My Altar/Shrine

TheEccentric

I have just set up my Buddhist altar that I have got for Christmas from my parents in individual components.

I have placed a Buddha statue in the centre surrounded by seven water offering bowls with a incense holder and Budai/laughing buddha statue to the right of it and to the left of it I have placed mala beads and a piece of paper with the 4 noble truths +eightfold path to represent the Dharma as a substitution for a Dharma book.

Have I set it up right, is there anything that needs adding, retouching or moving or that is incorrect and what offerings can I do aside from the water?

Davetheseeker

That is awesome!!!!!!
To your left should be the Dharma and the representation of the Sangha on your right.

In the instructions for proper water bowl offerings, I've read that the bowls are to be placed in a straight line with a distance of the width of a grain of rice between them.
Also the bowls are filled evenly and almost to the top and at the front of the altar/shrine in front of the Buddha. I try to center mine, but I'm not sure if that's just me or?????

caz

Ah excellent !

how

There is no correct or incorrect way to set up a Buddhist alter. An alter is the symbology of whatever teaching you wish it to be. You can copy the alter setup that your teacher or Sangha follows or create whatever one best reminds you of the teaching that is important to you.

vinlyn

The only thing a Thai would say is that the Buddha should be up high...like on the top of a dresser, or something like that. But that's just symbology.

lobster

Always make sure the Buddha is present. That would be you. You give the altar the ability to alter. This is an outer expression of your inner nature. It is part of some tantra to mindfully change the contents of the water and to do prostrations and chanting before the image.

Vastmind

Remember....symbols/physical forms are just there to remind
your eyeballs. It has to go from the eyeballs to the brain. To the
brain...to the mind. When the mind gets reminded then
motivation and behavior gets reminded.
Put there what you need to be reminded of.
That's what all the repeating is about.

Mine has changed a million times because
depending on what's going on in my life, I
need different reminders. haha

Thanks for sharing the pic.

Jeffrey

I like how the buddha has his bowls arrayed in front of him. What about putting a ribbon around the paper to the right? It might add some color...

For offerings you can do anything. If you have dogs or cats don't put anything they like or they might become conditioned to go in your shrine and that's very bad if you are burning a candle.

Things I have put as offering:

nuts, vegetables, fruits
halloween candy
flowers, fake and real
a fluffy bunny guy from easter

TheEccentric

Update: I have arranged the offering bowls in a straight line in the traditional way.

lobster

Wonderful. Thanks for the update. My two shrines are getting a little cluttered. Will have to prune soon . . .

Kangaroo

I'm still waiting for the perfect alter table to find me. I'm currently using a cardboard box covered with a sheet. Perfect for now.
@theeccentric on my alter I have also placed a bell (singing bowl) and a small light.
BTW it looks like we use the same Buddha

Takuan

I don't have room for an altar. I pretty much just arranged some buddha and bodhisattva pictures in the wall in front of my cushion.

lobster

@Takuan sounds great to me . . . this morning I visualised a whole temple around me. Real?

Real enough.

BhikkhuJayasara

Takuan said:

I don't have room for an altar. I pretty much just arranged some buddha and bodhisattva pictures in the wall in front of my cushion.

it's ok... you don't NEED an altar to begin with

how

It is good to be mindful of not becoming attached to rite and ritual. We all suffer that one from time to time.
While altars and all Buddhist iconography point out the path to the cessation of suffering, the walking of it is your job.

TheEccentric

Lol I just realised I have being spelling alter incorrect all this time, epic fail