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?This is the frequently asked question, which implies another question: Could it be needed for lay Buddhists to setup an altar at home? If you do, how if and when they get it done? A better solution really is determined by the person situation. If the dwelling is small, or if you reside in a dormitory, share a place or a house with co-workers or classmates, it would not be convenient to build an altar. In such instances, in case you worship regularly at the fixed time, you could place a sutra that you would normally place a Buddha statue. In this situation, it is not necessary burning incense or candles, or offer water or flowers. Before and after worshipping, it would be appropriate to bow with joined palms, and prostrate to exhibit respect and sincerity. In case your roommates or housemates may also be Buddhists, it could easily be fine to create a common altar or possibly a worship room. Should you be the sole Buddhist, then you should not be so particular as to insist upon creating an altar; as it may court others’ resentment and dismay.

?Should you be the only Buddhist inherited, it’s also essential to follow similar guidelines as you live in a dormitory; otherwise, it might create discord in the family. Don’t enable your Buddhist practice result in ill feelings and resentment toward Buddhism inside family. When the whole family believes in Buddhism, or perhaps you are head of the household, or both spouses practice, and there is space, it could be the very best to create an altar or even a worship room. When creating an altar in the family room, pick the side with the room the location where the main furniture would normally be. There shouldn’t be window behind the statue, and also the statue should face a door or window, so there could be plenty sunlight, and the altar is clearly in sight when people enter in the door.

?The altar could be the heart of your home; it should come up with a sense of stability and security. When it comes to locations and directions suggested by geomancers, they could be used as reference for consideration; only one mustn’t be superstitious and feel constrained by them. It might be fine so long as the Buddha statue won’t directly face the toilet, the stove, or a bed. If you create a worship room, go with a quiet quarter where kids or pets don’t roam out and in easily. The room should not be spot for receiving guests, chatting or entertaining; it must be used simply for worshipping, chanting, and Chan practice, not for everything else. However, in case there are already non-Buddhist pictures, plaques, and statues used for worshipping, including Guangong, Matzu, earth gods and ancestors, we should not do away with them straight away, because we have now practice Buddhism. They will be removed detail by detail, gradually.

?The first task is to squeeze Buddha statue in the middle of the altar, between statues of the non-Buddhist deities, and ancestors’ memorial plaques. You shouldn’t have to set up an incense burner and candle holders. The real reason for this arrangement is really because all benevolent deities and ancestors will protect, support, and become drawn to these Jewels. Following the altar is placed, like become disciples of the Three Jewels and take advantage of the Dharma. Next time you progress the altar or worship room, you may then remove those non-Buddhist deity statues and store them as keepsakes. Alternatives ancestors’ plaques, they don’t have to be placed or worshiped in your house; they can be gone after the hall of rebirth within a temple or monastery. If an individual insists on still worship them in your own home, they could be either placed on the particular level below the Buddha’s statue. Or, they are often transferred to another location onto a smaller altar and become worshiped separately.

?In larger temples, for example, you can find halls of rebirth specially for placing ancestors’ plaques. Smaller temples usually allow ancestors’ plaques and longevity plaques to be placed over the side walls in the main hall. In this manner, it not only expresses our prudent filial piety and reverence to the ancestors, but also shows our sublime faith to the Buddha. In such a way, it distinguishes our sublime faith towards the Buddha from your filial piety to ancestors.

?At home there’s applications multiple statues of the Buddha and bodhisattvas, as that will help to increase clutter. One statue with the Buddha can represent all buddhas, and something bodhisattva statue can represent all bodhisattvas. In addition to statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, most families pick one from among Guanyin Pusa (Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva), Amitabha Buddha, and Medicine Buddha.

?When you have both Buddha and bodhisattva statues, then your Buddha statue needs to be placed in the very center or on the higher level in the rear of the altar, whilst the bodhisattva statues are placed for the sides or at lower positions right in front. Put simply, the Buddha statue should stand out to demonstrate his revered prominence. The dimensions of the statue must be equal in shape for the scale of the altar as well as worship room, much less big or too small. If your statue is small but made from one of many seven precious treasures (gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, agate, ruby, carnelian), then the specially carved, multi-leveled shrine may be used to tripped the statue’s unique grandeur.

?After obtaining a new Buddha or bodhisattva image or statue, a lot of people would hold an initiation (“opening light”) ceremony to consecrate it. However, in the Buddhist standpoint, this type of ceremony is not needed. Buddha and bodhisattva images and statues are tools for practice. We use them as objects for reverence. Although buddhas and the bodhisattvas are omnipresent, without statues and images, we won’t possess a focus for our prostrations, offerings, and respect. It can be through such reverential practices that we receive benefits of cultivation and responses from the buddhas and also the bodhisattvas. Nevertheless the most important thing is our faith, sincerity, along with a a feeling of respect, not the statues or images themselves. Therefore, an initiation ceremony to the images and statues is certainly not important.

?When Shakyamuni Buddha had been living, he visited the Heaven with the Thirty-three Devas for 3 months to present sermons to his mother. His disciples missed him, in order that they sculpted his image for worship; yet, there was no account of any initiation ceremonies. In subsequent generations, sutras, images, Buddhist articles, pagodas and in many cases temples, became representations of Buddha’s presence and the continuing transformation on the planet. Nevertheless, solemn ceremonies often generate deep respect and faith in people. Gradually, many different types of rituals in connection with worship and offerings has been around since; the initiation ceremony was one too. Therefore, to this day, every time a temple installs a whole new Buddha statue, followers gather together to have an initiation ceremony. Much like a new firm opening for business, or a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new building, a ceremony is a strategy to produce a solemn announcement towards the public.

?However, when folks create Buddha and bodhisattva statues in your house, there’s no need to have an announcement, hence, you don’t need to hold an initiation ceremony. So long as you set up the statues with sincerity and respect, making daily offerings of incense, flowers, and fruits, keeping the offerings and altar fresh, clean, and tidy, you will have a sacred and holy atmosphere to induce the dedication of practitioners. To keep the indoor air fresh and clean, the incense burned at home ought to be of refined grade with delicate, light fragrance. When burning incense in the home, it’s best to burn just one single stick at a time. Don’t pollute air in the house with a lot of incense. Natural sandalwood and agarwood incense have top quality; it’s not great for use synthetic chemical or animal-based incense sticks.

?Inside the worship room of a modern home, candles could be replaced by light bulbs. It is crucial to wash the offering table, incense burner, candle holder often, and make them free of dust, and free of withering flowers and rotting fruits. Daily we need to set a certain time for you to conduct the practice, at the very least burning incense and offering water every day and evening. Before leaving after returning home, we should prostrate to Buddha expressing our gratitude, respect, and remembrance.

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