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  1. #1

    home altar

    Does anyone have any advice on setting up and maintaining a home altar within this tradition.

    Thanks
    Brian

  2. #2
    One of our backyard nāgas taking refuge...



    Last edited by Emmet; 08-04-2013 at 12:43 AM.
    Emmet

  3. #3
    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
    Thank you for your practice

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by lipor View Post
    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
    To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
    -Dhp. 183
    My Practice Blog

  5. #5
    Mp
    Guest
    Simple and sweet Myoku ... very nice! =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

  6. #6
    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

  7. #7
    Chatteringmokeys,

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

    Gassho,

    Mike
    To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
    -Dhp. 183
    My Practice Blog

  8. #8
    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

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by chatteringmonkeys View Post
    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
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  10. #10
    Hi Jundo,
    thanks so much for the link! I love reading about the various traditions and different sutras.

    Gassho,
    D-

  11. #11
    These last two are just lovely !!
    thankyou Joyo and kidBuddha sharing
    gassho,
    合掌,生開
    gassho, Shokai

    仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai

    "Open to life in a benevolent way"

    https://sarushinzendo.wordpress.com/

  12. #12
    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
    Drinking tea and eating rice.

  13. #13
    Love the simple clear setup
    _()_
    Myoku

  14. #14
    Very nice, Gary! Love the beach stones.

    Gassho,

    Lisa

  15. #15
    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

  16. #16
    Mp
    Guest
    Here is part of my alter ... Buddha sitting with Buddha. =)

    buddha-sitting-with-buddha.jpg

    Gassho
    Shingen

    Sat today

  17. #17
    Last year my wife suggested that as the practice is such a central part of our lives, we rework and relocate our altar so that it is the central feature of the central room of the house; the "heart" of our home. With the exception of the Buddha, most everything has been gradually accumulated second-hand from thrift stores and whatnot. One of the things I like is the fold-down, slide-out rakuzu drawer.





    Last edited by Emmet; 08-04-2013 at 12:38 AM.
    Emmet

  18. #18
    Love it, Piobair, especially the steps up to the Buddha! Now that I have access to wood, I'll need to make something similar.

    Gassho,

    Lisa

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by ZenHarmony View Post
    Love it, Piobair, especially the steps up to the Buddha! Now that I have access to wood, I'll need to make something similar.

    Gassho,

    Lisa
    Thank you. The platform was originally cardboard & tape; trimmed and reconfigured until the layout and proportions suited us. The final version is 3/4" and 1/2" oak plywood, with oak veneer edge banding. I was fortunate to find a stain which very closely approximates the table top.
    Emmet

  20. #20
    This is not an altar, in the strict sense of the word. It is more of a small shrine that I keep in my front hallway. The altar in the room where i sit is less complicated.

    Gassho,

    William


    altar.jpg

  21. #21
    Here is mine, good old Sidharta sitting, as a reminder that Buddha is inside of all us. My "dharma pillow books" , space for inciense and my bowl. IMG_0274.jpg
    Dancing between stillness and motion I find peace.

  22. #22
    _/\_

    #sattoday
    合掌,生開
    gassho, Shokai

    仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai

    "Open to life in a benevolent way"

    https://sarushinzendo.wordpress.com/

  23. #23
    I figured I would share my new "treeleaf friendly" alter for the start of Ango. The main alter is a cross section of a tree trunk that I stained and sealed. The stand was a cheap beat up flower pot stand. The small table is my laptop/candle/incense table for that hot G+ action!

    IMG_2472.jpgIMG_2474.jpg
    If I'm already enlightened why the hell is this so hard?

  24. #24
    You created a nice atmosphere there Catfish! I like warm wood tones, well done!

    Gassho

    Enkyo
    Mu

  25. #25
    Thats sweet Catfish, very nice alter.
    Gassho, Jakudo.
    Gassho, Shawn Jakudo Hinton
    It all begins when we say, “I”. Everything that follows is illusion.
    "Even to speak the word Buddha is dragging in the mud soaking wet; Even to say the word Zen is a total embarrassment."
    寂道

  26. #26
    Wow beautiful and warm

    Gassho
    Thank you for your practice

  27. #27
    knock-out beautiful table.
    and neither are they otherwise.


  28. #28
    Wow, Charles, that's really incredibly beau-ti-ful!


    Gassho,

    Timo
    no thing needs to be added

  29. #29
    I just moved house so have a new shrine arrangement:
    Shrine (with unpacked box next to it!)
    Calligraphy

    Gassho
    Andy

  30. #30
    Hi Kokuu;
    Please do not be so harsh on yourself. This is beautiful, the quintessensal perfection I trust I have your permission to show it to my meditation class.
    gassho,

    #sattoday
    合掌,生開
    gassho, Shokai

    仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai

    "Open to life in a benevolent way"

    https://sarushinzendo.wordpress.com/

  31. #31
    Very cool, Andy. And if Buddha Nature pervades the entire universe, it's also in the unpacked box.

    Gassho,
    William
    "First you have to give up." Tyler Durden

  32. #32
    That is a very good way of looking at it, William!

  33. #33
    image.jpg

    studio altar
    Last edited by Oheso; 09-12-2013 at 08:46 PM.
    and neither are they otherwise.


  34. #34
    Treeleaf Unsui Shugen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Redding California USA

    home altar

    Very nice altars!


    Shugen
    Meido Shugen
    明道 修眼

  35. #35
    Treeleaf Engineer Seimyo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Yuba City, California, USA
    Really beautiful table Catfish. Actually just a really nice sitting area. Much nicer than my 70's shag.

    Gassho.
    Seimyo

    明 Seimyō (Christhatischris)

  36. #36
    Ready for Ango,




    Gassho
    Myoku
    Last edited by Myoku; 09-04-2014 at 02:59 PM.

  37. #37
    Of course, Zen is not about furniture or Asian flavor. Even though most Buddhist temples tend to have nice ... unbelievably expensive ... furniture.



    On the other hand, it can be about Asian furniture (I have lots in my house, because I live in an old Japanese house).

    Putting the Buddha on a delicate Chinese table ... a cheap formica table ... putting Buddha on an old cardboard box ... just the old cardbox box alone ... just emptiness ... all the same really, if the heart is clear.

    Gassho, J
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  38. #38

  39. #39
    Mp
    Guest
    Beautiful June. =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

    Just about to sit

  40. #40
    This is my set up in our family room.


    Sent from my GT-N8010 using Tapatalk 2
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Gassho, Shawn Jakudo Hinton
    It all begins when we say, “I”. Everything that follows is illusion.
    "Even to speak the word Buddha is dragging in the mud soaking wet; Even to say the word Zen is a total embarrassment."
    寂道

  41. #41
    Thank you everyone for sharing,
    very inspiring!
    Gassho
    Myoku

  42. #42


    My weekend project. This isn't my official butsudan and that's my home Buddha for here. My other stuff is in my roommate's house. There are pegs on the door for hanging juzu that I make. It's really a work in progress so far but I'm happy with it.

    Gassho
    Javier


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  43. #43
    Wow, that's really nice, Javier! Did you peg the top together, or are those plugs covering screws? I love the simplicity of it, and the wood grain on the doors.

    Gassho,

    Lisa

  44. #44
    Actually, it's just screws at the top but I am going to replace it with wooden pegs soon. Or keep it as is. I haven't decided. Cx

    I pegged the shelf in place, and so far, I'm pretty happy with it. I'll post another picture when I have all my stuff. Thank you for the kind words, Lisa. C:

    Gassho
    Javier



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  45. #45
    image.jpg

    This is my altar now, Monju, Majushri in the form of a sitting priest riding a Shishi, as you would find in many Zendo.

    and a lyiing down version when going for a nap...


    Gassho

    Taigu
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Taigu; 12-01-2013 at 07:43 AM.

  46. #46
    Beautiful, Taigu.

    One question if I may, what's the significance or meaning of a priest riding a Shishi?

    Gassho
    Matt

  47. #47
    A shishi, mythical lion, is a protector often found at the entrance of temples. As the Buddhist law rides it, The Buddhist law represented by Manjushri , the Bodhisattva of wisdom, cannot be threatened or destroyed. It represents the supreme samadhi, the absolute freedom in sitting and being.Therfore it has its place in the Zendo where you typically find this representation. Not a Buddha. Just a Bodhisattva sitting.

    gassho


    Taigu
    Last edited by Taigu; 12-01-2013 at 12:53 PM.

  48. #48
    Mp
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Taigu View Post
    A shishi, mythical lion, is a protector often found at the entrance of temples. As the Buddhist law rides it, The Buddhist law represented by Manjushri , the Bodhisattva of wisdom, cannot be threatened or destroyed. It represents the supreme samadhi, the absolute freedom in sitting and being.Therfore it has its place in the Zendo where you typically find this representation. Not a Buddha. Just a Bodhisattva sitting.

    gassho


    Taigu
    Beautiful alter Taigu and thank you for the description, I did not know about Shishi. =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

  49. #49
    Mp
    Guest
    Nice Alter Anshu! =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

    #sattoday

  50. #50
    Thank you Taigu.

    Gassho
    Matt

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