Abstract

Given the centrality of the Buddhist doctrine of ‘no-self’, those instances in which the Buddha does indeed seem to advocate a self have always provided significant sites of hermeneutic inquiry within the Buddhist tradition. They have necessitated a range of sophisticated exegetical tools such as the division of the Buddha’s pronouncements into those of provisional meaning and those of ultimate meaning ; the centrality of discerning the Buddha’s real, as opposed to apparent, intention ; and of course the notion of the Buddha’s utilization of his skillful means specifically to hone his teaching to cater to the different capacities of..