home altar

[Jiki]

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 ops: ), the impermanence of things and that everything in this universe actually is sacred.

i like your buddha

[threethirty]

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.

That is fantasic, and I doubt anyone minds you sharing it. I for one thank you _/_

[BrianW]

Haven’t looked at this thread in a while and I am so inspired…..from the use of old furniture to the simple barebones….ornate it’s all covered here. I’ve been going to get around to an alter for a long time, but got to get busy with it. OK don’t look for anything soon, but it’s going to happen.

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.

Not at all...your post was a nice surprise!

Gassho,
Jisen/BrianW

[ZenHarmony]

Here's mine, which is very much a work in progress:



The Jizo on the left is a representation of what led me to Buddhism and was one of my birthday presents this year from my husband. The little Jizo on the right is one that I made and I love his simplicity, cheerfulness and little toes! I also made the little lotus flower votive holder, and while it's not perfect, it's pretty and hides the fact that I'm not using a real candle. My husband has a serious fear of fire and I will not scare him with a candle that his OCD will cause him to check on several times a day! The coaster-like item on the left is a stone coaster with a dragonfly on it, and the brown stone on the right by my homemade Jizo is picture jasper which looks as though there's a mountain against a stormy sky. The yellow votive in front of the lotus is a honeysuckle candle and that, and my OM solid perfume is my substitution for incense (for the same reason as the fake candle). The painting of the birch/aspen trees behind the Buddha is another representation of nature (I love trees and those are by far my favourites!) and at the same time, a nod to Treeleaf. And lastly, the elephant simply balances the size of my large Jizo and is safe from breakage from it's previous home.



It took me a long time to find a Buddha I liked that was "correct" in my mind. It is bronze and could be very old, with what I suspect is an artist's mark on the bottom of it. I am very happy with it, while it is not stone as I would have liked (or even a facsimile of stone, such as it is!), it has some weight to it and therefore, substance.

As I said, it is a work in progress. I'm ashamed to say that my altar is built upon a leaf from an old table, which sits upon a cardboard box which sits upon a blue storage tote. We haven't accumulated much furniture since we moved and that was what was necessary to elevate it to the correct height. I hope to design and build my own table/altar for it, and soon! : )

Gassho,

Lisa

[Gary]

Lisa,

That's great, I love Jizo, you probably know that already.

Gassho
Gary

[Shokai]

Lisa;

Your altar is beautiful. You have put together articles that have meaning to you and make a wonderful space.

[Myoku]

Shokai exactly expressed my feelings. Wonderful Lisa,
Gassho
Myoku

inspired me to finally show mine as well:



a selfmade (by my daughter and son; and a bit of me) buddha in the middle; my very first buddha to the right (hardly to see as its pretty small), all arranged on a former footstool.

[Koshin]

Lisa, I love your altar, and the picture of the back is really beautiful and serene

Myoku's altar is great too That Buddha is unique, good work

[Jundo]

. And lastly, the elephant simply balances the size of my large Jizo and is safe from breakage from it's previous home.

Hi Lisa,

Lovely, one does not need a reason to have an elephant on the altar ... for all creatures are sacred, are Buddha!

But here are a few Buddhist elephant stories. 8)

https://www.google.com/search?source=ig ... CknrZuS4VE

Gassho, J

[Graceleejenkins]

Lisa, your elephant is beautiful! Thinking of elephants reminded me of Dr. Seuss' Horton the Elephant who sat and sat and was faithful 100%. Love, Grace.

P.S. please forgive my typing and spaces.

[ZenHarmony]

Thank you everyone for your kind responses!

Myoku, I love your footstool/altar, that's the exact rustic wooden-ness I want as well.
That Buddha is perfect, and the branch in the wooden holder just seems to fit right in.

Gassho,

Lisa

[Khalil Bodhi]

altar_1.jpgaltar_2.jpg

A little late for sure but I hope you won't mind.

Gassho,

Mike

[Myoku]

Wonderful, Mike,
is that buddha made of brass ? Want one too :-)
_()_
Myoku

[Piobair]

A butsudan I made for Hospice work, with battery-operated candles and liquid incense reeds; no open flames allowed.

[Piobair]

Our garden Buddha.

[Koshin]

Mike, you have a neat looking altar I would like to find a bell like yours but had no luck so far :P

Piobair, I like very much your altar, I am planning a cabinet with doors like that somewhere near this summer, and your garden Buddha is great too, I have one a little different, will post a picture as soon as I get home

[chatteringmonkeys]

I love seeing everybody's altars, each one is so special and unique and beautiful in its own way. I like to collect buddha figures so I have a little display cubes in the wall where I keep some of them. However, I just got a nice wooden table at Winners (discount store in North America) and set up an altar a few weeks ago. And I found my buddha on the way out the store for dirt cheap. I like to think I 'rescued' him

Anyway, here is a picture of my little altar and a picture of the hallway beside it where I (rarely) sit. I need to start sitting daily and work my way up to twice daily. Baby steps :-)

altar.jpghallway.jpg

[Khalil Bodhi]

It is Myoku. I think it's a Chinese style looking at the robes and it's definitely solid brass.

Gassho,

Mike

[Khalil Bodhi]

Mike, you have a neat looking altar I would like to find a bell like yours but had no luck so far :P

Piobair, I like very much your altar, I am planning a cabinet with doors like that somewhere near this summer, and your garden Buddha is great too, I have one a little different, will post a picture as soon as I get home

Lipor,

Thanks. They sell them online at a few different stores. PM me if you want the link.

Gassho,

MIke

[Khalil Bodhi]

Chatteringmokeys,

Beautiful altar! Is that In the Buddha's Words or Great Disciples of the Buddha on the lower shelf? Mettaya.

Gassho,

Mike

[chatteringmonkeys]

Thank you Mike. It's In the Buddha's Words. I just got it a week ago and I want to work my way through it (bit by bit). Although things have been kind of crazy lately with summer school, so "leisure" reading is taking a bit of a hit right now

Gassho,
Darrell

[Jundo]

Thank you Mike. It's In the Buddha's Words. I just got it a week ago and I want to work my way through it (bit by bit). Although things have been kind of crazy lately with summer school, so "leisure" reading is taking a bit of a hit right now

Gassho,
Darrell

Thank you, Darrell. I very much love that book, In The Buddha's Words. Remember that the book expresses the Buddhist Teachings from the South Asian Sutta Tradition, and Buddha and Sutras come in many flavors. All lovely flavors.

Here is a little reading that may help you with a bit of history and tradition as you dive into all these "Same but different, different but just the same" Buddhas and Teachings ...

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...-ENLIGHTENMENT

Gassho, Jundo

[chatteringmonkeys]

Hi Jundo,
thanks so much for the link! I love reading about the various traditions and different sutras.

Gassho,
D-

[Gary]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1342288678.596463.jpg
Just got my portable altar sorted at last. I have a large Buddha in the centre that I like because he's touching the earth reminding me to always remain grounded in the present, there is almost a smaller Buddha towards the back which I think is more traditional to Zen, he's the guy who comes with me when I'm away from home. There are 2 stones from our local beach one has a hole through it that symbolises an Enso, of course an image of Avalokiteshvara and finally a vanilla scented candle.

Gassho
Gary

[Myoku]

Love the simple clear setup
_()_
Myoku

[ZenHarmony]

Very nice, Gary! Love the beach stones.

Gassho,

Lisa

[willow]

Lovely altar Gary - have just been scrolling through as missed this thread.

Your altar is very thoughtful Lisa - has inspired me to put a bit more thought into mine.

Gassho

Willow