OpenPecha - Boundless Buddhist knowledge.
Our Mission
We empower communities to learn, live and share Buddhist wisdom through digital technologies while ensuring its authentic representation in digital spaces.
Problem Statement
We’ve identified three key challenges facing Buddhist knowledge today:
- Accessibility: Valuable Buddhist knowledge remains inaccessible due to limited digitization and significant language, cultural, and generational barriers.
- Authenticity: AI systems are trained on untrustworthy Buddhist data and compound this problem by citing unreliable internet sources when responding to queries about Buddhist concepts.
- Technology Gap: Buddhist communities typically lack the technical expertise, tools, hardware infrastructure and resources needed to bridge these gaps.
Our Solutions
We’re addressing these challenges with three interconnected initiatives:
- Pecha App - An easy-to-use app that helps you learn, live, and share authentic Buddhist wisdom through texts, audio teachings, and guided meditations in your language, whenever and wherever you want.
- Pecha Data - A project that increases the digital footprint of authentic Buddhist teachings on Wikipedia, Wikimedia, and Wikisource, building an open Buddhist data culture and community to ensure AI systems are trained on and cite trustworthy Buddhist information during queries.
- Pecha Tools - A suite of user-friendly editors, open-source code and AI models to empower Buddhist communities to go digital without needing advanced technical skills.
Our Strategy
The Buddhist Knowledge Supply Chain
Just as grain transforms into bread through a structured process that nourishes communities, OpenPecha transforms ancient Buddhist wisdom into accessible digital knowledge through our comprehensive supply chain:
Gaps in the Buddhist Knowledge Supply Chain and Our Strategy
| Supply Chain Phase | Gaps | Strategies |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gather authentic sources | - Many source texts in Buddhist languages yet to be discovered, especially in Southeast Asian languages - Fragmented collections across institutions - Lack of platform to contribute sources and catalog existing texts - No advanced automation for cataloging despite existing LLMs - Limited standardized metadata - Risk of duplicate efforts |
- Collaborate with BDRC to extend their existing catalog and map it to Wikidata - Establish partnerships with monastic libraries, archives, and private collections - Develop solutions/platforms to empower communities to catalog their speech and textual sources - Create standardized metadata for source identification and provenance tracking - Develop automation solutions for cataloging via LLMs and other AI models - Develop criteria for prioritizing rare, endangered, or foundational texts |
| 2. Preserve as audio and images | - Many source texts yet to be scanned by BDRC - Lack of centralized effort to preserve oral teachings - No community contribution tools or platforms - Varying quality standards in digitization - Limited storage infrastructure - Insufficient documentation of oral transmissions - Risk of physical deterioration before digitization |
- Empower Buddhist communities to scan their sources and record oral teachings - Create open, free, and centralized contribution tools for communities - Make all resources freely available on BDRC and Wikimedia Commons - Implement high-resolution scanning protocols that meet archival standards - Store multiple redundant copies across distributed systems - Create preservation metadata using international standards - Partner with BDRC, Internet Archive and memory institutions |
| 3. Convert into searchable digital text | - OCR is limited for manuscripts and woodblocks - STT (Speech to Text) doesn’t work for most Buddhist languages - Lack of adequate tools for Buddhist communities to transcribe scans and speech resources - Labor-intensive verification processes - Inconsistent text encoding standards - Varying accuracy rates across languages |
- Establish quality metrics for transcription accuracy - Benchmark existing OCR and STT models - Use open data from community to train custom models - Develop openly accessible transcription tools for digitization - Open source custom models for community - Make all transcriptions freely available on BDRC, Wikisource and Pecha app |
| 4. Prepare reliable editions | - No advanced tools to generate collated editions - No centralized online community platform to discuss differences found in different editions - Lack of tools to select or vote for best spelling to generate critical editions - Limited scholarly oversight for editorial decisions - Poor documentation of editorial choices - Lack of version control for changes |
- Develop tools to generate collated editions - Create a scholar collaboration platform to create and maintain community critical editions - Make all community editions available on Wikisource and Pecha app - Establish scholarly editorial boards for critical decisions - Create transparent documentation of editorial choices - Implement version control systems for tracking changes - Design annotation systems for textual apparatus - Build collaborative editing platforms for distributed teams |
| 5. Extract knowledge networks | - Lack of Buddhist knowledge base (articles explaining concepts/entities) that technology can use - Missing connections between concepts and passages in all texts - Missing connections between related segments across multiple texts and within each text - No automation models and tools to extract entities and relationships - Limited comprehensive Buddhist ontologies - Insufficient APIs for knowledge querying |
- Generate articles on all Buddhist concepts backed with sources - Build community to check, improve and post these articles on Wikipedia - Develop ontologies for Buddhist philosophical systems - Create structured data models for interconnected knowledge - Link all concepts and related passages in all texts - Link all related segments across multiple texts and within each text - Build automation models and tools for humans to improve knowledge networks - Publish all linked resources on Wikidata - Make all resources linked to any sentence accessible on Pecha app |
| 6. Produce translations | - Translations mostly available in only a few languages - Most available translations are copyrighted - Lack of translation variations for different audiences - Human translations not financially scalable - Current AI translations not trustworthy - No custom tools for Buddhist translator community powered by AI - Shortage of qualified translators - Inconsistent terminology across translations |
- Create an authoritative interpretation grounded in commentaries and other references for each text - Build a suite of community-driven AI translation tools - Generate translations grounded in the authoritative interpretation into multiple languages and styles matching each audience’s requirements - Create glossary and translation memory management systems for consistency - Establish mentorship programs pairing experienced and new translators - Make all translations freely available on Wikisource and Pecha app |
| 7. Shape audience-specific adaptations | - Lack of modern and demographic-specific adaptations of Buddhist texts - Lack of community acknowledgement for different adaptations - High frequency of archaic words - Buddhist teachers and content creators have limited understanding of diverse user needs - One-size-fits-all content presentation - Missing feedback mechanisms for improvement |
- Build tools to generate adaptations of Buddhist texts - Support community to produce adaptations in different mediums (movies, arts, memes, etc.) - Create tools to develop user personas across different backgrounds and needs - Create layered content models with progressive disclosure - Design adaptive interfaces for different knowledge levels - Build tools for educators to create curriculum materials - Implement feedback systems to improve adaptations |
| 8. Develop study and practice tools | - Lack of awareness about how to practice Buddhism in mass contexts - Traditional Buddhist community is too distanced from their teachers - New Buddhist communities are over-reliant on their teachers - Lack of layperson study groups - Most study and practice tools are old-fashioned and designed for a legacy cultural context - Tools not adapted to specific readers at specific times - Disconnected study and practice environments - Limited integration of reference materials with the modern daily life |
- Build tools to support Buddhist practice and study content creators - Create integrated reading environments with references - Build meditation timers and practice trackers - Develop guidance applications for visualization and ritual - Design study tools with spaced repetition learning - Create tools for practice questions and discussion - Build tools to support Buddhist community study groups |
| 9. Package as Engaging, Shareable Content | - Predominance of traditional formats unsuited to digital consumption - Limited tools for educators to analyze audience needs and preferences - Continuation of ritual activities disconnected from their meaning - Poor typography and layout diminishing digital reading experience - Minimal multimedia integration in traditional content - Inadequate attribution systems for lineage and contributors |
- Create interactive content platforms with exploration capabilities - Develop audience analytics tools for Buddhist educators and content creators - Design multimedia explanatory resources for traditional practices - Implement responsive designs optimized for multiple device types - Create social sharing systems with proper attribution mechanisms - Develop Buddhist languages fonts optimised for screens - Build multimedia presentation tools integrating text, audio and visualization |
| 10. Deliver through Sharing Networks | - Ineffective distribution systems for study and practice materials - Limited tools for discovering relevant events and teachings - Poor access to materials used during live teachings and events - Insufficient platforms for direct teacher-student interactions - Weak integration with established content platforms - Poor content discoverability across distributed systems - Limited API availability for third-party applications |
- Build intelligent distribution systems matching content to user needs - Create event discovery platforms with geographic and virtual listings - Develop synchronized study material systems for live teaching events - Build communication platforms for direct teacher-student engagement - Create seamless integration with Wikipedia/Wikisource ecosystems - Implement comprehensive search and discovery tools across repositories - Develop robust APIs enabling third-party application development - Create content syndication systems for wider distribution - Establish partnerships with educational institutions for formal study programs |
| 11. Serve Personalized Learning Paths | - Generic learning paths inadequate for diverse student needs - Limited understanding of optimal progression through Buddhist study and practise curricula - Absence of progress tracking across distributed learning and practise resources - Few tools for assessing comprehension of complex concepts - Limited adaptive learning sequence implementations - Ineffective systems for connecting students with appropriate mentors |
- Develop AI systems creating personalized study and practice plans - Build recommendation engines based on individual interests and progress - Create cross-platform progress tracking spanning multiple resources - Develop assessment tools evaluating conceptual understanding - Design adaptive learning sequences responding to demonstrated mastery - Facilitate community-based learning cohorts with shared objectives - Create mentor matching systems based on practice tradition and stage |
| 12. Share Delight as Communities | - Insufficient platforms for sharing transformative practice experiences - Isolated practice leading to diminished motivation - Limited virtual spaces for shared practice activities - Few tools supporting local study group formation and maintenance - Inadequate systems connecting qualified teachers with students - Lack of recognition systems for community contributions - Absence of personal achievement tracking and milestone celebration - No gamification elements to sustain practice motivation - Limited visualization of personal progress in study and practice |
- Develop progress tracking tools with selective sharing capabilities - Create discussion forums organized around specific teachings and practices - Build virtual practice spaces supporting shared meditation sessions - Develop tools facilitating local study group formation and coordination - Design systems connecting qualified teachers with appropriate students - Implement contribution recognition systems acknowledging community support - Create impact measurement frameworks tracking community benefit- Design achievement badge systems for study and practice milestones (texts completed, practice hours, insights gained) - Develop visualization dashboards for personal practice statistics and progress - Create gamification elements that respect traditional values while encouraging consistent practice - Build systems for celebrating significant personal achievements within community contexts - Implement optional streak-tracking for maintaining regular study and practice rhythms |
Our Teams
Our teams are made up of passionate volunteers and dedicated full-time specialists, supported by the OpenPecha Trust and other partner organizations. We welcome you to join us in making Buddhist wisdom more accessible in the digital age!
Working Groups
Pecha Study Platform
Sefaria for Buddhism
Pecha Practice App
Bible App for Buddhism
Pecha
Translation API
Pecha Data API
Summary
1. Open Data Team (Supply Chain Phases 1-5, 8)
Focus: Lead the community effort to gather, curate, and structure authentic Buddhist knowledge. Work directly with monasteries and scholars to identify, catalog, and enrich Buddhist texts. Create and maintain high-quality Buddhist content on Wikipedia, Wikimedia, and Wikisource to anyone to learn from trustworthy sources.
Key Responsibilities:
- Gather authentic sources and collaborate with BDRC to extend their existing catalog
- Establish partnerships with monastic libraries, archives, and private collections
- Define standardized metadata schemas for source identification and provenance tracking
- Extract knowledge from texts and generate articles on Buddhist concepts with proper sources
- Build community to improve and post articles on Wikipedia
- Define ontologies and taxonomies for Buddhist philosophical systems
- Identify conceptual links and relationships across texts
- Curate and validate content for publication on Wikimedia
- Provide domain expertise to guide development of study tools and reference environments
- Design multimedia explanatory resources for traditional practices
Key Roles:
- Buddhist scholars and practitioners
- Digital librarians and archivists
- Metadata specialists
- Scholarly editors
- Content curators
- Ontology specialists
- Community managers
- Wikidata/Wikipedia contributors
- Community coordinators
- Linguistic experts in Buddhist languages
2. Data Engineering Team (Supply Chain Phases 1-7)
Focus: Orchestrate the digital transformation of Buddhist texts through robust data architecture and processing systems. Build scalable workflows to digitize, structure, and distribute authentic Buddhist knowledge while ensuring seamless integration across platforms.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design and implement specialized parsers to convert diverse Buddhist textual formats into the standardized OpenPecha ecosystem
- Architect a flexible annotation infrastructure to handle complex metadata and contextual information within Buddhist texts
- Develop and maintain comprehensive APIs to make Buddhist textual resources accessible to developers, researchers, and applications
- Establish bidirectional data synchronization with Wikimedia platforms to increase the footprint of authentic Buddhist knowledge
- Create automated data quality assurance and maintenance pipelines to preserve textual integrity at scale
- Build knowledge graph capabilities to connect related concepts across the Buddhist canon
- Develop data models that support multilingual representation of Buddhist teachings
- Create clear, comprehensive documentation for all infrastructure components
Key Roles:
- Data engineers
- Database architects
- NLP researchers
- Backend engineers
- Quality assurance specialists
3. Community Tools Team (Supply Chain Phases 1-8)
Focus: Create simple technical solutions including editing tools, APIs, and code libraries that Buddhist organizations can easily adopt, supported by clear documentation and an active community of helpers. Enable communities to contribute to and maintain Buddhist digital knowledge.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop openly accessible transcription tools for digitization
- Develop openly accessible translation tools for multilingual communities
- Create a scholar collaboration platform for community critical editions
- Build tools for humans to improve knowledge networks
- Create tools to support Buddhist practice and study content creators
- Create tools to support Buddhist community study groups
Key Roles:
- UX/UI designers
- Fullstack developers
- DevOps engineers
- Technical support specialists
4. AI Automation Team (Cross-cutting across all Supply Chain Phases)
Focus: The team will focus on identifying core challenges in the processing, understanding, and dissemination of Buddhist knowledge, and translating these into well-defined AI research problems. Through extensive experimentation, prototyping, and evaluation, the team will develop robust AI-driven solutions. Once validated, these solutions will be handed off to data and systems engineering teams for full-scale implementation across the project.
Key Responsibilities:
- Identify and analyze core challenges in the digitization, interpretation, and dissemination of Buddhist knowledge, and reframe them as tractable AI research problems.
- Conduct rigorous AI research to develop solutions tailored to Buddhist language, domain-specific semantics, and multimodal data (text, audio, visual).
- Prototype and benchmark novel AI methods in areas such as OCR, ASR, translation, language modeling, knowledge extraction, and semantic search.
- Rigorously evaluate all proposed solutions and iterate to reach high-performance, reliable results.
- Collaborate with Buddhist scholars and linguists to ensure solutions are accurate, culturally sensitive, and contextually grounded.
- Publish research findings, datasets, models, and evaluation protocols in open forums (e.g., academic conferences, preprint servers, or open-source platforms) to ensure transparency, peer review, and community validation.
- Maintain detailed documentation of the research process, findings, and limitations to support future reproducibility and implementation.
- Handoff validated solutions to engineering teams for production-scale integration and deployment.
- Monitor and integrate emerging research and technologies to improve and future-proof AI pipelines.
- Uphold ethical standards, particularly in preserving the integrity and sacredness of Buddhist teachings.
Key Roles:
- Machine learning engineers
- NLP researchers and specialists
- Data scientists
- ML Operations engineers
- Prompt engineers
- Knowledge representation experts
5. End-user App Team (Supply Chain Phases 8-12)
Focus: Design and build an intuitive app that delivers Buddhist texts, audio teachings, and guided meditations while creating simple ways for users to learn, practice, and share wisdom with their communities. Focus on personalized learning experiences and community engagement.
Key Responsibilities:
- Create integrated reading environments with references
- Build meditation timers and practice trackers
- Create interactive content platforms with exploration capabilities
- Build intelligent distribution systems matching content to user needs
- Create cross-platform progress tracking spanning multiple resources
- Build virtual practice spaces supporting shared meditation and study sessions
- Develop guidance applications for visualization and ritual
Key Roles:
- UX/UI designers
- Mobile developers
- Frontend developers
- Backend Developers
- Product Owners
- User experience researchers
- Community engagement specialists
- Gamification experts
6. Governance Team
Focus: Ensure the long-term sustainability, community-driven governance, and ethical alignment of all OpenPecha initiatives. Provide strategic direction, financial stewardship, and maintain the project’s alignment with Buddhist values.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and maintain project vision, mission, and strategic planning
- Create transparent decision-making processes
- Establish code of conduct and conflict resolution procedures
- Oversee resource allocation and financial management
- Develop partnership frameworks with Buddhist institutions
- Create impact measurement approaches
- Ensure ethical use of Buddhist data and knowledge
- Represent the project to external stakeholders
- Sustain the project through diverse funding sources
Key Roles:
- Trustees
- Steering committee with language representatives
- Financial administrators
- Grant writers
- Legal advisors
- Community outreach coordinators
- Ethics committee members
- Strategic planning specialists
Get Involved
We welcome contributors of all backgrounds and skill levels. Ways to participate include:
- Technical development
- Text digitization and proofreading
- Translation and linguistic work
- Buddhist scholarship and teaching
- Community building and outreach
- Documentation and communication
- Funding and resource development
Join us in making Buddhist wisdom boundless!