Over the decades, sacred manuscripts from India’s great spiritual heritage, holding secrets of yoga and meditation, are being lost through the ravages of a changing climate.
Conscious of the urgent need to preserve this timeless knowledge, the Muktabodha Indological Research Institute (MIRI), a non-profit organisation, has been identifying endangered Sanskrit manuscripts and preserving them through a process of digitisation. These digitised texts are then freely disseminated, through its digital library, to seekers and scholars around the world.
A mission to preserve
In a special “triyoga talks” workshop, Dr David Katz and Dr Mark McLaughlin will give some insight into this amazing preservation work, as well as shed light on some of the texts’ rich teachings – in particular those pertaining to Kashmir Shaivism.
MIRI’s work provides the global community of Sanskrit and Indology scholars and enthusiasts with an invaluable resource for research and study. In particular, its digital library of sacred manuscripts offers the world the knowledge and profound wisdom contained within these texts, while safeguarding India’s ownership of its rich and ancient spiritual heritage.
The organisation has its own team of scholars and technicians based in Varanasi in India, who actively seek out endangered manuscripts and upload them on to the digital library. They are guided in their search by an Academic Advisory Council, comprising eminent scholars from several prestigious American and Indian universities. The uploaded texts, which are mainly from the Vedic and Tantric traditions, are made freely available across the world for further study, translation, and commentary.
Over the last two decades, MIRI has created a vast online searchable digital library, which has won the respect of scholars from across the world. It is one of the largest digital collections of Sanskrit texts in the world and is particularly renowned for its collection of Kashmir Shaivism, a highly refined school of non-dualist philosophy.
Kashmir Shaivism is the name given to a group of monistic and tantric religious traditions that flourished in Kashmir from around 850 CE. These traditions have survived only in an attenuated form among the Brahmans of Kashmir, but there have recently been efforts to revive them in India and globally. The most central philosophy of monistic Kashmir Shaivism is the Pratyabhijnā, or “recognition” system, propounded in the writings of Utpaladeva (c. 925-975 C.E.) and Abhinavagupta (c. 975-1025 C.E.) and Abhinavagupta’s disciple Kshemarāja (c. 1000-1050).
MIRI also publishes some translations and commentaries from the Tantric and Vedic traditions. Coming soon, it’ll be launching a new initiative to promote the translation of texts in its digital collection so that these works may become available to an even wider global audience.
History of MIRI
Established in 1997, MIRI is an initiative of Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, the spiritual head of the Siddha Yoga path. In her concern for the rapid disappearance of ancient Indian texts, Gurumayi requested the creation of a scholarly institution that would identify, collect, research and preserve at-risk manuscriptsand their wisdom. The institute is an expression of Gurumayi’sgratitudeto the venerable Indian sages who articulated this wisdom and an acknowledgement of its importance for the world in generations to come.
The MIRI foundation is incorporated in the United States and works in partnership with the Muktabodha Trust in India. It is funded primarily by private donations and has two branches: one operating in India and the other in the United States, which are supported by Gurudev Siddha Peeth Trust and the SYDA Foundation, respectively. It has no political affiliations, and no direct or indirect commercial interests.
How can you help?
MIRI is holding a special talk on 02nd March 2019 at triyoga Camden – and we’ll donate the £5 attendance fee directly to the organization to help with the work. If you wish to support MIRI further, you can make an additional donation on the day or directly to the organisation. Any contribution, big or small, could make a huge difference to the ongoing preservation work of such important history.
