Altar set-up

[chokyi lodro]

I've been wanting to ask about home shrine/altars.

I have a little statue of Chenrezig that I wanted to put in some place where I could take some time and space to meditate. Then I thought of doing something with a little more symbol.

Because I am more drawn to the tibetan tradition, I wanted to ask what would be the normal/minimum altar configuration. I ask because I've found some materials online that contradict each other and I was getting confused...


I know normally there is the Buddha there, a holy text, and a stupa. What does the stupa represent? And what if you don't have one!?

Regarding lights or offerings, is it seven, or is it eight? And what do they represent?

Regarding offering the bowls, this reminds me of the worship found in Hinduism (arcana/arati). How are the bowls offered? Is it purely mentally? Or is there any kind of verse/gesture that would go along with it?

At one point I lived in a Hindu ashram in America where there was this kind of worship, and although there was a bit of ritual, it was simple and yet dignified. So I wondered if it had crossed over at all into Buddhism.

And where would you put candles/lights? Anywhere in particular?

Thank you all in advance!

[Bonsai Doug]

I have no idea what might constitute a "normal" set up.

I took my Refuge Vows in the Theravada tradition, but find I'm also drawn to the Tibetan tradition.
I've set aside a small area in my home-office where I sit to meditate. Very simple, atop a file cabinet.

[dakini_boi]

I've been wanting to ask about home shrine/altars.

I have a little statue of Chenrezig that I wanted to put in some place where I could take some time and space to meditate. Then I thought of doing something with a little more symbol.

Because I am more drawn to the tibetan tradition, I wanted to ask what would be the normal/minimum altar configuration. I ask because I've found some materials online that contradict each other and I was getting confused...


I know normally there is the Buddha there, a holy text, and a stupa. What does the stupa represent? And what if you don't have one!?

Regarding lights or offerings, is it seven, or is it eight? And what do they represent?

Regarding offering the bowls, this reminds me of the worship found in Hinduism (arcana/arati). How are the bowls offered? Is it purely mentally? Or is there any kind of verse/gesture that would go along with it?

At one point I lived in a Hindu ashram in America where there was this kind of worship, and although there was a bit of ritual, it was simple and yet dignified. So I wondered if it had crossed over at all into Buddhism.

And where would you put candles/lights? Anywhere in particular?

Thank you all in advance!

Yes, usually there is a Buddha image/statue, a dharma text, and a stupa. To represent body, speech, and mind of Buddha. I don't have a stupa either, so I placed a small dropper-bottle of special flower and gem essences. It has a similar shape to a stupa, and the symbolism works for me. Another possible substitution to represent Buddha mind could be a crystal or crystal ball. Or perhaps even a prism.

Usually there are 7 water bowl offerings, to represent the offerings of water for drinking and bathing, flowers, incense, light, scented water and food. The eighth offering is music, so sometimes there are 8, but usually I have seen 7. Also, sometimes you will see actual flowers, incense, light and food in the respective bowls instead of water. And sometimes the music offering is represented by a musical instrument.

Usually the offerings are accompanied by a verse and/or mantra, as well as visualization. The simplest way to do this is to say "om ah hung" and visualize the offerings multiplying and filling all of space. If you want more elaborate verses, search for "water offering verse." Similarly, you can find verses for offering lights (simplest is om vajra aloke ah hung) and incense.

It's great you're setting up an altar space. Have fun!

[viniketa]

See here:

viewtopic.php?f=45&t=3562&p=30669&hilit=alter+offering#p30669

[chokyi lodro]

Thank you all very much for the replies, advice and for the well-wishes.

I'm still not sure what to do in place of a stupa, but pro tem I have a little candle in a beautiful high glass dish which will have to suffice.

I had a bit of bother finding elaborate verses, so I will use the 'simple way', dakini_boi.

[PadmaVonSamba]

You should have items that represent the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. The Dharma can be even one verse by the Buddha, and the sangha can be represented by a picture of your teacher or maybe a teacher whose works have inspired you.

Stupas traditionally held the relics of the Buddha or of enlightened teachers. A pagoda is actually a kind of stupa.

As far as offering (7) bowls, here is a recitation that has served me well:

To the Buddha, to the Dharma to the Sangha, liberating all craving, I offer this water for drinking.
To the Buddha, to the Dharma to the Sangha, liberating all obscurations, I offer this water for washing.
To the Buddha, to the Dharma to the Sangha, transforming all phenomena into wisdom, I offer these flowers.
To the Buddha, to the Dharma to the Sangha, permeating all time and space, I offer this incense.
To the Buddha, to the Dharma to the Sangha, illuminating the darkness of ignorance, I offer this light.
To the Buddha, to the Dharma to the Sangha, bestowing infinite blessings through profound inner meaning,
I offer this perfumed water.
To the Buddha, to the Dharma to the Sangha, realizing the inseparability of nirvana and samsara in this saha world,
I offer this music and food.

(I am not exactly sure where this comes from).
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.
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[catmoon]

I do something very similar to ze Foaming Monk, but with a variation.

Instead of a fixed recitation, with each offering I try to cultivate a strong wish that all sentient beings should enjoy the benefits of each. Now, since I find strong wishes tend to become weak with repetition, this involves constant innovation and reworking of the offering wishes. Each bowl offering ends with an "Om ah hum".

The eighth bowl is interesting, everyone does it differently. Some ignore it, some use an eighth bowl, some combine the seventh and eighth bowls into one.
I have a small singing bowl on the altar which is struck as both as the music offering and as a sort of dinner bell for the pretas.

[Knotty Veneer]

I think this article gives a pretty good outline for what to include in a basic Tibetan Buddhist Shrine:

http://www.khandro.net/practice_shrine.htm

[practitioner]

Here is a teaching by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche on the shrine offerings http://www.kagyu.org/kagyulineage/buddhism/bec/bec05.php
And here is an inexpensive pamphlet that goes into more depth of what is needed for a proper Tibetan Buddhist style shrine and why we maintain one in the first place that I have found very helpful. http://www.namsebangdzo.com/Shrine_Khenpo_Karthar_Rinpoche_p/5838.htm

[chokyi lodro]

Thank you everyone for all your responses!