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Narratives about important religious figures exist in a context, which often determines the portrayal of life events and activities in indirect and sometimes complex ways. These forms of persuasion come to us already theorized and theologized. It is important to read them carefully, contextualizing when they were written, paying particular attention to the purpose of how events and activities are presented with what primary sources and secondary studies. In describing the life and thought of the late Buddhist cleric Venerable Sheng Yen (1931–2009), arguably one of the most respected Chinese Buddhist masters of the 20th century, I use two autobiographies and a selection of secondary scholarship on modern Chinese history to counter his autobiographical narratives, highlighting the actual historical contingencies that might have shaped him and his vision for creating a modern form of Chan Buddhism. These contingencies include the trauma of natural disasters that displaced his family when he was born; the political instability of a war-torn China that shaped his boyhood; the tribulations of Japanese colonization that he witnessed; the volatile sociopolitical realities of the Communist takeover of China from which he was forced to escape; the industrial boom that impacted Taiwanese society and the mushrooming of local popular cultic traditions to which he responded with his creation of an orthodox Han Chinese Buddhism; and the socioreligious trajectories of different expressions of Buddhism that Sheng Yen was experiencing in China, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. These events created in Sheng Yen a perpetual sense of crisis mentality; they also inspired his doctrinal and practice innovations and the establishment of a new lineage of Chan (Zen) Buddhism.

This chapter explores self-immolation in the premodern Chinese Buddhist and Daoist historical milieus. It historicizes this ritual within the spectrum of wider Indian Buddhist practices, and explores the Chinese (and by extension, East Asian) imagination of religious sanctity and mastery over death. It argues that self-immolation in China was understood as a way of transforming death’s negative implications into productive power. The Chinese Buddhist and Daoist hagiographical records often depict self-immolation in concrete, visible terms, thus testifying that the ritual transcended the finality of death with outward signs such as meteorological mastery of procuring rain. Performers were often publicly recognized, which testifies to heavenly approval. The accounts examined are not isolated cases, but instead form part of the repertoire of Chinese Buddhist and Daoist miracle tales which created a discourse of “eminent Buddhist monastics” and “Daoist transcendents.” Their self-immolation became socially recognized markers of sanctity.

Background This report presents an immunocompetent lady suffering from Candida parapsilosis associated with polybacterial cervical necrotizing fasciitis and descending mediastinitis. A literature review and management of invasive candidiasis is discussed. Methods A 57-year-old healthy lady presented with cervical necrotizing fasciitis and descending mediastinitis. She was promptly managed with emergency debridement. Both blood and tissue culture yielded multiple microorganisms including C. parapsilosis. Results The patient recovered progressively. She was discharged 2 months later. Conclusions Fungal infection is emerging in this medical era. Vigilance in patient management and as well as considering atypical microorganisms in aetiology may improve patient outcome.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection caused severe pneumonia and multiorgan dysfunction and had a higher crude fatality rate (around 50% vs 10%) than SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection. To understand the pathogenesis, we studied viral replication, cytokine/chemokine response, and antigen presentation in MERS-CoV–infected human monocyte–derived macrophages (MDMs) versus SARS-CoV–infected MDMs. Only MERS-CoV can replicate in MDMs. Both viruses were unable to significantly stimulate the expression of antiviral cytokines (interferon α [IFN-α] and IFN-β) but induced comparable levels of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6. Notably, MERS-CoV induced significantly higher expression levels of interleukin 12, IFN-γ, and chemokines (IP-10/CXCL-10, MCP-1/CCL-2, MIP-1α/CCL-3, RANTES/CCL-5, and interleukin 8) than SARS-CoV. The expression of major histocompatibility complex class I and costimulatory molecules were significantly higher in MERS-CoV–infected MDMs than in SARS-CoV–infected cells. MERS-CoV replication was validated by immunostaining of infected MDMs and ex vivo lung tissue. We conclusively showed that MERS-CoV can establish a productive infection in human macrophages. The aberrant induction of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines could be important in the disease pathogenesis.

List of illustrations Acknowledgement A Note on Dynasties and Reigns Introduction 1. A Culture in Flux: Historical Background 2. Embodying the Text through Blood Writing 3. Nourishing the Parent with One's Own Flesh 4. Chaste Widows as Entertainment and Revenants 5. Exposing and Burning the Body for Rain 6. Conclusion Character Glossary Abbreviations and Conventions Bibliography Index