Uploaded June 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
What is "skillful means" in Buddhism, particularly in early Buddhism? We'll look at its usage in the early texts, in particular in one odd text where it seems the Buddha recommends a practice of sense desire, and then turn to its more famous usage in the Mahayana Lotus Sutra.
🧡 If you find this material useful, check out my Patreon page and get fun benefits like exclusive videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: patreon.com/dougsseculardharma
🧡 You can also make donations through: paypal.me/dougsdharma
📙 Check out my book, A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom, with a Foreword by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi: books2read.com/buddhisthandbook
☸️ Free mini-course at the Online Dharma Institute: onlinedharma.org.
🎙Check out my podcast with Jon Aaron, Diggin' the Dharma: digginthedharma.com
✅ Video mentioned:
The Parable of the Raft in Early Buddhism: Right View and Non-clinging — youtu.be/4hDmFFXT_sg
✅ Books referenced:
Donald Lopez and Jacqueline Stone, Two Buddhas Seated Side by Side: A Guide to the Lotus Sūtra — amzn.to/4bCUI6H
Tsugunari Kubo and Akira Yuyama (trans.), The Lotus Sutra (Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 2007). amzn.to/4bQo1To
Robert Buswell (ed.), Encyclopedia of Buddhism, pp. 871-2 amzn.to/3wy78N6
✅ Paper referenced:
Bhikkhu Anālayo, “Skill in Means and Mindfulness.” Mindfulness (2021) — researchgate.net/publication/357284685_Skill_in_Means_and_Mindfulness
✅ Suttas mentioned:
suttacentral.net/an6.79/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/dn33/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/snp2.8/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/thag2.19/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/ud3.2/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/mn22/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/mn38/en/sujato
Webpage: dougsdharma.com
Facebook: facebook.com/onlinedharmainstitute
Mastodon: https://mindly.social/@dougsdharma
Instagram: instagram.com/dougsdharma
Threads: threads.net/@dougsdharma
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dougsdharma.bsky.social
Thumbnail image courtesy of Tünde from Pixabay.
❤️ Thanks to Patreon Patrons:
Anonymous (3)
John Oborne
DunJing
Jimmy Maa
Debbie Mattison
Steve H.
Ron Peat
Michael S. Kearns
Anne
Matthew Smith
Shantha Wengappuli
Karma_CAC
Jorge Seguel
Christopher Apostolof
GailJM
David Bell
T Pham
VCR
Upayadhi
Andi and Erik
ATGuerrero686
Michael Scherrer
khobe schofield
Alex Perdomo
Benji Forsyth
Blaze Way
Sonny Flink
Steve Marlor
Joy L Lee
Andrew Tom
Anthony Tucker
Karlee R
Ethan M
Billy in Singapore
Olivia Otter
Carl Lennartson
xiao mao
Jeff Harvey
Andrew Ingrouille
Kenneth Grandchamp
Rene Gariepy
Russell Needham
Smoggyrob
Mac Roja
Bernardo
Clémence Ortega Douville
Kwan Alex
Scott Johnston
Richard J Beninger
Nathanael O. Arnquist
SaturnianMandala
Trin P
Letesa Isler
Dorien Izel
Robert Paterson
Jake Tobiason
Louvenia Ortega
Steve S.
Richard Rappuhn
Sarah Kress
John Aaron
Paul Niklewski
Kong Ing Kai
Dave Gorman
rhys reed
Osanda Wijeratne
Scarlett Farrow
BJ - RetreaTours™
Michael Lefsky
Matthieu Tregnier
Roland Harris
00:00 Intro
00:20 Skillful means in early Buddhism
01:42 Parable of the raft
03:53 Use of the phrase “skillful means” in early Buddhism
05:17 Nanda’s strange story
11:19 Skillful means in the Mahāyāna
Note: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon links are affiliate links where I will earn a very small commission on purchases you make, at no additional cost to you. This goes a tiny way towards defraying the costs of making these videos. Thank you!
What is "skillful means" in Buddhism, particularly in early Buddhism? We'll look at its usage in the early texts, in particular in one odd text where it seems the Buddha recommends a practice of sense desire, and then turn to its more famous usage in the Mahayana Lotus Sutra.
🧡 If you find this material useful, check out my Patreon page and get fun benefits like exclusive videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: patreon.com/dougsseculardharma
🧡 You can also make donations through: paypal.me/dougsdharma
📙 Check out my book, A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom, with a Foreword by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi: books2read.com/buddhisthandbook
☸️ Free mini-course at the Online Dharma Institute: onlinedharma.org.
🎙Check out my podcast with Jon Aaron, Diggin' the Dharma: digginthedharma.com
✅ Video mentioned:
The Parable of the Raft in Early Buddhism: Right View and Non-clinging — youtu.be/4hDmFFXT_sg
✅ Books referenced:
Donald Lopez and Jacqueline Stone, Two Buddhas Seated Side by Side: A Guide to the Lotus Sūtra — amzn.to/4bCUI6H
Tsugunari Kubo and Akira Yuyama (trans.), The Lotus Sutra (Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 2007). amzn.to/4bQo1To
Robert Buswell (ed.), Encyclopedia of Buddhism, pp. 871-2 amzn.to/3wy78N6
✅ Paper referenced:
Bhikkhu Anālayo, “Skill in Means and Mindfulness.” Mindfulness (2021) — researchgate.net/publication/357284685_Skill_in_Means_and_Mindfulness
✅ Suttas mentioned:
suttacentral.net/an6.79/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/dn33/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/snp2.8/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/thag2.19/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/ud3.2/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/mn22/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/mn38/en/sujato
Webpage: dougsdharma.com
Facebook: facebook.com/onlinedharmainstitute
Mastodon: https://mindly.social/@dougsdharma
Instagram: instagram.com/dougsdharma
Threads: threads.net/@dougsdharma
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dougsdharma.bsky.social
Thumbnail image courtesy of Tünde from Pixabay.
❤️ Thanks to Patreon Patrons:
Anonymous (3)
John Oborne
DunJing
Jimmy Maa
Debbie Mattison
Steve H.
Ron Peat
Michael S. Kearns
Anne
Matthew Smith
Shantha Wengappuli
Karma_CAC
Jorge Seguel
Christopher Apostolof
GailJM
David Bell
T Pham
VCR
Upayadhi
Andi and Erik
ATGuerrero686
Michael Scherrer
khobe schofield
Alex Perdomo
Benji Forsyth
Blaze Way
Sonny Flink
Steve Marlor
Joy L Lee
Andrew Tom
Anthony Tucker
Karlee R
Ethan M
Billy in Singapore
Olivia Otter
Carl Lennartson
xiao mao
Jeff Harvey
Andrew Ingrouille
Kenneth Grandchamp
Rene Gariepy
Russell Needham
Smoggyrob
Mac Roja
Bernardo
Clémence Ortega Douville
Kwan Alex
Scott Johnston
Richard J Beninger
Nathanael O. Arnquist
SaturnianMandala
Trin P
Letesa Isler
Dorien Izel
Robert Paterson
Jake Tobiason
Louvenia Ortega
Steve S.
Richard Rappuhn
Sarah Kress
John Aaron
Paul Niklewski
Kong Ing Kai
Dave Gorman
rhys reed
Osanda Wijeratne
Scarlett Farrow
BJ - RetreaTours™
Michael Lefsky
Matthieu Tregnier
Roland Harris
00:00 Intro
00:20 Skillful means in early Buddhism
01:42 Parable of the raft
03:53 Use of the phrase “skillful means” in early Buddhism
05:17 Nanda’s strange story
11:19 Skillful means in the Mahāyāna
Note: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon links are affiliate links where I will earn a very small commission on purchases you make, at no additional cost to you. This goes a tiny way towards defraying the costs of making these videos. Thank you!
