Can the Dharma teachings and Buddhist scriptures written on paper by individuals be burned?

Items written by individuals that are not Buddhist sutras or mantras may be burned directly. As for Buddhist sutras, mantras, and the names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, if they truly cannot be repaired and preserved, and cannot be given away to others as a Dharma connection, one should recite the mantra for extinguishing offenses before burning them. If they can be repaired intact, preserved, or given to others as a Dharma connection, they must not be burned under any circumstances. Some people, upon seeing monastics in temples burning damaged Buddha statues and Buddhist sutras, think that they too may burn Buddhist sutras. Watching how others do things is merely observing surface appearances; in reality, the way others handle matters and their underlying intentions are not easy to discern. Sometimes, when others do something, they commit no offense and violate no precepts—nothing happens at all. Yet when one does the same thing oneself, it constitutes an offense and a violation of the precepts. People differ in their intentions, in their merit, in their spiritual cultivation, and in their precepts and responsibilities, so the results and karmic retributions differ. One must not casually imitate what others do.