Upaya is a
Sanskrit word translated as
skillful means.
It refers to the practice of doing something in the most loving and effective manner, in order to best express the dharma (the law), or enact the precepts (principles of conduct) of Buddhism, given the circumstances.
It is the best intention of every Buddhist to practice upaya at all times, and such actions are the essential unerring quality of a bodhisattva, an "enlightenment being."