In this paper I claim that upāya or hōben in the Lotus Sūtra, contrary to how it has often been translated and understood, is an ethical doctrine, the central tenet of which is that one should not do what is expedient but rather what is good, the good being what will actually help someone else, which is also known as bodhisattva practice. Further, the doctrine of hōben is relativistic. No doctrine, teaching, set of words, mode of practice, etc. can claim absoluteness or finality, as all occur within and are relative to some concrete situation. But some things, doing the right thing in the right situation, can be efficacious, sufficient for salvation.
目次
The Dharma in Stories 244 Hoben as Skillful and Appropriate 245 Hoben as Practical 247 Salvation as the Buddha-way 248 What does it mean to be a Buddha? 249 The Buddha-way as Bodhisattva Practice 249 Bodhisattvas as Role Models 251 Bodhisattva Ethics 252 Hoben as Provisional 252 The Embodied Dharma 254