The Great Library of Nālandā

Nālandā University, established in the early fifth century CE, flourished as northern India's premier intellectual center until the early 13th century. Rivaling Alexandria in scholarly significance, this international institution hosted 10,000 students and faculty, supported by revenues from 200 villages. The university suffered catastrophic destruction during the Muslim invasions of northern India from the mid-1100s to early 1200s CE, when its magnificent multi-story library complexes—the "Sea of Jewels" (Ratnodadhi), the "Ocean of Jewels" (Ratnasāgara), and the "Jewel Adorned" (Ratnarañjaka)—were burned, with countless irreplaceable manuscripts lost to flames.

An extraordinary preservation effort preceded this destruction—Tibetan scribes meticulously translated and preserved over 4,000 Sanskrit treatises from Nālandā's vast "Dharma Treasury" libraries, which once held an estimated 30 million manuscripts. These translations represent only a fraction of the original collection, with approximately 93.33% of classical Sanskrit texts destroyed over time, leaving just 2 million surviving today. Most Buddhist Sanskrit texts held in university libraries were completely destroyed, while the Sanskrit literature Indians preserved in subsequent centuries was predominantly non-Buddhist.

These preserved texts—collectively known as the Tengyur—contain irreplaceable knowledge spanning both "outer" sciences (linguistics, medicine, astronomy) and "inner" sciences (philosophy, psychology, meditation). Of particular importance are 491 texts by 17 distinguished Nālandā scholar-adepts, including influential thinkers such as Nāgārjuna, Asaṅga, Vasubandhu, and Candrakīrti, whose works fundamentally shaped philosophical and spiritual traditions across Asia.

The Eternity Civilization Foundation is now launching an ambitious initiative to translate these crucial works using AI-assisted methods. By reviving Nālandā's preserved knowledge, this project isn't merely academic—in our current age of technological acceleration and existential challenges, these ancient insights on consciousness, ethics, and human flourishing may provide essential wisdom to guide AI development and address our most pressing global problems.