Our Buddhist Altar

I had similar posts on the old blog, but decided to post again but this time as a summary of the old posts. Part of Buddhism as a religion is the building of a devotional altar. People who like to criticize Buddhism, or those who stick to “Buddhism as a philosophy or lifestyle”,¹ will chide the notion of a shrine, but having an altar is very beneficial to Buddhist practice:

• Contrary what critics think, Buddhism is not idol worship. We do practice reverence and gratitude toward the Buddha as teacher, however. Yes, some people in traditional Buddhist cultures pray to Buddha for stuff like the winning the lottery, but there are also a lot of serious Buddhists in these cultures. Not everyone who comes to a religion takes it seriously (big surprise!).
• An altar provides an external focus for one’s chants, meditations, other practices.
• Reverence toward the Buddha is a wholesome act (and yields good karma), because it purifies the mind. Think about it: if you’re giving thanks to the Buddha as teacher, you’re not spending the time on something unwholesome like gambling or other naughty stuff. It’s a good investment of your time.

Here’s the current Buddhist altar we have at home (more on making your own below):

The altar is pretty small, but was expensive. We purchased it as a family investment when we visited the Jodo Shinshu temple of Tsukiji Hongwanji in Japan back in Oct. 2007. Of course you don’t have to spend a lot on a good altar, but for us, we purchased this as something Baby could use when she gets older hence it is a long-term investment. Also, I am reminded of something from the Jodo Shinshu Handbook for Laymen, question #83:

A home altar is needed because it becomes the center of all home activities, and also because it enshrines the image of Amida Buddha who gives deliverance from illusions and suffering. The altar is there to teach us the compassion of Amida Buddha and is not for the enshrinement of ancestors.

…Actually, a home without an altar is a home without solidarity, for a family that worships together enjoys a beautiful and harmonious life together.

My wife and I happen to agree with this last sentiment, so this led us to making the investment in a nicer quality Buddhist altar. Baby enjoys striking the bell (purchased separately here in the US), but for some reason, she likes to use the wooden handle, not the padded end. Thus, she really cracks at the bell when she wants to. But it’s all good. She’s old enough to understand when we say “namu namu” to put her hands together in respect. It looks like she’s clapping, but I think she’s doing fine.

Now, what if you’re new to Buddhism and want to make an altar yourself? When I first got into Jodo Shinshu, this is what I did. I wasn’t comfortable making an investment at the time, which is sensible since I just started following Jodo Shinshu, so I simply made a shrine using a small balsa-wood box lid, and taped an image of the Buddha on the underside. I bought the particular image at our temple for $.50, but downloading something off the Internet obviously would work too. The dimensions of the box and image worked out well, so I used it for quite a while until we visited Japan in 2007. Here’s an old picture of that humble but beloved altar:

As for devotionals, offering flowers, candlelight, or incense are all perfectly normal in Buddhism. In the case of Jodo Shinshu, according to the “Handbook”, rice is a very common offering. Of course, for Westerners, offering bread or grain is a reasonable equivalent. Some sects of Buddhism also offer sweet teas and other wholesome offerings. Check to see what sect you follow and what the traditional offerings are, adjust as needed.

When you make an offering, put your hands together near your heart (called “gassho”) and recite a short verse, a word of praise for the Buddha (e.g. nembutsu), or something else suitable. As a general example, you can recite, in Pāli language, the Three Treasures:

• Buddang saranang gacchami: I go to the Buddha for refuge.
• Dammang saranang gacchami: I go to the Dharma for refuge.
• Sangang saranang gacchami: I go to the Sangha for refuge.

Here I am using a phonetic spelling for Pali, but that should help you get started. In addition, or separately, you can recite part, or all of a Buddhist sutra. The Heart Sutra is short enough that people recite it in entirety, but in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, we only recite essential parts of the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life, because the whole text is just way too long.

In learning a Buddhist sutra, even learning 4 simple verses is a great exercise for the new Buddhist. In the Diamond Sutra and Lotus Sutra, for example, the Buddha teaches that even if one recites only 4 lines, one gains great merit in doing so. Here, the sincere effort, not the quantity, is what counts.

So, if you new to Buddhism, try some of these suggestions in making your own Buddhist altar, and devotionals, and if you are a Buddhist family, consider the positive impact a Buddhist altar can have in the home.

Namuamidabu

Update: I wrote more recent information about Buddhist altars here, and how to do a real simple one, like the ones shown above. Also, I have a more up to date article on the altar above, with explanation of chanting and so on.

P.S. Updated Aug 2010 for readability.

¹ I find the notion of “Buddhism is just a philosophy” utterly laughable. Buddhism could be nothing further. Francis Cook in his book Hua-Yen: The Jewel Net of Indra says that Buddhism is praxis, doing stuff. Buddhism is the awakening of the mind from its own ignorance and delusion. You can’t think your way to Enlightenment; you have to actively purify the mind, and rely on the compassion of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as teachers (not gods!) to help you awaken. It’s not a idle philosophy to debate in one’s spare time. It’s a life-changing path.