?This is the frequently asked question, which also implies another question: Is it essential for lay Buddhists to setup an altar in your own home? If so, how if and when they do it? A better solution really is dependent upon the consumer situation. If the dwelling is small, or if you reside in a dormitory, share a space or perhaps a house with co-workers or classmates, it wouldn’t be easy to create an altar. In such cases, if you worship regularly at the fixed time, you may place a sutra in places you would normally place a Buddha statue. In this case, it is not necessary burning incense or candles, or offer water or flowers. Before worshipping, it could be appropriate to bow with joined palms, and prostrate to demonstrate respect and sincerity. If the roommates or housemates may also be Buddhists, it will certainly be alright to create a typical altar or even a worship room. In case you are the one Buddhist, don’t be so particular concerning insist upon starting an altar; as it may court others’ resentment and dismay.

?If you are the only Buddhist inherited, it’s also required to follow similar guidelines just like you live in a dormitory; otherwise, it could create discord in the family. Don’t allow your Buddhist practice cause ill feelings and resentment toward Buddhism inside family. In the event the entire family believes in Buddhism, or perhaps you are head from the household, or both spouses practice, and there’s space, it could be the most effective to setup an altar or perhaps a worship room. When creating an altar within the lounge, select the side of the room in which the main furniture would normally be. There should be no window behind the statue, as well as statue should face a door or window, so there could be plenty sunlight, and also the altar is clearly coming soon when we enter the door.

?The altar could be the heart of the home; it should come up with a a sense stability and security. Are you aware that locations and directions suggested by geomancers, they are often used as reference for consideration; just one mustn’t be superstitious and feel constrained by them. It could be fine providing the Buddha statue will not directly face the toilet, the stove, or even a bed. In the event you generate a worship room, pick a quiet quarter where kids or pets don’t roam inside and outside easily. The bedroom should not be area for receiving guests, chatting or entertaining; it needs to be used only for worshipping, chanting, and Chan practice, not for anything else. However, should there be already non-Buddhist pictures, plaques, and statues employed for worshipping, including Guangong, Matzu, earth gods and ancestors, we ought to not reduce them straight away, because supermarket practice Buddhism. They should be removed detail by detail, gradually.

?The first step would be to squeeze Buddha statue during the altar, between statues with the non-Buddhist deities, and ancestors’ memorial plaques. You shouldn’t have to set up an incense burner and candle holders. The explanation for this arrangement happens because all benevolent deities and ancestors will protect, support, and be drawn to a few Jewels. After the altar is to establish, like become disciples with the Three Jewels and benefit from the Dharma. The next time you move the altar or worship room, you could then remove those non-Buddhist deity statues and store them away as keepsakes. Are you aware that ancestors’ plaques, they don’t must be placed or worshiped in your own home; they could be gone to live in the hall of rebirth within a temple or monastery. If someone insists on continuing to worship them in your house, they are often either placed on the extent beneath the Buddha’s statue. Or, they can be transferred to another location onto a lesser altar and turn into worshiped separately.

?In larger temples, as an example, you can find halls of rebirth specially for placing ancestors’ plaques. Smaller temples usually allow ancestors’ plaques and longevity plaques to be placed along the side walls from the main hall. In this manner, it not only expresses our prudent filial piety and reverence to your ancestors, and also shows our sublime faith for the Buddha. In such a way, it distinguishes our sublime faith towards the Buddha from the filial piety to our ancestors.

?In your own home there’s no need for multiple statues in the Buddha and bodhisattvas, as that could help to increase clutter. One statue with the Buddha can represent all buddhas, and one bodhisattva statue can represent all bodhisattvas. Besides statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, most families pick one from among Guanyin Pusa (Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva), Amitabha Buddha, and Medicine Buddha.

?If you have both Buddha and bodhisattva statues, then your Buddha statue ought to be placed in the guts or with a higher-level at the back of the altar, whilst the bodhisattva statues are placed on the sides or at lower positions right in front. To put it differently, the Buddha statue should stand out to exhibit his revered prominence. The size of the statue should be in proportion to the scale from the altar as well as worship room, less than big or not big enough. In case a statue is small but made from one of the seven precious treasures (gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, agate, ruby, carnelian), then a specially carved, multi-leveled shrine enables you to trigger the statue’s unique grandeur.

?After obtaining a new Buddha or bodhisattva image or statue, a lot of people would hold an initiation (“opening light”) ceremony to consecrate it. However, from the Buddhist standpoint, a real ceremony is not necessary. Buddha and bodhisattva images and statues are tools for practice. We make use of them as objects for reverence. Although buddhas and the bodhisattvas are omnipresent, without statues and images, we won’t have a very focus to obtain our prostrations, offerings, and respect. It can be through such reverential practices that we receive great things about cultivation and responses through the buddhas and bodhisattvas. But the most important thing is our faith, sincerity, plus a feeling of respect, not the statues or images themselves. Therefore, an initiation ceremony for that images and statues is not that important.

?When Shakyamuni Buddha was still living, he went to the Heaven of the Thirty-three Devas for 3 months to provide sermons to his mother. His disciples missed him, so they sculpted his image for worship; yet, there wasn’t any account of the initiation ceremonies. In subsequent generations, sutras, images, Buddhist articles, pagodas and in many cases temples, became representations of Buddha’s presence with his fantastic continuing transformation around the globe. Nevertheless, solemn ceremonies often generate deep respect and faith in people. Gradually, several types of rituals associated with worship and offerings had become; the initiation ceremony was one too. Therefore, today, every time a temple installs a fresh Buddha statue, followers gather together on an initiation ceremony. Similar to a new firm opening for business, or even a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new building, a ceremony is really a approach to produce a solemn announcement to the public.

?However, when we setup Buddha and bodhisattva statues in your own home, there is no need on an announcement, hence, no need to hold an initiation ceremony. So long as you setup the statues with sincerity and respect, and make daily offerings of incense, flowers, and fruits, maintaining your offerings as well as altar fresh, clean, and tidy, you will have sacred and holy atmosphere to induce the dedication of practitioners. To hold the indoor air fresh and clean, the incense burned at home should be of refined grade with delicate, light fragrance. When burning incense in your house, it’s good to burn only one stick during a period. Don’t pollute the environment in the home with too much incense. Natural sandalwood and agarwood incense have top quality; it isn’t great for use synthetic chemical or animal-based incense sticks.

?Inside the worship room of an modern home, candles might be substituted with bulbs. It is vital to completely clean the offering table, incense burner, candle holder often, and make them dust free, and free from withering flowers and rotting fruits. Each day we need to set a certain time for it to conduct the practice, no less than burning incense and offering water every morning and evening. Prior to leaving and after being home, we need to prostrate to Buddha to convey our gratitude, respect, and remembrance.

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