The newer stratum is composed of Mahayanist sutras of which there is a great abundance, though no complete list has been published.[526] The popularity of the Prajna-paramita, the Lotus and the Suvarna-prabhasa is attested.  The last was translated into both Uigur (from the Chinese) and into “Iranien Oriental.”  To a still later epoch[527] belong the Dharanis or magical formulae which have been discovered in considerable quantities.

Sylvain Levi has shown that some Mahayanist sutras were either written or re-edited in Central Asia.[528] Not only do they contain lists of Central Asian place-names but these receive an importance which can be explained only by the local patriotism of the writer or the public which he addressed.  Thus the Suryagarbha sutra praises the mountain of Gosringa near Khotan much as the Puranas celebrate in special chapters called Mahatmyas the merits of some holy place.  Even more remarkable is a list in the Chandragarbha sutra.  The Buddha in one of the great transformation scenes common in these works sends forth rays of light which produce innumerable manifestations of Buddhas.  India (together with what is called the western region) has a total of 813 manifestations, whereas Central Asia and China have 971.  Of these the whole Chinese Empire has 255, the kingdoms of Khotan and Kucha have 180 and 99 respectively, but only 60 are given to Benares and 30 to Magadha.  Clearly Central Asia was a very important place for the author of this list.[529]

One of the Turkish sutras discovered at Turfan contains a discourse of the Buddha to the merchants Trapusha and Bhallika who are described as Turks and Indra is called Kormusta, that is Hormuzd.  In another Brahma is called Asrua, identified as the Iranian deity Zervan.[530] In these instances no innovation of doctrine is implied but when the world of spirits and men becomes Central Asian instead of Indian, it is only natural that the doctrine too should take on some local colour.[531]

Thus the dated inscription of the temple erected in Turfan A.D. 469 is a mixture of Chinese ideas, both Confucian and Taoist, with Indian.  It is in honour of Maitreya, a Bodhisattva known to the Hinayana, but here regarded not merely as the future Buddha but as an active and benevolent deity who manifests himself in many forms,[532] a view which also finds expression in the tradition that the works of Asanga were revelations made by him.  Akasagarbha and the Dharmakaya are mentioned.  But the inscription also speaks of heaven (t’ien) as appointing princes, and of the universal law (tao) and it contains several references to Chinese literature.