With supernatural elements abundant in the narratives about Sengya, one has to revise the long-standing tendency in studies to rely simply on the account given in the Further Biographies of Eminent Monks 續高僧傳, in order to achieve any true understanding of this eminent monk in Chinese medieval history. This essay picks the Fahua Biographies 法華傳 as the primary source and Further Biographies of Eminent Monks as a supplement, in tracing anew Sengya’s bumpy life story, ever since his stepping into monastic Buddhism from his native hunting tribe. It re-examines the historical and social contexts of his ordination and especially his final self-immolation. Through discussing such an unusual event, the essay draws some concluding thoughts over the significances or influences that Buddhism, as well as religious belief generally, may exert on disadvantaged groups living on the margins of society.
