expedient : (m.) upāya; upakkama. (adj.) anurūpa; ucita; yogga.

A.P. Buddhadatta Mahathera, Concise Pali-English and English-Pali Dictionary [available as digital version from Metta Net, Sri Lanka]

thabs

[translation-san] {C,L,MSA,MV} upāya

[translation-san] {MSA} abhyupāya

[translation-san] {MV} upāyatā

[translation-eng] {Hopkins} method; skillful means; efficacious means; techniques

[translation-eng] {C} expedient (means); expediency; skill in means

[comments] Comment: Gung-tang makes an important distinction between thabs (upāya) as compassion and thabs (upāya) as skillful means used to lead trainees by way of various techniques; he speaks from a tradition that distinguishes these two. It appears that in many Great Vehicle traditions, especially in East Asia, the two are conflated.

example

• [bod] grub thabs
• [eng] means of achievement (sādhana)

example

• [bod] thabs la mkhas pa
• [eng] skill in means (upāyakauśalya)

example

• [bod] ngo bo nyid sku thobs pa'i thabs
• [eng] an efficacious means of attaining a Nature Truth Body

example

• [bod] gzhan phan gyi thabs
• [eng] techniques of altruism

Jeffrey Hopkins' Tibetan-Sanskrit-English Dictionary