Upaya-kaushalya

Upaya-kaushalya is a concept usually found in the Mahayana schools of Buddhism. Roughly translated into english as "skill in means" or "skillfull means", it is a concept which emphasises that practitioners may use their own specific methods or techniques in order to cease suffering, introduce one to the dharma, etc. A traditional story given as an example of this practice is that of a man who comes home to find his house on fire and his children inside. He calls out to his children to leave the house, but they do not believe it is on fire. Thinking about how he may use Upaya-kaushalya, the man tells each that he has arranged his or her favorite toys outside (or various carts in some versions) for them to play with. Hearing this, the children run from the burning house and are saved. The most important concept in skill-in-means is the use, guided by wisdom and compassion, of a specific teaching (means) geared to the particular audience taught. Conze, in A SHort History Of Buddhism, says "'Skill in means' is the ability to bring out the spiritual potentialities of different people by statements or actions which are adjusted to their needs and adapted to their capacity for comprehension." \nA related dilemma of this story for buddhism is this: Was the man right in lying to his children (or did he even lie at all?). The response given here is that no, he was not lying, and that there was nothing wrong with what he did. The notion of "skillfull means" becomes an important concept in Mahayana buddhism. The idea is that a bodhisattva or practitioner may use such methods in order to help ease the suffering of people, or introduce them to the dharma, or help them on their road to nirvana. This doctrine can often go to explain some of the otherwise strange or unorderly behaviour of some buddhist practitioners or saints. The point can also be raised that it is not compulsory to announce that one is a bodhisattva, and traiditionally there is a great deal of ambiguity as to whether a person could or could not be one. In employing skillfull means, it becomes possible that many seemingly unbuddhist practices, such as violence, theft, and sexuality could potentially be seen as use of "skillfull means". Harsh violence to one's disciples has often been used as a way of opening their eyes to the nature of self and suffering. Not surprisingly there are a number of stories of buddhist saints and bodhisattvas taking part in some very eccentric and unusual behaviours in the practice of skillfull means. The practices of tantric and vajrayana buddhism are also often interpreted as a process of skillfull means in themselves, whereby practitioners use the very misconcepts and properties of mundane existence to help themselves reach enlightenment.