Oldal 428 [428]
Lusos BELKA
below average. The reasons are obvious. First it was the isolation from Western science
after 1948 and radical restriction of academic freedoms, accompanied by imputation
and indoctrination of Marxist-Leninist approach which was reflected in the so-called
“scientific atheism” in the study of religions. Closing of the iron curtain on the Wes¬
tern border of the “camp of peace and socialism” did not bring full-fledged scientific
cooperation within the region. Similarly to the development of industry, also science
development was planned; free thought was replaced with fulfillment ofthe “state plan
of scientific research”. Scientific results were analogous to other industries: they fell
behind in comparison with the free world.
Conclusion
The text focuses on the process of establishing a new branch of the scientific research
in Czechoslovakia in 1945 to 1989, i.e. the Academic Study of Religions. Special focus
is on the Czechoslovak Academic Study of Buddhism (Buddhology) in the field study
in Mongolia. This is a case study about Lumir Jisl’s field research in Gandantegchin¬
ling, Ulaanbaatar in summer 1958, which shows advantages as well as disadvantages
of such an approach. The contribution is based on both the published and unpublished
scientific heritage, i.e. archive materials found in L. Jisl’s family archive.
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