This week's article is on
Upaya, or Skillful Means, a central idea in Mahayana Buddhism. Upaya is the ability to recognize what is appropriate in the moment, what is true to a particular situation, rather than relying on rigid rules or definitions. In real life, applying moral teachings like 'never lie' or 'never get angry' are not so straightforward. Sometimes moral goals may clash with each other, such as a situation in which an injustice in occurring and anger may be appropriate to stop it, or a situation in which the truth will unnecessarily harm someone.
Upaya also applies to our own spiritual practice - knowing what practices we need at a certain time, or in the case of teaching, what practices a student need. Recognizing upaya means recognizing the fluidity of the spiritual path - that we need different things at different times to grow.
