Skillful Means: The Heart of Buddhist Compassion

Beginning with the Buddha's teaching methods, the study emphasizes the importance of adapting religious instruction to the particular circumstances, capacities, and needs of individuals. The Buddha's teachings are interpreted as context-sensitive responses rather than universally applicable philosophical propositions.

The book subsequently investigates the development of Abhidharma scholasticism, demonstrating how analytical classifications of experience and theories of causality gradually became established as authoritative frameworks for Buddhist practice. Schroeder examines the tensions between these systematic approaches and the earlier emphasis on flexibility and nonattachment.

Through an interpretation of the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra, the author explores the Mahāyāna integration of wisdom (prajñā) and compassion (karuṇā), particularly the bodhisattva's ability to employ diverse teachings and unconventional methods for the benefit of sentient beings.

The discussion of Nāgārjuna's Madhyamaka philosophy reinterprets emptiness (śūnyatā) as a critique of attachment to doctrinal and methodological positions rather than merely a metaphysical theory. The study further examines Ch'an Buddhism, especially meditation, sudden awakening, and challenges to rigid religious practices.

Throughout the work, Schroeder develops a metapractical interpretation of Buddhist philosophy, emphasizing the relationship between doctrine, religious practice, and liberation. Skillful means ultimately emerges as an expression of Buddhist compassion that prioritizes responsiveness to suffering over adherence to fixed philosophical systems.