Buddhist Altar, #2

People maintain that the best place for a life of retirement is the Kokawa Temple or Mount Koya. But as for me, there is nothing to compare with the bed from which I rise every morning.

–Benchō, 2nd patriarch of Jodo Shu Buddhism

In the past, I’ve posted about our Buddhist altar in the living room. That altar was intended for the whole family, hence we invested in a nicer altar that we could pass down to our children as we get older.

However, in the spare bedroom, I have a smaller, more personal altar here:

This altar is a good example of a very simple, cost-efficient altar you can setup if you’re new to Buddhism and/or don’t want to go for the flashy, elaborate stuff. In some ways, I like this little altar better than the other one because it’s more personal, and because its simplicity somehow makes it less intimidating. Also, if something should be lost (or Baby breaks something) it would be much easier to replace. I suppose it’s more “Buddhist” in a way. Having too much fancy stuff can be draining because you have to spend so much time worry about it.

That reminds me of passage in the Lotus Sutra, chapter 2:

…even children, in their play,
Who gathered sand for a buddha’s stupa:
All such beings as these
Have attained the Buddha-way.

(pg. 68, The Threefold Lotus Sutra)

The key is sincerity, not form, in other words.

The statue (and the box it sits on) is a souvenir statue I bought in Japan at the Great Buddha of Kamakura.* I think I might have spent maybe ¥700 ($5). The green, Buddhist rosary resting on the book was a gift from my father-in-law, but can be obtained easily in Japan, or in places like the BCA Bookstore. This rosary, also called o-juzu or o-nenju is a Jodo Shinshu-style Buddhist rosary, in that there are no fixed number of beads. In Jodo Shinshu, there is no emphasis on a fixed number of recitations, so unlike rosaries in Jodo Shu, or in esoteric Buddhism (Shigon, Tendai or Tibetan Buddhism), the rosary can be any number. People simply drape them over their hands when they recite the nembutsu.

The book is a recent purchase, recommended by Jeannie. The book, An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics, discusses Soto Zen and its moral precepts, but has some good advice in general for how to approach Buddhist morality. It was a nice read, both succinct and helpful.

Lastly, in the background, you can see my book collection, mostly containing books by Roger Zelazny and Frank Herbert (Dune Series). Other books to the left are mostly O’Reilly computer books and some other Buddhist books of miscellaneous topics.

As for a “service”, I don’t use a set service each day. However, from time to time, I will pick up the rosary, drape it over my hands, bow to the statue once, and recite the nembutsu a few times, or even just once. I’d say I do this a few times a week, give or take.

Hopefully, this advice will help new Buddhists and even old Buddhists with suggestions on simple, but devout altars.

Namuamidabu

* – One of the most favorite places in Japan to visit. I’ve been there twice, and for some reason really enjoy that spot more than others. The surrounding temples, restaurants and Shinto shrines will leave you with plenty to do.