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'Skilful Means' is the key principle of Mahayana, one of the great Buddhist traditions. First described in the Lotus Sutra, it originates in myths of the Buddha's compassionate plans for raising life from the ceaseless round of birth and death. His strategies or interventions are 'skilful means' - morally wholesome tricks devised for the purpose of enabling nirvana or enlightenment. Michael Pye's clear and engaging introductory guide investigates the meaning and context of skilful means in Mayahana Buddhist teachings, whilst tracing its early origins in ancient Japanese and Theravada thought. First published in 1978, and still the best explanation of the concept, it illuminates a core working philosophy essential for any complete understanding of Buddhism.
List of contents
Acknowledgements, Conventions, Preface to the Second Edition, 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION, 2 THE INITIAL TEACHING OF SKILFUL MEANS IN THE LOTUS SUTRA, 3 STORIES ABOUT SKILFUL MEANS IN THE LOTUS SUTRA, 4 MYTHOLOGY AND SKILFUL MEANS IN THE LOTUS SUTRA, 5 SKILFUL MEANS IN THE TEACHING OF VIMALAKhRTI, 6 SKILFUL MEANS IN THE PERFECTION OF INSIGHT LITERATURE, 7 SKILFUL MEANS IN PRE-MAHAYANA BUDDHISM, 8 THE TERM HiBEN IN MODERN JAPANESE, 9 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS, APPENDIX A: BRIEF NOTE ON THE MAIN TEXTS USED, APPENDIX B: HISTORICO-CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE LOTUS SUTRA, APPENDIX C: OCCURRENCES OF FANG-PIEN IN THE LOTUS SUTRA, APPENDIX D: OCCURRENCES OF FANG-PIEN IN THE TEACHING OF VIMALAKhRTI, APPENDIX E: OCCURRENCES OF FANG-PIEN IN THE PERFECTION OF INSIGHT SUTRAS, ETC, APPENDIX F SKILFUL MEANS IN THE SURAMGAMASAMADHI SUTRA, Bibliography, Index
About the author
Michael Pye is Professor of the Study of Religions at the University of Marburg. He is a former President of the International Association for the History of Religions (1995-2000), and has taught at the Universities of Lancaster and Leeds.
Summary
Skilful means' is the key principle of Mahayana, one of the great Buddhist traditions. I illuminates a core working philosophy essential for any complete understanding of Buddhism.
