回鹘佛教文献源流与术语考述

The Origin of Old Uyghur Buddhist Literature and Introduction to Buddhist Termonology in Old Uyghur

公元前1世纪佛教沿着丝绸之路传播到西域并得到弘扬和发展。回鹘人最早信仰萨满教,鄂尔浑回鹘汗国(745-840)牟羽可汗在762年把摩尼教作为国教,从此回鹘人开始信仰摩尼教。关于佛教在回鹘人当中的流行,大多学者认为公元840年回鹘人西迁南迁之后摩尼教被遗弃,佛教成为了高昌回鹘和甘州回鹘的主要宗教。回鹘人在信仰佛教环境中出现了大量的佛教文献。回鹘佛教文献大部分从汉语、吐火罗语和藏语翻译成回鹘语的。本文主要讨论回鹘佛教文献源流和佛教术语。

During the 1st century BC,Buddhism had spread to western region of China through silk road and carried forward and developed. The Old Uyghurs believed Shamanism in the earlier period. In 762 AD Bügü Qaghan,Qaghan of Orkhon Uyghur Qaganate(745-840)had announced Manichean as their official religion. From then on,the Uyghurs had started to beleive in Manicheanism. Concerning when the Buddhism had become the main religion of Uyghurs,most researchers believe after 840 AD Buddhism became the main religion of Uyghurs. Which was when Orkhon Uyghur Qaghanate collapsed and Uyghurs moved to the south and west. Buddhism had become main religion of Qocho Uyghur and Ganzhou Uyghurs. The Old Uyghurs had left us very precious Buddhist literature. Most of the Buddhist literature had been translated from Chinese,Tocharian and Tibetan. In this paper,origin of the Buddhist literature of Uyghurs and Buddhist termonology will be discussed.