Does anyone have any advice on setting up and maintaining a home altar within this tradition.
Thanks
Brian
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Does anyone have any advice on setting up and maintaining a home altar within this tradition.
Thanks
Brian
IMHO, YMMV, and really depending if you want to go "traditional" vs "American" :P, my altar has the Buddha, a candle, incense burner, a flower base, and a lil' glass cup for water. I have added a couple of Kwan Yins (plural cuz you never how much compassion you can get in one altar :mrgreen: ), and a set of Tibetan designed Boddhisattvas given to me by a friend.
Attachment 5456
I'm going to lose mine to a bassinet soon but im perdy simple and so is my altar, Big ol plastic Buddha statue (intended to be a garden bird feeder), with in its lap sits a small brass Buddha , sitting on top of a porous rock I found... lol empty form...surrounded by well over a hundred other Buddhas (stones), a haggard avocado tree i started a few years ago, and very nice incense burner storage thingy my wife gave me and a blow torch. (lights incense and acts as a bell when needed - living dangerously banging on a can of propane?) hmm okay its not simple when described but looking at it its pretty simple.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3361/...181a06d6de.jpg
I think most anything/nothing/anywhere will do. Heck more often than not its 4 cats on the bed or the back of someones head or my daughter running around or climbing me...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3299/...c42251d729.jpg
Gassho, Shohei
Hi,
Here are instructions direct from the Soto School "Head Office" in Japan.
http://global.sotozen-net.or.jp/eng/how ... uddha.html
However, those appear to have first been written directed at Japanese lay families. Please remember that, in Japan and China, Zen and all schools of Buddhism are largely encountered by lay people as a means to honor, remember (and appease the spirits of) their deceased ancestors. Thus, the Japanese home altar is meant primarily as a place of Confucian ancestor worship (and thus the emphasis on "memorial tablets of our ancestors" and such).
Also, most Japanese lay people would have a tough time to tell you the difference between one sect of Buddhism and another, and are just looking for a little support and comfort from the Buddha(s) to keep their family safe, healthy and prosperous. Thus, in the eyes of most people, Pure Land has "Amida Buddha", Nichiren Buddhism has the "Lotus Sutra", esoteric Shingon has "a bunch of Buddhas and Budhisattvas" ... and we have 'ol Shakyamuni looking out for us.
Now, in my opinion, one may place within one's home altar whatever speaks to one. One should have a "Buddha Statue" (but please see my recent talk on what that means ... for it can be anything that seems right, such as a stone, a coke bottle, a flower, a coat hanger, an empty space ... ) ...
http://treeleafzen.blogspot.com/2008/11 ... t-iii.html
Also, of course, the "True Altar" is not limited to any table top ... nor by time and space for that matter!
Of course, recall that to the art afficionado, or to purists and many in Asia in the "Know", all those Buddha statues are really quite different figures, and limited to various sects. In Soto Zen, we are not so much into statues of "Amida", but "Amida" is perhaps the most common Buddha figure you encounter on Zen altars in the West (you can usually tell a sitting Amida Buddha by the different hand mudra in Zazen, with backs of the fingers and knuckles touching) ...
http://oop-edge.blogspot.com/2006/08/am ... mudra.html
We are not too much into Mandalas and Mala beads either (although that depends on how much there has been an influence of "esoteric" Buddhism on the particular lineage of Soto Zen over the centuries).
Incense is great ... until the recent health warning about incense "second hand smoke" :roll:
http://www.clinicalmolecularallergy.com/content/6/1/3
I sometimes light a stick for a moment, then flip it over so that it extinguishes. Or sit in a well ventilated room. "Life and Death" are nothing (I will write about that later today as a "BIG" Question), but no need to rush that along! :)
A statue of Kannon (Kwan Yin) is a powerful reminder of the 'Compassionate' face of the Buddhist equation.
Flowers are lovely for any occasion!
In other words ... let you heart guide you on that.
Gassho, Jundo
here's mine, though it's all thai except for the japanese insence burner and statue of bodhidharma
it's actually not done, theres more stuff for it but my girlfriend who's visiting her parents in thailand hasnt brought it home yet
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...8436578d39.jpg
Hello Brian and all,
My altar is very simple...two candles, incense burner, a little Buddha - he's about 2.5 inches high and is carved from green aventurine, and an Anchor. Yes, it is a plastic toy anchor...
One day, I was getting ready to sit zazen in my little corner of our computer room when I noticed that my boys had been playing with their pirate ship next to my Zafu. The anchor was sitting right next to Buddha...so I meditated with Buddha and the anchor. The anchor reminded me that I should always stay grounded in my practice, yet never remain too attached to anything, or any one place (no matter where you are or the circumstances you are in, you can always pick up and move on - just like an anchor). So, the anchor has stayed with Buddha on my altar. Strange...maybe! :wink:
I would like to have a figure of Kannon one day.
Your altar is what you make of it, as you see it.
Gassho,
Kelly - Jinmei
thanks for asking this question! i have often wondered myself. i dont really have a traditional alter, (part because i had no idea what that was, and part becasue i dont have much to put there yet, or at least didnt know i did) i have a candle and a small statue, like one and a half inch tall, buddha. though this is where i have a question, im not so sure that the figure is a budhha.....maybe a bodisattva? its the figure with the big belly..... i do plan on getting a larger buddha statue as well as some other objects that seem to fit.
as for the Anchor idea, that makes perfect sense! great thought! :D
You mean this fellow ...Quote:
Originally Posted by aksteve
http://www.holymtn.com/catalog/images/SS-BUHA20GR.jpg
Who looks, unfortunately, like fat Jundo trying to demonstrate Zazen today on the sit-a-long?
http://witchcraft-supplies.com/Statues/BHM.jpg
That's Maitreya (also known as Hotei or Pu Tai) ...
Read more hereQuote:
The image of Hotei is almost always seen carrying a cloth or linen sack. It is usually filled with many precious items, including candy for children, food, or the woes of the world. Sometimes it can be filled with children, as they are seen as some of those precious items of this world. In some scenes he may be found sitting on a cart drawn by boys.
The large, fat belly is a symbol of happiness, luck, and generosity.
The name Hotei actually means "cloth bag" or "glutton." A legend has it that if a person is to rub his belly, it brings forth wealth, good luck, and prosperity.
The Laughing Buddha, also known as Hotei in Japan, Pu-Tai in China, embodies the ideals of the good life: health, happiness, prosperity and longevity.
Monks and commercial travelers spread the Buddhist message throughout the East, northward into Afganistan and Tibet, eastward to China and Japan, as well as south into Ceylon and Indonesia. As with any religious message, changes in the nature of Buddhist practice and understanding were inevitable as the religion was absorbed within different cultures.
Scholars have long commented on the contrast between India’s penchant for lofty idealisms as against the Chinese focus on the practicalities of the here-and-now. Over the centuries within China, Buddhist notions of happiness based on self-mastery and enlightened insight were fused with popular Chinese life-ideals of happiness through material prosperity.
Iconographers in the 10th century summed up these various elements of happiness in a representation of the fat Laughing Buddha, clutching his prayer beads in one hand and with a bag of gold in the other. The large number of children usually surrounding him illustrates another Chinese virtue - a large family consisting of many children.
Moreover, there is belief, that the Laughing Buddha is in fact modeled on an historical figure, a fat wandering Zen monk named Pu Tai, who possibly claimed to be an incarnation of the future Buddha Maitreya (Chinese Mi-lo-fo; Japanese Miroku). One poem attributed to him reads:
Mi-lo, true Mi-lo
Reborn innumerable times
From time to time manifested to men
The men of the age do not recognize you
http://www.newsfinder.org/site/more/...ughing_buddha/
yep, that would be him! thanks Jundo, i will do some more reading up on that
Gassho,
Steve Taylor
Git in mah belleh! :lol:Quote:
Sometimes it can be filled with children...
My personal altar is built around the idea of the five elements
Earth- a stone
Water- a cup of water
Air- incense
Fire- a candle
Consciousness/ Void- the Buddha Image
I suppose with the health concerns about incense, that one could easily replace it with essential oils or potpourri.
Hello all,
:lol: heeheeheeQuote:
Git in mah belleh!
Rev R - I like your idea of including the elements...I need to do that. I also want a small vase to put flowers in...I will get there eventually.
Jundo - Your smile is as warm as Maitreya's, but you are not fat. :wink:
Gassho,
Kelly - Jinmei
Hi.
My altar is an bowl with some fine sand. got the sand 15 or 16 years ago when i moved away from home, from an nowadays overgrown sandquarry and carefully removing any "big" stones, it has been with me all the time.
Now, my wife (kishinemma) uses it as a candleholder though...
A very versatile altar...
Mtfbwy
Fugen
Hey there Jinmei
Can't remember where I got the idea, but elemental symbolism has been a part of my thoughts since before I "converted".Quote:
Originally Posted by KellyRok
Flowers can be rather poignant reminders of impermanence.
.
Here is a nice related story from Zen Flesh Zen Bones:Quote:
Originally Posted by Jundo
Those who have visited Chinatown, any Chinatown, will observe statues of a stout fellow carrying a linen sack. Chinese merchants call him Happy Chinaman or Laughing Buddha. This Hotei lived in the T'ang Dynasty and he had no desire to gather disciples around him. Instead, he would carry around the sack filled with gifts of candy, fruit, or doughnuts. These he would give to the children of the streets who gathered around him in play.
Whenever he met a Zen devotee, he would say, "Give me one penny." If any asked him to return to the temple to teach others or pray, he would say, "Give me one penny."
Once, as he was about his play-work, another Zen master happened along and inquired, "What is the significance of Zen?"
Hotei slouched and immediately dropped his sack down to the ground in silent answer.
Then, another Zen master asked, "What is the actualization of Zen?"
At once the Happy Chinaman swung the sack over his shoulder and continued on his merry way.
Gassho, (Fuken) Jordan
thanks for the story! :D
Gassho,
Steve Taylor
Here is mine. Pretty simple.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...r/Photo100.jpg
-Chris
I would love to setup an alter in my home but it would beyond upset my wife.
To my wife and the rest of my family, seeing an alter would solidify the image in their mind that I have become an idol worshiping atheist.
So please set up an invisible altar or one in your heart.Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottyDoo
By the way, we do not "worship the idol". I take a Buddha statue as primarily a symbol, like a Crucifix or Star of David, which reminds us of a "greater reality". At heart, it is just wood or stone. However, all wood and stones are sacred.
Gassho, Jundo
P.S. - Also, personally, I do not consider myself an "atheist" (I am pretty sure, Scotty, that you did not mean you are one either), for "atheism" is another belief and conclusion, often clung to too relentlessly. I prefer to describe myself as a "mystical agnostic" (or "pragma-mystic") who tastes and sees something wonderful, yet prefers not to impose too many names and limiting ideas upon that (and remains skeptical of many exotic ideas about "ultimate reality" that some impose) and just "lets that be". For what is will be anyway! I have some very definite ideas and conclusions about that (yes, Zen Practice lets one see reality in wonderful ways), but other things I keep my nose out of! :)
However, one could be a "Zen Buddhist" and be an atheist if one wanted I suppose, just as one can be a "Zen Buddhist" and Jewish, Christian, Republic or Democrat, butcher or baker at the same time.
Gassho, J
I love this thread! And the pictures, thank you all! Many long years ago when I was with a Nichiren group I had a full blown altar set up--one of the bedrooms upstairs in the house I then lived in had a built-in alcove of sorts. It was perfect set up, and I had a cloisonee dish of rice, a stone rectangular box with some sort of Mayan-type Indian engraving on the lid for the incense, the bell & mallet, the butdsodan, and I think a water dish and vase of some sort. I can totally relate to Scotty's comments about family, since I still recall comments about my 'devil worship' set up :roll: I finally just carefully packed up the gohonzon (Nichiren scroll that is the centerpiece of that altar) and had it couriered back to the temple in MD so that no harm would come to it if for any reason I wasn't around to protect it.
I kept the bell and the stone incense box. And, I keep the altar in my heart :)
Gassho, Ann
Mine is pretty simple. I just have a Buddha and a lotus flower incense burner. I'm planning on getting a wider altar to add stuff to it, but as of now, it is a shelf screwed higher up into the wall. Thank you for this post!
Gassho,
Adam
Attached files http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/image...NIaxU_c2AM.jpg
Hi Brian,
I was looking into this recently. I had trouble finding much on the web, but I found this on beliefnet:
http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Budd...ut-Altars.aspx
There is also a little blurb on tricycle magazine under an article called "The Big Sit".
Know all to well what you mean. Maybe if you just added some crosses and stuff, and a man with a stake through his hands and blood on his face and a crown of thorns and..... :roll:Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottyDoo
Best of Luck
Warm Regards,
Brian
Quote:
Originally Posted by torotech
Well, first, never believe any guy you see or read on Beliefnet! 8)
The article is nice, but of course, presents a very elaborate, esoteric Tibetan altar in line with Lama Surya Das' tradition.
I will stick with my comment that an altar can be anything that reminds you of the sacredness of here and this ... it may be a Buddha statue, a branch of a tree, a ????? ... or nothing at all. What is not "Buddha" (in fact, what is Buddha? ... but that is getting a bit too into Buddha-non-speak).
Anyway ... it is all sacred.
Gassho, Jundo
We're multidenominational so we don't have an altar. We have a candle, a music player and a little singing bowl to ding when it's time to meditate.
WILL DO.... :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Jundo
Hi guys
I don't have an altar. I just sit wherever I can get some peace and zazen.
I do have a small Buddha that looks like it was made of chocolate, hence my nickname Chocobuda (Buda is Buddha, in Spanish).
Maybe I will have an altar in the near future. Just need to make room for one.
I enjoy looking at your altars. They all look fantastic!
Don't forget that the alter is also state of mind. Just like Jundo Sensei using anything ranging from a rock to an "official" statue of the Buddha. Its much deeper than any image or placement thereof.
Whatever you decide on keep it clean! It reflects your practice and life. A neglected alter is a sad sight indeed!
Gassho,
John
My husband just finished making this for me and I am beyond thrilled:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5093/...8de68b795b.jpg
He also made me a seiza bench once. I think he just supports my Buddhism because it gives him projects to do. :wink: :D
Wow! Your husband is a pretty good woodworker! Did he also make the table to the left in the picture? It seems to be of the same style.
Gassho,
John
Thanks, I will pass on the compliment to him!Quote:
Originally Posted by JRBrisson
Yes, he did also make that table. It's low and about 6 feet long so that we can have plants sitting in the front window. :D
Beautiful workmanship and design
Looks great... is that a speaker underneath?
Thanks, Shokai!Quote:
Originally Posted by Shokai
Thanks!Quote:
Originally Posted by KvonNJ
Uh, yeah . . . we never could find a good place to put that. :oops: :) Maybe it shouldn't be there, but I kind of like the altar having a practical, everyday, no-big-deal function as well.
I don't have pictures of them, but I have three Butsudan's
I am Jodo Shinshu but started out studying Soto on my own via Shasta Abbey materials, and still practice shikantaza and often chant sutras from the Soto liturgy.
In Jodo Shinshu, we either have a a scroll with the nembutsu, or a picture or statue of Amida.
Strictly speaking any picture or statue of Amida, has Amida standing not sitting. This is based on Amida's appearance in the Contemplation sutra, and also to indicate Amida is active.
So my main Butsudan features a small statue of a standing Amida, a candle, small gong, incense burner, flowers (fake ones....something of a no,no in Shin), and a stand for my o-nenju (mala).
I use this one for chanting Shin Sutras, and Nembutsu recitation.
Above the shrine sit photos of my departed cats.
Then I have a second one beside, where I practice Shikan-taza. The Butsudan is on a short table and features a seated Amida in a sort of maroon coloured stone, and incense burner, candle and flowers.beneith the shrine is a place where I have Zen Sutra books, and a small mp3 player I use as a meditation timer.
Then I have a portable Shin shrine, It is wooden with opening doors. At the centre is a scroll with a Standing Amida, and on each open door is a picture of Shinran, and on the other Rennyo. This is my travel Butsudan.
The somewhat ironic thing is two of my Amida's came from Shasta Abbey, and I have met two members of my Shinshu Temple who studied at Shasta. Sort of an odd connection.
Hello all,
all these home altars I find most inspiring, in fact I am moved by any Buddhist altar or shrine I come across. So here is mine, it has changed and evolved a lot over the years.
Gassho
Attached files http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/image...270311 001.jpg
Manjushri got some new digs recently and I thought I'd share it here:
http://asuradharma.blogspot.com/2011...hri-altar.html
Hi Fuken,Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuken
Never saw the previous way you had it setup but this one looks pretty cool!
Gassho,
John
Here's mine! Second to the right is a Buddha with a laptop given to me by a close friend in 2006 or so (before I found Treeleaf). My friend was prescient!
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._8261827_n.jpg
Ah, you also re-purposed a piece of furniture. Mine used to be a TV stand.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jennifer G P
Quote:
Originally Posted by disastermouse
Mouse, my man, that's teriffic!
This is an awesome story! What a perfect gift which would later come to have so much significance to your practice!Quote:
Chet wrote:
Here's mine! Second to the right is a Buddha with a laptop given to me by a close friend in 2006 or so (before I found Treeleaf). My friend was prescient!
Gassho,
John
He was perched on the ledge above the register. At the old house he was in a repurposed wing of an entertainment senter that did not make the move due to the weight restriction.Quote:
Originally Posted by JRBrisson
Sounds like a definite improvement. I see similarities in the new setup with that at the Treeleaf Zendo in Tsukuba. Was this your inspiration?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuken
Gassho,
John
I have the same Buddha head! But it is not on my altar, I have it on the nightstand next to my bed. My best friend gave it to me as a gift a few years agoQuote:
Originally Posted by disastermouse
Jodi
My ex-girlfriend gave me that one.Quote:
Originally Posted by jodi_h
No, I had not noticed it, the inspiration was all from my wife who seemed to think there was something to improve.Quote:
Originally Posted by JRBrisson
Maybe great minds think alike... The great mind being my wife's and whoever inspired Jundo's set up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by disastermouse
I am interested in that Avalokiteshvara. would you post a close-up?
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3961616_n.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by Fuken
Quote:
Originally Posted by disastermouse
Thanks, there was a similar image at the temple I used to visit in Portland. Sometimes I enjoy the nostalgia.
A very different set-up in my home. I sit in the study, which has large picture windows facing the back yard. For logistical reasons (two kids and a dog) I have yet to figure out the best way for a permanent altar, and I tend toward minimalism in general. So here's the set-up:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S...722_075158.jpg
Folding step-stool with two levels. I use the lower one for liturgical reading materials (that's Daido Loori's book and a printout of the Heart Sutra). The upper level looks like this:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r...722_075207.jpg
The fabric is one of those Japanese prints (whose Japanese name I have forgotten; if anyone knows please share) that we bought at Isetan in Tokyo. It had been sitting in a drawer until I found it when looking for something to put over the step, and it's pretty perfect for the purpose, with little fish and bubbles in a steam motif. Atop that is a couple of river stones, one small one propping up the larger front one.
It's hard to see in the image, but beneath the rocks sits a small piece of paper folded in half. My daughter wrote the words "this here now" on it, and I've stuck it there. Just a little reminder.
The whole thing, of course, is just a raft, and I expect it will shift as my practice develops. But for now it's doing the trick.
As Magnificent as a Cathedral! Lovely!Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisA
There are no "permanent" altars, only "timeless" altars. 8)
Gassho, J
I can't believe I used the word "permanent"! :oops: My beginner's mind requires no effort whatsoever!!
Love the altar Chris. Perfect.
Soen
Me too Chris, that is a great altar!!
Gassho
Seiryu
I have a little Wiccan stool altar made of wood with a bunch of crystals and rocks I've collected and a little Tara Buddha statue. There is also a candle. It changes a lot, since it is more of a decorative piece than a mediation focus.
Amelia
Chris -- :D :D :D I've got a beginner's mind just like that! Your altar is fantastic.
Amelia, it's always been interesting to me to consider the decorative aspects vs. the utilitarian aspects of having an altar. I haven't posted a picture of mine yet (that's forthcoming) but I sometimes feel like I've "dressed it up" too much. I try to keep it simple, but I definitely have an aesthetically sensitive streak in me that wants to make everything around me pretty. :roll: One of these days I should maybe just strip it down a bit, get rid of a couple of things and feel the space that's left, and breathe.
Gassho
Julia
Julia,
I am really trying to minimize on my objects, and one of the things I am trying to do in the process is only keep things out which I find pleasing to the eye, or things that are used very often, and then craftily hide everything else in cabinets and such if they can't be got rid of or given away. My altar is starting to become a subject of minimalist stress to me because I don't actually do anything at my altar. When I was Wiccan, even, I didn't feel like ritual was something necessary beyond just having an intention for something. So, these days, when I am feeling like giving thanks, or praising the beauty of the world, or meditating, I still don't go to my altar-- I'll hold my hands together for a moment and "think out" to the world how grateful I am-- or how I am hoping for healing somewhere or for someone-- or how I really could use a more lucrative job situation... then I just try to continue flowing in the Dao-stream...
Whenever I see my altar, I am reminded of the fact that I don't use it. Then, I ask myself, "Why do I even have an altar?" Well, I guess the answer is simple... I like the objects, they are pleasing to my eye, because it definitely isn't around because I use it for anything. Even when I sit, it is never in the same place on my floor.
It seems the moment I try to ritualize anything-- even bowing Gassho-- an alarm goes off in my head that says, "You're playing copy-cat-- the true meaning is in the intention!"
Amelia
Amelia,
Can you explain to me how you went from Wicca to Zen? I can hardly think of two more different religions.
No judgement, just puzzlement.
Chet
I know people who were wiccans in their adolescence and came to practice Buddhism, especially Vajrayana Buddhism to be honest.Quote:
Originally Posted by disastermouse
They shared that Wiccan practices opened their eyes about the beauty of rituals, that the dual practice of the "Great Mother" and the "Horned God" was transcended into a certain sense of unity, that the community was also essential and that the core of the practice was something like "If you harm no one do what you want".
And all these things are used, with Tibeto-indian archetypes in the path of transformation of Vajrayana Buddhism. Even the credo of harming no one is called the "source or core precept in Vajrayana Buddhism".
Now I don't want to talk for Amelia, and Zen has not all these esoteric aspects (well, esoteric practices and rituals exists in modern Chinese Chan but they are not the core of the practice, they are more rituals and expedient means, upayas, that were added when esoteric Buddhism was the mainstream school in China).
Anyway, hope that helps a little bit...
Have a nice day everyone!
gassho,
Jinyu
Jinyu's description is pretty accurate. It is not too different from Buddhism (and yet very different from Buddhism!). There are the concepts of karma and oneness, there is also ahimsa. There are meditation practices and all that... There is just a lot more of that New Age flavor that turn a lot away. I like to think that I was a Wiccan without a bunch of frills. I hardly did ritual-- what I was interested in was meditation and learning. I also wanted to know if there were certain patterns of thought which would create certain situations in my life, and I can't deny that "magic", however it works, has some effect. To me though, it is just further evidence to suggest that we are what we think. No rituals needed-- no worship of any particular deity. However, I don't really consider myself having switched from one religion to another-- it's more like I enjoy learning about all religions, I keep the information I like and find useful, and I let go of the rest, or pick it up again when appropriate. Right now, I am finding Buddhism most useful, though I also really enjoy Daoism.
I wonder if Wicca is a bit like Taoism in drag....like a western version of Taoism....just a thought.Quote:
Originally Posted by Amelia
Chet
I don't know. Words are just words. Names are just names. The Dao that can be named is not the Dao. :P
Never thought about it... it is not false at all... but the New Age influence in the very eclectic practices of Wicca is difficult to describe and imagine...Quote:
Originally Posted by disastermouse
gassho,
Jinyu
I see similarities, but it's no doubt wrong to equate the two.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jinyu
Chet
My little chalkboard-backed altar (I like the black backdrop and we have this chalkboard laying around the house). Boyfriend gave me the buddha for Christmas -- before that, the presiding buddha was Master Mu given to me by my mother: http://www.etreasuresgifts.com/chpldo.html. (Yes, a commercialised Zen product like what we were talking about, but it's Mom, gotta give her a break.)
I made the beaded lotus. The other objects were thrift-store findings. There's a painted pin sitting there from the last Matsuri, or the one before it. Black square dish with sand in it for incense burner. Sake cup holding the incense (does that violate a precept? :O) The silver ball is a Christmas candle, putting the little lid on snuffs it right out. I don't even know what that textile placemat-thingy is supposed to be, maybe a tissue box holder or a chopstick keeper? I just like it there.
Oh yes, and the big mind-blowingly adorable maneki neko collection my daughter and I share...I want a separate wall shelf for them, but they are very good at sitting, so I'll leave them where they are for now.
The Thai box has some incense, matches and some other crap in there, I don't know what.
The whole thing has sort of evolved over time; I never meant it to get that elaborate, but the pieces all seem to fit there now, so I don't want to change it.
gassho
Julia
Attached files http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/image...ulaltarmed.jpg
Quote:
Originally Posted by murasaki
It is beautiful! Have you ever considered using the blackboard to draw a Rose Apple Tree behind the Buddha?
Thank you! That's a brilliant idea, but I'm a poor drawing artist at best...sounds like a job for my talented daughter :)
...or, I could just write "NOW" above and behind the buddha :D
Perfect!Quote:
Originally Posted by murasaki
Saw this quotation from John Daido Loori and thought of this topic:
(I saw this in Essential Zen, but thanks to google I learned that Treeleaf's own Fugen has posted about it on his blog!)Quote:
Americans like to refer to one of the old Zen stories about how a master took a wooden Buddha image, chopped it up, and made a fire, warming himself by its flames. Seeing this, a monk asked, “What are you doing, setting fire to the Buddha?”
The master replied, “Where is Buddha?”
The opposite goes on in America. In America we want to burn the Buddha images to begin with. You see, that monk was stuck on the form. In America, we are antiform, so the pointing goes in another direction. If you’re attached to neither existence nor nonexistence, you manifest a sixteen-foot golden Buddha in a pile of rubbish, appearing and disappearing.
Got me to thinking about whether I too held the desire "to burn the Buddha images to begin with." Hrm....
I like altars and there are some great pics u here of them!
I have a Tibetan style altar
_/_
Seiryu
I don't have an altar. I've been thinking up some designs for a "matchbox" altar, a small box with a few items that could be put out anywhere one needs. The box would serve as the platform itself, with little fold-out legs for a makeshift table. Just thoughts. Right now my altar is just a patch of carpet :)
Hi Chris,Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisA
Yes, this is a comment by Daido that I always recall, and I am very much of the same mind. If I encounter a student of Zen who is all "Bowing is stupid, statues are made of wood, chanting is pointless" ... I strongly encourage them to bow, place a statue and chant. We learn so much in this way by doing what we resist. Also, if a practitioner thinks "Buddha is only within and has no form" ... I tell them that Buddha is not "inside" or "outside" "both" or "neither", is form and formless.
If I meet a practitioner who thinks one must bow to a statue and chant ... I encourage them to sometimes stop or give it up for a time, or to find that bowing, statue and chanting that is accomplished and sung silently within one's heart without need for external manifestation. If a practitioner thinks "Buddha is only found in such traditional forms and rituals" ... I tell them that Buddha is not "inside" or "outside" "both" or "neither", is form and formless.
In all cases, I encourage the student to find the meaning of these things in one's own life without attachment or need for outside show or objects, or only looking within.
Gassho, J
Gassho, Jundo. I remember reading something you wrote about chanting that had a similar effect on me, and has prompted me to be sure to include the Heart Sutra each and every time I sit now.
Meanwhile, on the subject of Buddhas, I think that this little guy is about to make an appearance on my stepstool altar:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-t...AG0001-1-1.jpg
Awesome little guy!
gassho
Julia
Nice thing to have ones alter in ones pockets. (why can't I upload a bmp file?)
No altar for me. My wife and I are planning to have one in the future, though. There was some discussion in my family about dividing Dad's ashes (and I guess Mom's as well, now that she's dead) among us. So when our little butsudan is set up, there's gonna be two urns there along with Buddha.
Not sure what happened along the way that I never posted this picture for show and tell.
Lots to show, not much to tell:
http://www3.sympatico.ca/rjmaxwell/altar.jpg
How do y'all use your altar during zazen? What procedures/rituals do you follow? When you're sitting, do you look at the stuff in there, or what?
The only two things I do with my altar is lighting of incense and ringing the bell. I start my sit by lighting the incense and touching it to my head three times (for the Jewels) and then just before I sit, I ring the bell three times and then once at the end of zazen. The incense I've done from the very beginning of my practice, I added the bells after joining Treeleaf as a mimicry of Jundo. I'm not sure if the ringing of the bells before/after zazen has a meaning, but I have always seen it as a parenthesis on my sit. :) (Also works to tell my house (wife & kids) to shut up as I'm about to sit...with loving-kindness). :twisted:
Gassho,
Shawn
So you don't look at anything in there while you're sitting?
In the zendo the altar is a central focal point, NOT :shock: . Participants sit about the perimeter and face the wall (Soto shu) or inward (Rinzai). The body is erect and the eyes open gazing at a non-point (approx. 45° below horizon) not looking (outward, at least). The altar becomes an object in memory only and since one is NOW, the altar doesn't exist. So, why look at it :D
Yes, I realize that is true for zendo altars, but I've seen some people who sit zazen facing their altars at home. I also do that, but focus only on the wall behind the altar or on my little rock (to prevent my eyes from crossing!).
I look at non-looking. :) Basically I keep my eyes un-focused (as I also 'try' to do with my mind). I feel Dogen teaches it perfect in Fukanzazengi:Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisA
"At the site of your regular sitting, spread out thick matting and place a cushion above it. Sit either in the full-lotus or half-lotus position. In the full-lotus position, you first place your right foot on your left thigh and your left foot on your right thigh. In the half-lotus, you simply press your left foot against your right thigh. You should have your robes and belt loosely bound and arranged in order. Then place your right hand on your left leg and your left palm (facing upwards) on your right palm, thumb-tips touching. Thus sit upright in correct bodily posture, neither inclining to the left nor to the right, neither leaning forward nor backward. Be sure your ears are on a plane with your shoulders and your nose in line with your navel. Place your tongue against the front roof of your mouth, with teeth and lips both shut. Your eyes should always remain open, and you should breathe gently through your nose.
Once you have adjusted your posture, take a deep breath, inhale and exhale, rock your body right and left and settle into a steady, immobile sitting position. Think not-thinking. How do you think not-thinking? Non-thinking. This in itself is the essential art of zazen."
Hope that helps or at least doesn't confuse things more. ;)
gassho,
S
Yes! Look at non-looking. That nails it. Gassho!
I'd really like something like this
http://www.meditationpracticesupplies.com/product/BW345
Close-up shot: http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/boonmee_2179_1252527455
as I don't have much room and it would be nice to be able to close everything up and tuck it away. But man that's pricey. I can't imagine it would be too tough to build one for someone with some decent woodworking skills (not me!). :mrgreen:
Maybe a possible side business for those of you who have spouses who are good woodworkers (hint hint Jen and Shawn ;) )
one of the four i have,
kitchen, bedroom, livingroom and outside
this one is in the kitchen
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i..._6079553_o.jpg
Haha, I read this to her to plant the seed...will keep watering it and let you know. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Matto
s
I mentioned this in a previous thread on home altars but I'll mention it here and see if it is useful to anyone. I usually put together my altar to represent the five elements.
stones or plants= Earth
cup of water= Water
incense burner= Air
candles= Fire
Buddha= Void/Emptiness
Probably more a throwback to my "neo-pagan" days, but it is fun to play with a mythic framework from time to time.
Very nice...Buddha on top and a Buddha on the bottom. ;)
G
S
Sent from my I897 using Tapatalk
Hi Rod,Quote:
Originally Posted by Rev R
I like that you put your alter together representing the 5 elements! Just thought you may find this interesting......
The Tana(tea stand) pictured below is called a Gogyo Dana. It was created by the Gengensai, the 11th generation head of the Urasenke lineage of tea. His inspiration for it was the 5 elements(gogyo) of all creation(acording to classical Chinese theory). Wood, Earth, Fire, Metal, and Water are all represented in this shelf. Wood(the shelves), Earth (the clay brazier), Fire (the charcoal fire in the brazier), Metal (the kettle), Water (water inside the kettle).
Gassho,
John
Attached files http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/image...edownload.jpeg
the universe in a teacup. nice! :)
Finally got my portable altar put together:
http://imgur.com/a/f3GHb
cool portable altar Kaishin!
I have a Buddha on my bureau near my sitting area. A bodhidharma buddhabadge and the pine needle from jukai sit on his lap.
http://img.tapatalk.com/42e8fdd7-e7d8-9f6f.jpg
This is my little altar at home...but it is a work in progress, as many as the things I still have to finish :wink:
As my Buddha I chose three stones from my favorite place in town ... they remind me of the three refuges, and the balance with always possibility of falling (which sometimes happens :oops: ), the impermanence of things and that everything in this universe actually is sacred.
Attached files http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/image...=668-Altar.jpg
I don't have a home altar but I do have one in my office (kinda)
http://imgur.com/kD598
http://imgur.com/kD598
I work in a Christian Seminary and am new so I've been keeping the fact that I am a buddhist a little under wraps. Hince the altar in a folder. the zafu is made of inflated packing material and a knit cap.
Here is the picture that is in the folder
http://imgur.com/9GnnX
http://imgur.com/9GnnX
That's a creative solution Threethirty. I especially like the zafu, but I'm not sure it would be substantial enough for me. :wink:
Not in the Zen tradition, so I hope you don't mind my sharing. This is the spot
in my home-office where I sit.
Attached files http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/image...4-altar 2b.jpg