Creating your own Dharma practice
To paraphrase Ajahn Sona, Metta is “given star billing” in Theravada (Pali) teachings on Buddhism. On the other hand, while Maitri is highly praised in the Sanskrit teachings on Buddhism, I haven’t been able to find the same kind of support. This brings me to a point that I’ve contemplated somewhat, with respect to my own relationship to Dharma. I’d like to clarify this for a bit.
The big picture, according to my current level of understanding, seems to be very similar to what is taught in the Madhyamika Prasangika (MP) school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Vedantic world view and big picture appear to be identical to this. There is great emphasis placed in both MP and Vedanta on analysis (of subjective and objective reality and of the line between subject and object). It seems also to be that visualization, particularly in the context of deities representing awakened states of mind, plays a huge role in MP.
However, in practice, I find that the Pali tradition offers much more available instruction in the direct cultivation of mental factors such as metta, karuna, mudita and upeksha. However, the big picture in the Pali tradition seems somewhat impoverished. I freely admit that this may be my own lack of understanding, and perhaps also the fact that I have spent a chunk of time (several years) learning the big picture from Tibetan Buddhist teachers such as Venerable Robina Courtin and HH The Dalai Lama.
My personal “fix” for this has been to take practices from both the Pali and the Sanskrit traditions. I use teachings from the Dharma heirs of Ajahn Chah, such as Ajahn Sona, Ajahn Brahm, Ajahn Achalo, Ajahn Amaro, Joseph Goldstein, etc., to develop my metta practice, and my upeksha practice. On the other hand, I use teachings from HH The Dalai Lama, Venerable Robina Courtin, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Venerable Thubthen Chodron, Venerable Sangye Khadro, Venerable Amy Miller, etc., in order to develop insight into karma, Bodhichitta (a sense of universal concern and responsibility) and emptiness. I also do some mantra and deity practice with respect to Tara (White Tara empowerment).
My Dharma practice is my artwork, in a sense. I get to decide which brushstrokes I include in it. However, the Buddha laid out a specific result as walking the path. In essence, this means that the artwork must meet a certain standard to be classed as a masterpiece. A complete lack of fear appears to be one yardstick for evaluating whether one can be called a great master or maestro of Dharma.
