In Mahāyāna thought, the doctrine of skillful means (upāya-kauśalya) expresses how Buddhas and bodhisattvas shape their teachings and actions to meet beings exactly where they are. Teachings, practices, and even outward behaviors are adjusted to the differing capacities, circumstances, and needs of individuals, always with the single aim of guiding them toward liberation. This flexibility can make the teachings appear diverse or even contradictory on the surface, yet they are understood as many paths converging on one ultimate goal. Truth is thus presented in forms that beings can actually receive, rather than in an abstract or absolute mode that would remain inaccessible.

Because of this, Mahāyāna sources speak of provisional teachings that function as stepping stones rather than final statements of ultimate truth. Parables, metaphors, and graded doctrines are used as compassionate devices, not as ends in themselves. A classic illustration is the parable of the burning house in the Lotus Sūtra, where different promises are made to lure children out of danger, only for them to receive a single superior vehicle once they are safe. Here, the variety of “vehicles” is portrayed as expedient means, while the underlying reality of a single liberating path remains intact.

This doctrine also extends beyond words to conduct and context. Bodhisattvas may employ unconventional methods, and at times even appear to bend ordinary expectations, if such actions genuinely help beings move away from suffering and ignorance. The same principle allows Buddhist practice to take on different cultural forms, so long as these forms serve the reduction of greed, hatred, and delusion. In all cases, the criterion is not rigid conformity to a single expression, but effectiveness in awakening beings.

At its heart, skillful means rests on great compassion. The bodhisattva does not demand that beings immediately grasp ultimate truth; instead, teachings are offered in forms that resonate with their current understanding, gradually opening a path toward deeper realization. The doctrine thus portrays enlightenment not as a one-size-fits-all program, but as a living, adaptive guidance in which diverse methods are unified by a single, liberating intention.