The afterlife in Uyghur Buddhism – judgement and hell

Abstract

The Uyghurs, a Turkic-speaking nomadic tribe, migrated to the Turfan region in the second half of the ninth century. In their new homeland, they underwent a gradual and unique religious transition. Originally adherents of Manichaeism, they converted to Buddhism. This change was influenced by their interactions with Buddhists under Uyghur rule and in the surrounding areas. As a result of this transition, the Uyghurs are likely to have experienced significant conceptual shifts, including changes in their understanding of the afterlife. However, the differences and similarities between Manichaean and Buddhist concepts of the afterlife, and their implications for the Uyghurs, have not been thoroughly explored in previous research. Drawing on a very limited number of written and visual sources, this article explores the questions of whether the Chinese Buddhist conception of the afterlife, in particular the themes of judgement and hell, was widespread among the Uyghurs shortly after their religious transition from Manichaeism to Buddhism and whether they practised the rituals associated with it.