Principle: Sources Carry the Weight

What this means in practice

Every claim in this community traces to a public domain source. The texts speak in their own words. A quotation is the text itself, word for word, and a summary is labeled as a summary. What the community offers, it draws from the texts.

In practice, this means when you read a teaching here, you can follow it back to the exact passage and the exact source. You can open the library and read the full text. You can see the translation, the year, and where it is accessible. The weight rests in the source.

It also means you bring the same care when you write in Conversations. If you quote, quote exactly. If you summarize, say so. If you are unsure whether something is a direct quotation, say that too.

A passage

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Source: The Bible (King James Version), Proverbs 4:7, 1611

A question to sit with

When I share something I have read, how faithfully do I pass it on?

A practice to try

Next time you share a passage from the library, include the source: the tradition, the title, the translator, and the year. Let the reader follow the thread back to the text.