She was born in 1898 to a poor family in Canton Province, China. At the age of 27, she went to an elementary school, but as a janitor instead of a student. Nevertheless, she persevered and at the age of 47 moved to London in hopes of studying nursing so she could help poor and elderly patients in war-torn China. Initially she was denied admission to the nursing school on account of her age--the standard limit was 25 years--but undeterred, Teresa wrote to the principal and explained she intended to learn nursing as a means of "helping as many patients as possible, not for earning money." Touched by her pureness of heart, the principal gave in.

Her amazing feats do not stop here, however. Unable to return to China, she helped the poor and needy in Paraguay, Singapore, and many other nations. At the age of 67 she learned to practice yoga, at 90 she studied Buddhist sutras, and at 100 she delved into Chinese literature.

Unselfish giving and compassion towards the needy is a distinguishing trait amongst all her family members. Teresa's great-grandfather was a devout Christian and embodied Jesus Christ's instruction to "Love your neighbor as yourself." Her mother taught her children to unselfishly share food with any beggars who came to their doorway. Her younger brother became a Catholic priest and devoted his whole life to serving the needy until he died in 1973. Her older sister generously supported her in setting up nursing homes for the elderly in Singapore.

I liked Teresa even before I first met her. The profound compassion, love, and determination which inspired her actions so moved me that I agreed to serve as her interpreter on October 5, 2004, when she visited the Tzu Chi office in Taipei to share her secret of longevity.

On that crisp autumn evening, Teresa was greeted with applause and songs of welcome sung by Tzu Chi people and members of a local yoga association. I was stunned by her radiant smile and slow but stable walk. Petite and gray-haired, she demonstrated the unencumbered manner and serenity only apparent in senior spiritual cultivators. Even more amazing, she looked at least 30 years younger than her 107 years.

We wanted to give Theresa a better understanding of the work of the Tzu Chi Foundation, so we showed her a documentary conveying Tzu Chi's origins, philosophy, and relief work throughout the world. Afterwards we proceeded to the lecture hall, where more than 400 people eagerly awaited her arrival.

"You are about to share your life wisdom and secret of longevity with us," I remarked to her before we walked up onto the stage.

"Oh, those are just pebbles," she replied humbly, with a big smile.

I occasionally helped translate her English expressions into Chinese, but it turned out that Teresa could speak quite well in Mandarin. She shared with us her fascinating experiences in helping the poor, and she amazed us with an impromptu demonstration of five challenging yoga motions, which she performed with grace and agility.

In response to questions raised from the audience, Teresa calmly said, "It is unhealthy to bear unpleasant emotions in mind. Many people get upset or angry when they fail to get what they want. I want nothing and therefore don't get mad easily."

When asked about the secret of longevity, she confessed, "I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle because I don't want to bother others by making them look after me. As for longevity, I didn't ask for it. It was given to me by Grandfather Heaven, who wants me to serve as many people as possible. I am a vegetarian, and I don't eat anything cooked over a high flame since all the nutrients will be gone."

She continued, "I have no special religious affiliation. If you like, you can call me a believer of love and conscience. My faith is based on giving unconditionally. When the poor and sick come to me, the most important thing for me to do is to serve them food, not religion."

Indeed, Teresa is a bodhisattva in this world. She demonstrates with her own life the Buddha's teachings of wisdom and love.