfulness brought vivacity and joy to the old woman. "You're not only my daughter-in-law, but also my friend," Mrs. Lee said. Lusa had mutual feelings. "I can't describe how nice I was to Mrs. Lee when she fell ill. She was more than a mother-in-law to me; she was a very intimate friend."

Another form of filial piety

When Lusa was about to quit her career and emigrate to the United States 27 years ago, her father, Mr. Chen, was very sad. He secretly gave her US$5,000 and reminded her that she could always buy a plane ticket back if her marriage did not work out. In fact, her marriage went very well. However, she still goes to visit her parents frequently because they also emigrated to the States in late 2000.

"As blessed as I am, heaven has always given me the best," said Lusa. "Now my parents and two sisters live in Los Angeles. I'm especially happy that my parents are able to live in a very good senior home. Since the senior home is only a five-minute drive from their three daughters, they live on cloud nine. Seeing them so happy, we are all happy, too." Nowadays most people prefer spending time with their friends or children than with their parents. But Lusa is different.

Lusa's parents are blessed with good health, and they are also quite busy. After Lusa told her father about the Tzu Chi recycling program and how every penny gathered was contributed to Tzu Chi charity work, he began to help with it. He even persuaded other residents of the senior home to participate. Now the Chens are so busy that whenever Lusa wants to visit them, she needs to make an appointment beforehand.

"Daddy Chen, is the ironing service available today?"

"Mama Chen, is the noodle shop open today?"

"Yes! Yes! Just drop by anytime you want!" the two reply happily.

"When old people have nothing to do, they might get depressed," Lusa explained. "I ask them to do simple things for me to let them know that they are still needed by their children. It also gives me excuses to visit them." Her father loves to iron Lusa's Tzu Chi uniforms, and her mother enjoys cooking a good bowl of noodles to feed Lusa, who is always busy with Tzu Chi activities. After Mrs. Lee passed away in 2000 and Mr. Lee in 2003, Lusa decided to spend more time with her own parents. She shows her family--her parents, husband, and two sons--how much she cares about them, sometimes with a good meal. As the proverb goes, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Oftentimes, when Lusa returns from a long, exhausting trip, she still cooks a big meal of everyone's favorite food to bring her family together. Knowing that Lusa still has not recovered from jet lag, her family members surely feel how important they are to her. Sometimes when her children, Billy and Lawrence, have other plans (one works and the other is in college) and can't come home for the family gathering, she does not get upset because she does not expect anything in return. Most of the time, however, her sons drop their other activities and come home to see their parents. To this day, the boys, both in their twenties, still kiss their mother good night. Love tightly unites this family.

Spiritual practice in daily life

Once when Lusa was having dinner with some friends, she saw a waitress looking at the floor and pacing back and forth nervously. "What's wrong?" Lusa asked. "I lost a 40-dollar tip!" Without saying a word, Lusa took 40 dollars from her purse and gave it to the waitress. The waitress pushed it away and said that the person who took her money must have needed it more than she did. Her words touched Lusa, who insisted on giving it to her. "If the 40 dollars can make you happy the whole night long, then it's worth it." The two women, a Taiwanese and a black American, hugged each other in the restaurant. If Lusa had not joined Tzu Chi and learned that everything in the world is interdependent, she wouldn't have been so generous. "I would have thought that it was none of my business, and besides, I could have bought a lot of things with 40 dollars."

Like many senior Tzu Chi volunteers, it is natural for Lusa to extend a helping hand to those in need of help. "Wherever I go, I will bring the seeds of love there."

Looking out the window, Lusa saw a shooting star crossing the cloudless midnight sky. She immediately closed her eyes and sincerely made a wish. Her wish was not for herself or for her family. It was a bodhisattva's vow: "May the world be free of disasters!"