How did Chinese Buddhist beliefs about ancestors and ghosts include ideas resembling purgatory?

In Chinese Buddhist tradition, concepts resembling purgatory emerged through the synthesis of classical Buddhist teachings on karma and rebirth with indigenous Chinese practices regarding ancestors and ghosts.1

In this framework, the afterworld is often envisioned as an imperial bureaucracy where the deceased undergo a series of trials overseen by the Shiwang—the ten kings of hell—who determine the nature of their punishment or future rebirth based on their earthly deeds. This state is not necessarily eternal; rather, it functions as a temporary, purgatorial condition where the deceased can be aided by the living.12

Key parallels to the Roman Catholic concept of purgatory include:

• Transfer of Merit: Just as Catholics perform suffrages for the dead, Chinese Buddhists believe that the living can generate merit through donations, fasting, and filial piety. This merit is transferred to the deceased to alleviate their suffering and expedite their release from sorrowful rebirths.13
• Intermediary Role: The monastic community acts as a field of merit, serving as an intermediary between the living and the dead.1
• Ritual Care: Festivals like the Hungry Ghost Festival demonstrate an enduring societal preoccupation with the care and appeasement of spirits, reflecting the belief that the dead remain connected to the living and rely on their support to balance their karmic accounts.13