General guidanceTrust tier: General guidance
Reading the Sources
Learn how to read classical passages, retrieval notes, and source trust tiers.
Objective: Separate what a source states from what a modern explanation infers or translates.
Lessons
How to read a passage
Objective: Read a classical claim with its context, terminology, and limits in view.
Classical passages need context: which treatise, which topic, and what the text actually asserts versus what later notes infer. A good reading separates quotation, paraphrase, and modern wellness translation.
On TianJi, citation peeks and source tiers exist so you can see that separation. Prefer short, checkable claims over sweeping slogans.
If a sentence cannot be tied to a source, treat it as modern guidance language only—or discard it.
Citation tiers
Objective: Use source tiers to judge whether a statement is canonical, compiled, researched, or general guidance.
Source tiers on this site roughly mean: canonical (primary classical text), compiled (secondary compilation/annotation), modern research, and general guidance without a primary citation.
Use tiers to set confidence, not to worship labels. A guidance-tier tip can still be practical if it is clearly labeled and non-clinical.
When learning, prioritize canonical and carefully compiled materials for theory; keep guidance for lifestyle orientation only.
Common questions
- Why show source tiers at all?
- So readers can tell classical quotation from modern explanation and avoid treating every sentence as equal authority.
- How do I verify a claim?
- Open the citation, check the treatise context, and refuse uncited medical leaps. Use Ask only for focused conceptual questions.
Related Terms
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Orient yourself to the core ideas, sources, and safe boundaries of WuYun-LiuQi.
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