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TURK DILI VE EDEBIYATI DERGISI-JOURNAL OF TURKISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE, no.2, pp.325-352, 2022 (ESCI)
Buddhism has a wide range of rituals, most of which are mentioned with regard to practices carried out around monasteries. The term bakchan is used in Old Uyghur for one of these practices and mostly recommends dwelling in one place for a period of time, such as a residence or place of retreat during the three months of the summer rains. Accordingly, this article will attempt to identify the conceptual area of the term in light of examples from Old Uyghur texts and furthermore determine the protolanguage and the lexical cognates that are the source of the Old Uyghur form, emphasizing these sources' dimensions of shape and meaning. In addition, this article will detail the different spellings of the Old Uyghur term according to different texts and interpret the factors that have affected the different spellings, as well as evaluate the compound verb structures formed by the Old Uyghur word using auxiliary verbs. The ritual appears to have emerged as a result of social pressure, and at its heart lies the principle of do not kill/do no harm, which is seen in all Indian beliefs and Buddhism. The article will separately discuss the effect and contribution of this principle regarding the development of the ritual in particular, as well as the bridge the ritual has created in Buddhism between migratory and permanent settlements. The article will seek out the importance of ritual, especially in terms of its contribution to the Buddhist community and monasticism.