The Archive Project is taking on the daunting task of digitizing, organizing, archiving, and uploading onto cloud storage the entirety of Pema Osel Ling's electronic dharma resources. The idea is of course preservation. We've all become too well aware of the risk of loosing the thousands of hours of sublime teachings we have recorded on cassette tapes, VHS, DAT, 8mm video tapes, etc.. These mediums being magnetic recording types, they unfortunately will not stand the test of time and need to be dealt with immediately. We've already lost quite a few of these tapes to the demon of "electro-magnetic ghosting."
We have in our inventory so far 6319 cassette tapes (UPDATE: now over 7000 thanks to sangha members adding to our collection), 393 Digital Audio Tapes, 280 VHS, 225 8mm Video Tapes, 116 Hi8 Video Tapes, and 142 miniDV tapes, with more miscellaneous zip drives, audio CDs, DVDs, and printed pictures, all needing to be saved into an organized digital system. The teachings range from Ngondro, Shedra, prayers, songs, and General Dharma talks to retreat series, Dzogchen pointing-out instructions, seminars and Drupdra (3-year retreat) teachings. The teachers featured include Dudjom Rinpoche, Kyabje Dungse Rinpoche, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Lama Tharchin Rinpoche, Khenpo Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche, Anam Tubten Rinpoche, Yangthang Tulku Rinpoche, Lama Gyaltsen Rinpoche, Lama Nyingkula Rinpoche, and many more.
Other aspects of the Project will be the preservation of artwork creation methods, POL history documentation, and additional teaching materials like ritual instructions, instrument practice, and Tibetan learning material.
In the long term, we actually want to create a library facility at Pema Osel Ling which will host all of the project's physical content such as rare Tibetan text collections and artwork material, and also to create a consistent system of presentation and to ease access to the content by members of the sangha for appropriate use.
We will be relying on a combination of our own equipment and digitizing services to get those all converted into computer files and saved onto redundant backups including cloud storage for ultimate safekeeping (like from forest fires for example!).
As with any restoration project by a Non-profit Organization, we need funding. We are of course going to be starting the digitizing process with the equipment and manpower we have, nevertheless, the more we get funding for equipment, resources, and to purchase digitizing services, the faster the content will be saved into digital format and forever preserved.
Lama Tharchin Rinpoche has repeatedly expressed how important it is to him that we preserve these sublime relic teachings and resources for future generations and for the preservation of the Dudjom Lineage at Pema Osel Ling.