NOTE: Items with a * can be done by any volunteer. The other items will probably need to be done by one of the monks, but suggestions are welcome.
Formatting titles *
It’s very important that title conform to a standard. It should be
{abbreviation} {number} {Pali title} Sutta: {English title} {optional number of repetiton}
If there are several suttas in a row with the same name, just put a number after the name without parentheses or st/nd/rd/etc.
Adding special info *
When uploading suttas in bulk, we can add all the special information easily in our word processor.
Past this immediately after the title of each sutta:
#intro #topics #similes #names #furtherReading #explanation #questionForReflection
Then you can add any relevant information. For example:
#intro We can understand the Four Noble Truths if we have concentration. #topics concentration, Four Noble Truths, happiness #similes mountain #names Sariputta Arahant #furtherReading * See also SN 56.11 #explanation #questionForReflection What do you think it's like to live this way?
Topics, People & Similes
NOTE: If you are not familiar with our tags, you can see a list of all tags:
- Simile Index
- Sutta Topics Index (please read the Hot Topics article)
- People Index
NOTE: Topics, People and similes are case sensitive! So Meditation and meditation will be two different topics.
Special note for people tags: For all monks and nuns who became Arahants, please put the personal name first followed by “Arahant”. For example: Sāriputta Arahant.
For other people like kings and queens. put their personal name first then king or queen. WHY? Because then they are all listed alphabetically by name. Also, see these guidelines.
Intros *
Intros are a sentence that will draw someone into reading the sutta. Sometimes they are a question that the sutta will answer. Sometimes they say briefly what the sutta is about. Some can start with “The Supreme Buddha teaches about …” but they shouldn’t all start that way. Best thing is to look at the intros as they appear on any of the table of contents pages, for example, DN, MN, Khp, Ud, Itv, Snp, Vv, Pv.
For very short suttas it can be difficult to give an intro. Just create something and the bhantes will check.
Further Reading
These are suttas that are related to the sutta you are preparing. Most suttas will not have a further reading section.
If the sutta for further reading actually exists on the website, you can add in the code like this:
<li><ul><a href="https:suttafriends.org/sn56.11">SN 56.11 Dhamma Cakkappavattana Sutta</a></ul></li>
and then it will look like this when imported:
Explanation
Not all suttas need an explaination.
Questions for reflection
Most suttas won’t have any questions for reflection.
Excerpt *
An excerpt is a line from the sutta that gives a good idea what the sutta is about. It should be short. When you find it, put it in [[[triple brackets]]]. Include punctuation.
If you can’t decide, then skip this step.
Verses
Each individual verse must be enclosed with % % symbols like this:
Smart Quotes & Ellipses *
Make sure that the quotation marks are curving towards the text. Also make sure that triple dots are the real elipses character (…)
If you are working in Google Docs, then add the addon “Text Cleaner” in Google Docs. Then select the text to correct and click as follows:
Footnotes *
In general, we want to avoid text in (parentheses). If the sentence can be read without the text in the parentheses, then please turn it into a footnote.
Simplly place, then put footnote tags around it:
This is the text of the sutta.[footnote]This is my footnote.[/footnote]
And it will end up looking like this:
And when they click on the number the footnote pops up:
