How to Set Up a Buddhist Shrine

How to Set Up a Buddhist Shrine
Adapted from How to Setup an Altar or Shrine by Ven. Tenzin Yignyen of Namgyal Monastery.

Why Have an Altar *

A proper altar holds images or representations of the Buddha's enlightened body, speech and mind which serves as reminders of the goal of Buddhist practice -- to develop these qualities in oneself so as to be able to fully benefit all sentient beings. The reason for setting up an altar is not for fame, for showing off wealth, or to increase pride, but rather it is to reduce one's mental afflictions and to seek the ability to help all sentient beings.

Where to Place the Altar*/Shrine

The best place . . . is in a separate shrine room, but if you live in a small place and cannot set aside a separate room for worship, any room can be used. The size of the altar is not important, but it should be in a clean and respectful place, higher than the level of your head as you sit facing it.

If it is in your bedroom, the altar should be placed near the head of your bed, never at the foot, and it should be higher than the bed. The altar should be either on a separate shelf or on a table set aside for this purpose that does not double as a coffee table or night stand.

The Objects and What They Represent

A proper Buddhist altar holds symbols of enlightened body, speech and mind, traditionally represented by displaying a statue or picture of Buddha Shakyamuni, a scripture, and a stupa [Tibetan: chorten].

At the very least, the altar should hold an image of Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder and source of the teachings in our time.

Regarding the placement of the images, it is important that Shakyamuni Buddha be the central figure. Other images are not requisite, but if you have them, place them around the central figure in this order: root lamas, yidams (highest yoga tantra deities, yoga tantra deities, performance tantra deities, then action tantra deities), dakinis, and finally protector deities. The order of the arrangement is never by the quality of the material or the artistry. Often it is better to have only a few images, as too many can be distracting.

The scripture representing the speech of the Buddha does not need to be written in Tibetan or Sanskrit, but can be in any language. It can be the Heart Sutra if you wish to represent all the teachings of the Buddha, or it can be a special scripture related to your practice. If the altar consists of three or more levels, the scripture should be placed highest on the altar, above the Buddha statue. If the altar is on one level, the order should be, from left to right: scripture, Buddha, stupa.

The mind of the Buddha is traditionally represented by a stupa of enlightenment, but you need not go out and buy a costly silver or gold one. A photograph or a clay model is perfectly acceptable. The stupa [Tib.: chorten] should be placed to the right of the Buddha image, or below the Buddha if the altar consists of several levels.

The objects on the altar also represent the Three Jewels of Refuge. If there is only a statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, think that it represents all Three Jewels. If there is also a scripture and a stupa, think that the stupa represents the Buddha Jewel, the scripture represents the Dharma Jewel, and the image of the Buddha represents the Sangha Jewel.

It is important to keep in mind that the objects on the altar serve as a means for directing one's mind to the Buddha and the Buddha's enlightened qualities, which we aspire to emulate for others' benefit. In maintaining an altar one is trying to cultivate the qualities of the Buddha -- his enlightened body, his enlightened speech and his enlightened mind.

By remembering these qualities and aspiring to develop them, one reduces the negative qualities of attachment, hatred and ignorance, and increases positive qualities like faith, respect, devotion and rejoicing.

Making Offerings

There is no limitation to what can be offered, and there are many levels of offering. In general, one can offer any pleasing object, particularly objects pleasing to the five senses -- form, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition it is customary to offer seven bowls of water which represent the seven limbs of prayer -- prostrating, offering, confession, rejoicing in the good qualities of oneself and others, requesting the Buddhas to remain in this world, beseeching them to teach others, and dedicating the merits.

Flowers, candles or butter lamps, and incense are also commonly offered. It is customary to offer a part of every meal on the altar before eating and a portion of tea before drinking.

The things that should be offered should be clean, new and pleasing. . . . only the best part, fresh, and clean -- never old, leftover, or spoiled food.

It is best to offer things that you already have or can obtain without difficulty. Don't think that you have to deceive others in order to get offering materials -- they should not come from stealing, cheating or hurting others in any way. Rather, they should be honestly obtained. In fact, it is better not to offer things that were obtained in even a slightly negative way.

As you make offerings, think that what you are offering is in nature your own good qualities and your practice, although it appears in the form of external offering objects. These external offerings should not be imagined as limited to the actual objects on the altar, but should be seen as vast in number, as extensive as space.

Offer food with the wish that all beings be relieved of hunger, and offer water with the wish that all beings be relieved of thirst.

It is important to think that the deities accept the offerings, enjoy them and are pleased. Think that by making these offerings all beings are purified of their negative qualities and their thirst for knowledge of the ultimate nature of reality is satisfied.

The purpose of making offerings is to accumulate merit and in particular to develop and increase the mind of generosity and to reduce stinginess and miserliness. By making offerings you also create the causes for the future results of becoming wealthy and becoming naturally and spontaneously generous.

Placing the Offerings on the Altar

If you have the space, place the offerings a little lower than the objects of refuge on your altar. When you awaken in the morning, it is customary to wash at least your face before approaching the altar to offer prostrations and then offerings -- this is a sign of respect for the objects represented there. One is making offerings as if one is accepting a dignitary or a great being into one's home, and it is important to be gracious and respectful.

To offer water on your altar, you should have a minimum of seven bowls. Start with fresh water every day. The bowls should be clean. Pour a little water into each bowl before placing it on the altar. Place the bowls in a straight line, close together but not touching. The distance between the bowls is traditionally measured by the width of a grain of wheat. The bowls should then be filled up to the space of a grain's width from the top -- neither too little nor too much. Pour water like the shape of a wheat grain -- in a thin stream at first, then gradually more, then tapering off at the end.

Try not to breathe on the offerings. If you have a butter lamp, you can place it on your altar between the third and fourth water bowls. Lamps or candles symbolize wisdom, eliminating the darkness of ignorance. In Tibetan monasteries hundreds of lamps are lit as offerings. There is really no limit to the quantity of either water bowls or lamps.

Blessing The Offerings

After pouring the water, lighting the candles and offering incense, bless the offerings by dipping a piece of kusha grass (or a tree twig) into the water, reciting three times OM AH HUM (seed syllables of the Buddha's body, speech, and mind), and then sprinkling the offerings with water. Visualize that the offerings are blessed.

Dedication

Whether external offerings become pure or not, or whether they become a cause for good rebirth in the next life, a cause to achieve liberation, or a cause to achieve enlightenment to benefit all beings depends on one's motivation and dedication. Dedication is crucial.

It will not exhaust or limit one's store of merit but will multiply and increase it. It is excellent to dedicate the merit of making offerings to the elimination of suffering and its causes from all beings, to their achievement of lasting happiness, and to world peace.

Removing the Offerings

At the end of the day, before or at sunset, empty the bowls one by one, dry them with a clean cloth and stack them upside down or put them away. Never leave empty bowls right side up on the altar. The water is not simply thrown away but offered to the plants in your house or in the garden.

Food and flowers should also be put in a clean place outside where birds and animals can eat them. Bowls of fruit can be left on the altar for a few days and can then be eaten when they come down -- there is no need to put them outside.

~ made available by Snow Lion Publications
~from khandro.net

My shrine at home:

Nice one Dhar, i really need a room for my shrine it just keeps getting bigger and bigger, every year im at the spring festival i get more statues lol/.

peace

xxx

Aparently my Yidam (Vajrapani) should be below Shakyamuni. You can't see it but there are 3 more shelves above, and the top one also has a Shakyamuni.

Shrines are personal - I refuse to follow someone else's idea of what is 'wrong'. Each person's guru gives instruction. Accept the guru, and you implicitly accept the advice.

In the end, Shakyamuni did not ask for images or shrines within his lifetime. Later revelations of Buddhist cosmology and tantra offer us a wealth of choice.

If it is of help, use a shrine.

Such things are integral to certain sects and practices - adopt the sect and you adopt the practices. I have done so and find the experience extremely enriching, albeit that I am selective and catholic in experimentation with and adoption of practices from diverse sources.

Very nice shrine, Dhar! I have just a simple staute of Buddha Shakyamuni (on a small platform) with some candles surrounding it, some incence (unlit for now...) and a small glass which I fill with water and then give to the plants later. For now something small and humble.

Dharanidhar wrote:Aparently my Yidam (Vajrapani) should be below Shakyamuni. You can't see it but there are 3 more shelves above, and the top one also has a Shakyamuni.

Shrines are personal - I refuse to follow someone else's idea of what is 'wrong'. Each person's guru gives instruction. Accept the guru, and you implicitly accept the advice.

In the end, Shakyamuni did not ask for images or shrines within his lifetime. Later revelations of Buddhist cosmology and tantra offer us a wealth of choice.

If it is of help, use a shrine.

Such things are integral to certain sects and practices - adopt the sect and you adopt the practices. I have done so and find the experience extremely enriching, albeit that I am selective and catholic in experimentation with and adoption of practices from diverse sources.

I think as long as your guru is highest, you're cool

Guess I'm a bit lazy.

Whatever practice I'm doing - everything is ready.

I have 2 rows of offering bowls which are there all the time, with appropriate substances in them, and then add a row of water bowls. I also offer incense and light(candles) in their real form, plus music (tingsha or bell).

I burn a lot of incense, from cones and sticks to lots of powdered Tibetan stuff - inside and outside, where I have a large stone Buddha in the garden.

A question - when you have visitors, do you cover up the shrine or is it kept away from general view anyway?

Mine is in the lounge and I only cover it to keep the dust off when not in use. The house is full of Indian wall hangings, carvings, paintings, pottery etc. anyway.

Hi Dhar!

Glad to see you here.

Basically it depends on your practice. If your altar is for your tantra practices (doesn't really matter if it's kriya, charya, yoga or HYT) then it should be hidden from view from others who have not received the same empowerment as you. If it's a generic non-tantra altar then it would be okay for it to be displayed.

Also, I think everyone should read up on Tsongkhapa's Lam Rim, or Gampopa's Jewel Ornament of Liberation, and so on, to learn how to set up a proper altar to support your practice. There are reasons why the altar is arranged as such, because they are supports for you visualizing the Refuge Tree.

Dharanidhar wrote:Aparently my Yidam (Vajrapani) should be below Shakyamuni. You can't see it but there are 3 more shelves above, and the top one also has a Shakyamuni.

Shrines are personal - I refuse to follow someone else's idea of what is 'wrong'. Each person's guru gives instruction. Accept the guru, and you implicitly accept the advice.

In the end, Shakyamuni did not ask for images or shrines within his lifetime. Later revelations of Buddhist cosmology and tantra offer us a wealth of choice.

If it is of help, use a shrine.

Such things are integral to certain sects and practices - adopt the sect and you adopt the practices. I have done so and find the experience extremely enriching, albeit that I am selective and catholic in experimentation with and adoption of practices from diverse sources.

Very nice mine just keeps getting bigger, to me the set up doesnt matter if it is wrong its corrected when the time is right i have found that whenever i make mistakes with my practise i usually find my self having a special guest appearence in my dream of different signs.

peace

xxx

Yes, there is much guidance out there. I follow Je Tsongkhapa and the basics are on the shrine. Buddhas do not need shrines or offerings - it is simply another aspect of the practices which help move our minds. I'm not sure that all shrines aren't tantric in the aspect of visualisation and representation, but I accept there is a difference when dealing with Vajrayana in its formal aspect. In fact, I think it is probably a very rare thing to see the HYT shrine of another person or group.

The tools and rituals of Tantra should be kept secret, except as Dorje said, for those with the relevant empowerments. I do tend to 'guard' my malas in the same way.

It is strange how we regard our senses. Someone may smell our incense or hear our matras, and that's OK, but not if they touch, taste (offerings on a shrine), or see aspects of our worship.

I guess it boils down to tainting the objects, which smelling or hearing cannot do.

I'm very lucky in having space and time to practice (and a wife who is happy for me to do so).

So many are less fortunate.

Dharanidhar wrote:Yes, there is much guidance out there. I follow Je Tsongkhapa and the basics are on the shrine. Buddhas do not need shrines or offerings - it is simply another aspect of the practices which help move our minds. I'm not sure that all shrines aren't tantric in the aspect of visualisation and representation, but I accept there is a difference when dealing with Vajrayana in its formal aspect. In fact, I think it is probably a very rare thing to see the HYT shrine of another person or group.

The tools and rituals of Tantra should be kept secret, except as Dorje said, for those with the relevant empowerments. I do tend to 'guard' my malas in the same way.

It is strange how we regard our senses. Someone may smell our incense or hear our matras, and that's OK, but not if they touch, taste (offerings on a shrine), or see aspects of our worship.

I guess it boils down to tainting the objects, which smelling or hearing cannot do.

I'm very lucky in having space and time to practice (and a wife who is happy for me to do so).

So many are less fortunate.

Hmmmm Then again this seem what some would see as a form of attachment, but then again vajrayana is transforming the path so its all good.

peace

xxx

Don't mix up positive attachment to the Dharma and practice with negative desirous attachment:)

Dharanidhar wrote:Don't mix up positive attachment to the Dharma and practice with negative desirous attachment:)

I was refering to the view of those who may not be familiar with vajrayana....not my self fortunatly

peace

xxx

Dharanidhar wrote:Guess I'm a bit lazy.

Whatever practice I'm doing - everything is ready.

I have 2 rows of offering bowls which are there all the time, with appropriate substances in them, and then add a row of water bowls. I also offer incense and light(candles) in their real form, plus music (tingsha or bell).

I burn a lot of incense, from cones and sticks to lots of powdered Tibetan stuff - inside and outside, where I have a large stone Buddha in the garden.

A question - when you have visitors, do you cover up the shrine or is it kept away from general view anyway?

Mine is in the lounge and I only cover it to keep the dust off when not in use. The house is full of Indian wall hangings, carvings, paintings, pottery etc. anyway.

Hi Dhar,

If you have guests and your shrine is in a prominent place it's best to cover the shrine. But if you don't want to do that (your shrine looks very big and it's beautiful) you can just cover your yidams. Definately keep the yidams out of public view.

I'm not convinced even committed Vajrayana practitioners are very clued up about the various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. One visited my home who had twice received the Vajrapani empowerment, saw my statue and said: 'surely that one isn't a Buddhist statue'.
I sometimes think people collect empowerments like stamps.

Lillian Too published 'The Buddha Book' which has A4 sized pics of a large number of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas , with explanations and mantras . It's now on offer as a publisher's remainder in cheapo bookshops for around £4.99. A new edition is now available but is much more expensive.

As stated, in general, altars with yidam statues/pictures should be concealed from view of others.

dorje wrote:As stated, in general, altars with yidam statues/pictures should be concealed from view of others.

On reading back I see I may have confused people. I asked: - 'When you have visitors, do you cover up the shrine or is it kept away from general view anyway?' I was asking others what they did rather than seeking advice. Sorry for any confusion.


Upon entering temples, gompas,etc. such images are on show for all to see - even the tourists.

I can understand why they should not witness pujas or touch shrines etc. but seeing Buddhas is a blessing.

It is one piece of archaic practice which I feel needs updating - there is no secret being revealed. If the visitor knows all about what he sees, then there is no need for concealment. If he has no understanding then there is equally no harm. The internet and other media have all such things clearly accessible for anyone wishing to understand or even purchase shrine statues and other objects. As an example, I was shown a HYT shrine in a dedicated gompa many years ago - it was great to be able to ask the 'why' questions with the physical objects in front of me.

Anyone foolish enough to practise tantra without the necessary empowerments and training (including any preparatory practices) is at best wasting their time, at worst messing up their minds and creating a bucketful of negative karma.


Heath Warning:

I should clarify that I write as someone who does not follow a specific Tibetan path, although I engage in some practices with Gelugpa or NKT origins, so my view is not orthodox - nor is it a reliable source of information or advice.

Hi Dhar,

It's easy for me because I don't have an elaborate shrine at all. It's a little shelf I put on the wall in the bedroom because I live in a very small apartment.

My rupa is just a 3-inch tsa tsa which I tuck in a drawer when it's not in use. And it fits nicely on my puja table. Other than that it's just bare basics with simple/standard offerings and a picture of my guru in the middle.

It's simple, but it's enough to get by And it's super-easy to tuck out of sight.

I had been under the impression that keeping the yidams private was for your protection too (not just the visitors). Is this so?

Best,
Drolma

Drolma wrote:Hi Dhar,

It's easy for me because I don't have an elaborate shrine at all. It's a little shelf I put on the wall in the bedroom because I live in a very small apartment.

My rupa is just a 3-inch tsa tsa which I tuck in a drawer when it's not in use. And it fits nicely on my puja table. Other than that it's just bare basics with simple/standard offerings and a picture of my guru in the middle.

It's simple, but it's enough to get by And it's super-easy to tuck out of sight.

I had been under the impression that keeping the yidams private was for your protection too (not just the visitors). Is this so?

Best,
Drolma

I'm not sure!

I can see that it may be wrong for others to witness your pujas or touch offerings etc. but seeing a statue of a Buddha cannot surely be harmful to anyone unless, like many Hindus, you believe in the 'evil eye'. And surely, it is not you who reaps the negative karma?

When faced with a tradition I always want to know 'why'! Mumbo jumbo nonsense or 'because we say so' or 'we have done it this way for 2,000 years' does not convince me.

How would anyone seeing your shrine know what a Yidam was, or which statue/Buddha you treated as such unless they were similarly trained?

My shrine is in an alcove which I drop a bamboo curtain across when not in use.

Bedrooms have their own problems!

Mind you, you don't have to have your shrine in the bedroom to wonder if you should be 'enjoying yourself' in front of it!


Simplicity:

A film crew visited an Indian village. A householder had a rock in the house which was treated as a sacred deity (shivalingum possibly?) . The cameraman asked if he could carry it outside to film it in the light. He did so, and then the awful realisation dawned on him that he had polluted the home shrine. He apologised profusely. The householder said: 'No problem. It's only a rock. We can get another one.'

A rock was just a rock until it was treated as a deity.

A shrine is meaningless until we regard it as sacred.

It has no intrinsic value whatsoever. Some pebbles and a few seashells full of water (as offering bowls) comprised my shrine on one journey. It's what is in the mind which counts!

Hi Dhar,

Yes, the bedroom thing I'm careful about! I don't change clothes in front of it and there's nothing else that goes on in there besides sleep heehee

I understand just what you mean about the objects and any self-inherent meaning or power they don't posses. I remember a story about a buddhist monk arguing with someone of another faith. The other person told the monk, "You people just worship statues!" The monk took a small statue of the Buddha and threw it on the ground, smashing into pieces. The story has a good point to it. I like the story about the rock in the house too.

I think (as you pointed out about the shrine in the bedroom) it really comes down to the sacredness we apply to it and the impact it has on the mindstream and practice. As for non-initiates, you're right that they wouldn't have any idea what they were looking at and tantric images can be found all over the Internet. For me, personally, I just wouldn't want anyone looking at my yidam. It's like she's a secret just for me I guess that much like the giving of offerings themselves, it has to do with the meaning we assign.

ps. That's really neat that you use seashells for the water offerings