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Questions tagged [skillful-means]

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How can the details of the mappō age be discussed skillfully?

Mappō (a.k.a mòfǎ, mạt pháp) is a term used by the majority of Mahayana Buddhism branches in East and Southeast Asia. It was mentioned in the Mahayana Mahaparinirvaṇa Sutra, signalling the declination ...
viptrongproz98's user avatar
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5 answers
110 views

Did Buddha explain Dependent Origination as an upaya or skillful means? If so, why?

Inspired by this answer... Is the specific formulation of Dependent Origination in the early buddhist texts an upaya and/or skillful means? If so, how approximate is it? Are there other conceptual ...
Yeshe Tenley's user avatar
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2 votes
5 answers
317 views

Is upaya a lie?

According to upaya, the doctrine of 'skillful means', as it appears in the Lotus Sutra, was the Buddha lying when he said that there are three vehicles? Presumably he knew there was only one: so why ...
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2 votes
4 answers
293 views

The Justice Thought & System & its Morals?

Namo Buddhaya! Here are my questions regarding justice systems & their morals: Would it be skillful & moral to report someone to a principle, a police officer, or any sort of authority ...
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0 votes
5 answers
155 views

Handling Poisons?

Please help with these questions! :) What is the most skillful way to handle someone who is angry? What is the most skillful way to handle someone who is deluded? What is the most skillful way to ...
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4 votes
5 answers
2k views

Killer Neighbors

Namo Buddhaya! My neighbor is a hardcore Christian & is a very nice man, the only thing is that he goes outside every once & a while with a water gun & kills insects (and even shoots ...
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4 votes
6 answers
1k views

Is there such a thing as craving for enlightenment and would it be unwholesome?

I was wondering if for example an obsession or craving that someone has for attaining Nirvana would be considered something unwholesome. On one hand it seems to me like it would, since that person ...
sirangelo's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
589 views

Upaya in Theravada Buddhism and the Pali Canon

According to the article An Explanation of Upaya in Buddhism by Barbara O'Brien: Mahayana Buddhists often use the word upaya, which is translated "skillful means" or "expedient means." Very ...
ruben2020's user avatar
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5 votes
3 answers
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How do I get rid of ill will?

People who have done wrong to me remain in my memory and continuously stay in my mind. I have feelings of ill will and hatered towards them...to revenge...how do I get out of the feelings of ill will.....
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1 vote
2 answers
151 views

How does upaya (skillful means) feature in Tibetan Buddhism?

How does upaya (skillful means) feature in Tibetan Buddhism? I'm just intrigued, because the texts I've spent longer trying to 'get' seem to be more inspired by the lotus sutra.
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0 votes
4 answers
206 views

Is 'impermanence' skillful means?

Is 'impermanence' skillful means? Wikipedia's definition of "Skillful means" says: The implication [of skillful means] is that even if a technique, view, etc., is not ultimately "true" in the ...
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5 votes
2 answers
129 views

What's the "wise" answer when the epistemic distance is important?

When someone needs my help, I try to answer their questions as best as I can. Sometimes, the questions make no sense (from my perspective) and from there I struggle. For some things, the person is ...
cosmicmath's user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
469 views

Are practical solutions to everyday suffering that contradict Buddhism Upaya or avidya?

If we are caught in the great web of desire and aversion, and are roiling in Samsara, helpful or well meaning advise (to let go, to be in the moment, to inspect the emptiness of reality, to not ...
Buddho's user avatar
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8 votes
5 answers
1k views

If the literal truth causes confusion, but a lie portrays the truth via a careful misunderstanding, is it really a lie?

Sometimes during everyday conversation, you can notice based on someone's subtle feedback, that they may be misinterpreting something you are telling them. For the sake of the question, please suspend ...
Selfless Psychopath's user avatar