Defining Resources | Eszter Jakab

 In order to carry out a decent research it is crucial to use the proper resources. In fact, one of the first steps of even writing a research proposal is to delineate the resources one aims to work with. The researcher should take into consideration whether they are relevant, reliable, and accessible.

In my proposed project I intend to examine the possibility of nominating the four most sacred sites of Buddhism (i. e. Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar) as serial transnational properties on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Nominating a site is already quite a complex issue in itself and requires huge amount of data, but in the case of serial properties, the case is even more complicated. What primary sources shall I use in my research then?

The first goal of my research is to define those historical-cultural factors that enables us to connect the four sites in question. Therefore, the first group of resources should consist of all the accessible texts and probably also artistic works which could provide any information on this background. I will definitely include Buddhist literary works e. g. the Pali Canon, and Sanskrit Mahayana Buddhist treatises. At this point the question arises whether I should use own translations or use the already existing ones. First of all, in my opinion, I probably do not have that good command of Sanskrit which would capacitate me to translate the texts fully. Secondly, if I would, then my work would turn into a purely philological study. Another type of texts are the inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka in Prakrit, Greek, and Aramaic language, where again full translations are accessible. Details of the sites are also provided by the translated Chinese travelogues of the 4^th and 6^th century. The last important type of primary sources are the 19^th­ ­̶ 20^th century reports issued by the Archaeological Survey of India which shed light on the excavation work carried out at the sites.

In the second place, since my aim is to nominate it as a UNESCO site, it is essential to look through the information provided by the organization on the topic. On the one hand, the Operational Guidelines provide all the regulations which are essential for developing its dossier. It also enables me to put the data regarding its protection status into a comparative framework therefore to recognize the deficiencies. On the other hand, the documentation of sites already accepted may help me to better understand the eligibility criteria. In addition it can provide strategies and practices that have already proven to be good.

In the third place, I intend to gather information on the legal aspects regarding the sites. This group should contain the different legislations, provisions, and reports of the authorities which copes with them, namely the ones by the already mentioned Archaeological Survey of India, the Ministry of Tourism in India, and the Tourism and Civil Aviation in Nepal. The documentation of the Maha Bodhi Society should not be left out as well. This again may be compared to the aforementioned guidelines and existing examples.

These are those research resource groups which I have already identified. Besides these, I constantly develop new ideas. For instance, another resource group could consist of interviews and questionnaires filled out by the different stakeholder groups, e. g. the Buddhist community, the decision makers in the governmental and private sector, and also the local residents. However, having recognised that the resource groups are so manifold, I have raised doubts whether it is possible to process this amount of data efficiently. Perhaps I should consider narrowing down my scope to fewer aspects, but I hope to get to a conclusion soon in this matter.

In the next post I am going to discuss the problem of transliteration in a thesis where Indology as a field of study is also involved.