Upaya-kaushalya Sutra

Upaya-kaushalya Sutra (Skt. Upāyakauśalyasūtra; T. Thabs la mkhas pa’i mdo; C. Dasheng fangbian hui; J. Daijō hōben’e; K. Taesŭng pangp’yŏn hoe 大乘方便會), aka “Skillful Means Sūtra,” is an early Mahayana sutra included in the Ratnakuta Sutra collection, where it is also known as the Jñānottarabodhisattvaparipṛcchā.

Major points:

• Extols the practice of skillful means (upaya-kaushalya), specifically in regards to the dedication of merit of virtuous acts, and making offerings
• Explains how otherwise non-virtuous acts can be considered virtuous when performed by a bodhisattva with good intentions.

Translations

• Mark Tatz (translator), The Skill in Means Sutra, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 1994.
• The Sūtra on Skill in Means (translation in progress)

Sources

• Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University