At 30, she met and married a German doctor but left him, amicably she says, to become a Buddhist nun and pursue enlightenment in India.

CNN: AllPolitics - TIME This Week

Become a Buddhist monk.

BBC: The bloom of cancer

Founded in 1966 by Cheng Yen, a Buddhist nun from central Taiwan, Tzu-Chi and its lotus symbol have become a reassuring sight throughout the earthquake zone.

CNN: The Human Touch