Two reasons for applying a title to a text

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There are two reasons for applying a title to a text and proclaiming it in the beginning.

  1. Once one has understood the relationship between title and contents, one can identify the text one wants to read and leave the others aside.
  2. When a title has been given that reflects the subject of the text, a person of superior capacity, merely on seeing it, will have a grasp of the entire message of the text. A person of moderate capacity will understand its general gist, while a person of only modest ability will be able to find the volume easily, just as one can identify a medicine by looking at a label on the bottle.[1]

References

  1. Khenpo Kunpal, The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech, a detailed commentary on Shantideva’s Way of the Bodhisattva, page 30. Translated by Padmakara Translation Group. Published by Shambhala. ISBN 978-1-59030-439-6, ISBN 978-1-59030-699-4