The meaning of Skillful Means and the Conventional Truth in Buddhist Education

The present essay is concerned with the nature of the Tathgata s methods of preaching as skillful means (upya) and the meaning of the Conventional truth (savti-satya). The main focus will be given on; (a) the necessity of therapeutic speech in Buddhist education, (b) Tathgata and the samsaric world (c) the conventional truth as educational device, and (d) educational meaning of the Tathgata s return to people s language. We place the scriptural word in its soteriological perspective, stressing the therapeutic concerns of the Tathgata s teaching. The necessity of the scripture as therapeutic speech is presented examining the meaning of the Two truth as teaching device. And the educational significance of the truth of savti in Buddhist educational system is explored. Buddhist scriptures are comprised of emancipatory words. Of necessity they are spoken to others, their aim being removal of human suffering. Not only does the Buddha arrive at emancipatory experience, he also formulates the experience in everyday language. This language is the very essence of the Bodhisattva praxis in Mahyna Buddhism. The scriptural texts are the Buddha s methods to convey his experience to the public. According to the listener s degree of capacity or receptivity, the methods are varied, and teachings are flexible. In this sense, we may confirm that method will control the theme, form and content . The Buddha followed public modes of thinking through categorical convention. For the Buddha, a central concern as a preacher was how to speak. The scriptures have an emancipatory mission; they told towards the listeners. The thematic equality in the scriptures lies in such a missionary function, that is, the scriptural texts are the body of emancipatory meaning and the Buddhas are no more than what people hear.