Question: After teachings in long proses (长行) in Buddhist sūtras (佛经), why are there often those in verses (偈颂)?
Answer: This is due to the ten reasons below.
[1] Summary: With summation of the (prose) teachings above.
[2] Essence: With what is essential in the teachings above.
[3] Succinctness: With that concise and clear on the teachings above.
[4] Augmentation: With additional aspects not in the teachings above.
[5] Emphasis: With praises to highlight important teachings above.
[6] Repetition: With repeating of teachings above to be learnt well.
[7] Reiteration: With rephrasing of above teachings’ key aspects to be learnt better.
[8] Memorability: With brevity that makes them easy to remember.
[9] ‘Shortcut’: With shortness for those lacking time to learn teachings above in detail.
[10] Curiosity: With some ‘cryptic and mystical’ nature that invokes curiosity to learn teachings above in detail.
