Skilful Means: A Concept in Mahayana Buddhism

by Pye,Michael

• ISBN13: 9780415314275
• ISBN10: 0415314275
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2004-02-23
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

"Skilful means" is the key principle of the great tradition of Mahayana Buddhism. First set out extensively in the Lotus Sutra, it originates in the Buddha's compassionate project for helping others to transcend the ceaseless round of birth and death. His strategies or interventions are "skilful means" - devices which lead into enlightenment and nirvana. Michael Pye's clear and engaging introductory guide presents the meaning of skilful means in the formative writings, traces its antecedents in the legends of early Buddhism and explores links both with the Theravada tradition and later Japanese Buddhism. First published in 1979, the book remains the best explanation of this dynamic philosophy, which is essential for any complete understanding of Buddhis.

Author Biography

Michael Pye is Professor of the Study of Religions at Marburg University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	vii
Conventions	viii
Preface to the Second Edition	ix
1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION	1	(17)
Buddhist skilful means	1	(2)
The literature of skilful means	3	(5)
Problems of terminology	8	(10)
2 THE INITIAL TEACHING OF SKILFUL MEANS IN THE LOTUS SUTRA	18	(19)
Sariputra's perplexity	18	(2)
The opening exposition	20	(3)
The longer exposition in prose	23	(2)
The longer exposition in verse (i)	25	(2)
The longer exposition in verse (ii)	27	(2)
The longer exposition in verse (iii)	29	(8)
3 STORIES ABOUT SKILFUL MEANS IN THE LOTUS SUTRA	37	(23)
The burning house	37	(3)
The son who does not recognise himself	40	(2)
The rain-cloud and other similes	42	(3)
Stories of unexpected treasure	45	(2)
The magic city	47	(2)
The Buddha's life-span and the story of the physician	49	(11)
4 MYTHOLOGY AND SKILFUL MEANS IN THE LOTUS SUTRA	60	(23)
Illumination of all worlds	60	(5)
The equivalence of all buddhas	65	(6)
Transformations of a bodhisattva	71	(12)
5 SKILFUL MEANS IN THE TEACHING OF VIMALAKIRTI	83	(18)
The skill of a Buddhist saint	83	(5)
Vimalakirti's illness	88	(3)
Vimalakirti and Mañjusri	91	(10)
6 SKILFUL MEANS IN THE PERFECTION OF INSIGHT LITERATURE	101	(16)
Insight and skilful means	101	(2)
Skilful means as a way of taking things	103	(5)
Madhyamika connections	108	(9)
7 SKILFUL MEANS IN PRE-MAHAYANA BUDDHISM	117	(20)
The decision to proclaim Dhamma	117	(6)
Buddhist correlational technique	123	(3)
The persistence of Buddhist meaning	126	(11)
8 THE TERM HOBEN IN MODERN JAPANESE	137	(21)
Colloquial Japanese: use mo hoben	137	(3)
Spectrum of usage in reference works	140	(5)
Response of Buddhists to general usage	145	(3)
Hoben in sectarian Buddhism	148	(10)
9 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS	158	(6)
APPENDIX A: BRIEF NOTE ON THE MAIN TEXTS USED	164	(3)
APPENDIX B: HISTORICO-CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE LOTUS SUTRA	167	(15)
APPENDIX C: OCCURRENCES OF FANG-PIEN IN THE LOTUS SUTRA	182	(4)
APPENDIX D: OCCURRENCES OF FANG-PIEN IN THE TEACHING OF VIMALAKIRTI	186	(2)
APPENDIX F: OCCURRENCES OF FANG-PIEN IN THE PERFECTION OF INSIGHT SUTRAS, ETC	188	(5)
APPENDIX F: SKILFUL MEANS IN THE SURAMGAMASAMADHI SUTRA	193	(4)
Bibliography	197	(5)
Index	202