1. THE PURPOSE OF HAVING A BUDDHIST ALTAR
Wenda20120323 32:00
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
You live in such a big house, yet you can’t set aside a small area for Bodhisattvas on a Buddhist altar? Do you think you are cultivating your mind well? Surely, the quality of your recitations would be compromised. The Bodhisattvas have said, “Bright lights shine from the myriad houses”. With a Buddhist altar at home, the Bodhisattvas would come to your house to protect and bless you. Some people cannot even set aside a space for the Bodhisattvas. Just think about how much the Bodhisattvas have helped us. Having an altar benefits you!
1.1 What are the benefits of having an altar?
Your recitations will be more effective and prayers more likely to get response
Wenda20130614 11:09
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Without an altar, the effectiveness of your recitation and vows would be greatly diminished. It is okay for the altar to have a simple setup. Only when Bodhisattvas are present can you visualise them, otherwise it is impossible for you to do so, as your mind is fully occupied with distracting thoughts. When your mind is full of greed, hatred and ignorance, how can Bodhisattvas enter your mind? Looking at the image of Bodhisattvas on an altar helps you to calm your mind.
Having an altar makes a big difference when you perform prostrations
Wenda20131101 05:20
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Is it the same to make prostrations with the Buddha in your mind compared to without? Of course having the Buddha in your mind is better. Without an altar at home, you don’t even know where to pray.
Offering Heart Incense is not as good as offering real incense
Wenda20130705 16:51
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
As you are not actually offering incense when you offer Heart Incense, it will be less effective compared with offering incense and making vows in front of the Bodhisattvas.
You can offer First Incense and recite scriptures through the night on important days in the Buddhist calendar
Without an altar, you are unable to offer First Incense or recite scriptures through the night
Wenda20130111 25:28
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Because we would offer First Incense on Chinese New Year, some practitioners are asking if they can offer the Heart Incense and recite scriptures through the night without an altar?
Master Lu: No. It’s best for them to go to another practitioner’s home and pay respect to the Bodhisattvas in front of an altar, then they can recite scriptures when they return home.
The effects of offering Little Houses will be greatly improved with a Buddhist altar at home
Wenda2013614 11:09
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Why should we set up an altar?
Master Jun Hong Lu: If conditions permit, one should definitely set up a Buddhist altar and consecrate Guan Yin Bodhisattva. Setting up a Buddhist altar is equivalent to inviting Bodhisattva into your home. With a Buddhist altar, the effects of your spiritual cultivation and offering Little Houses will be greatly improved.
Setting up an altar at home and helping others to do so accumulates great merits and virtues
Wenda20130901B 02:25
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Setting up an altar is equivalent to inviting Bodhisattva to your home and this is a great meritorious deed. The merits and virtues are greater when you help others to do the same. When others don’t have an altar and you help them to buy all the materials needed and assist with setting everything up, the merits and virtues you accumulate while doing this are so significant that the sounds can be heard in Heaven. Upon placing a cup on the altar or saying a word, the sounds will tremble the Heavens.
The purpose of setting up an altar of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door
Wenda20150130 13:13
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Apart from Guan Yin Bodhisattva, what are the specialties of the other Bodhisattvas worshipped on the Guan Yin Citta altar? How should we pray to these Bodhisattvas, such as Nanjing Bodhisattva, Guan Di Bodhisattva or Tai Sui Bodhisattva?
Master Lu: The Bodhisattvas take care of everything, but there’s a segregation of duties. For example, Guan Yin Bodhisattva is in charge of the world we are living in. She hears the cries of the sentient beings and acts to alleviate their suffering. She responds to all prayers and helps those in pain with great mercy and compassion.
Nanjing Bodhisattva mainly helps the Bodhisattvas or high-ranking Bodhisattvas with any matter related to propagating Buddhism. He specialises in resolving conflicts between religions. For example, when there are different religious beliefs in one household, or someone is involved in an issue relating to a different religion, praying to Nanjing Bodhisattva will help. For example, if the father is Christian while the mother is Buddhist, or if family members believe in various religions, what should they do? They can pray to Nanjing Bodhisattva to settle the issue and all of them will most certainly be able to advance in their respective cultivation.
Caller: We can also pray to these Bodhisattvas for other matters in everyday life, right?
Master Lu: Yes, because Nanjing Bodhisattva answers our prayers.
There is a different Tai Sui Bodhisattva on duty every year. When you say your prayer to Tai Sui Bodhisattva, he knows that you have been cultivating your mind. When he witnesses your misconduct, he will not regard you as an ordinary spirit, in which case he will make a record immediately; he knows whether your misconduct is out of recklessness or on purpose. He is very righteous and imposes punishments without bias.
Guan Di Bodhisattva, Zhou Tsang Bodhisattva and Guan Ping Bodhisattva are great Dharma Protectors. Guan Di Bodhisattva is truly upright, like Justice Bao, the notable upright judge during China’s Song Dynasty. He will not respond to you if you pray to him after committing misconducts. This is because Dharma Protectors are very strict; they are enforcement officers. There still is a difference between Dharma Protectors and Bodhisattvas. As Bodhisattvas are compassionate towards sentient beings and sometimes sympathise with the sentient beings, they plead for the wrongdoers. Therefore, a Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door altar is of great significance.
Bodhisattvas have made it easier for lay Buddhists to practise Buddhism
Wenda20121221 05:12
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: On winter nights, it is very cold. Is it okay for us to sit on our bed while reciting scriptures?
Master Lu: That’s totally fine even if you are with your husband, as long as both of you are free of inappropriate thoughts and behaviour. You can do your recitation while he does his. The Bodhisattva is truly compassionate! As we are ordinary people and still have to come across many humanly matters, the Bodhisattva is very forgiving towards us lay Buddhists. As long as you are willing to cultivate your mind, the Bodhisattva will support you and make it easier for you to do so. The Bodhisattva understands that we are too busy to visit the temple every day, thus setting up an altar at home is like having a temple that we can pray to in our own house. If you don’t pray to Bodhisattvas after they visit your house, how can you practise Buddhism well?
Caller: Alright, thank you Master, and I express my gratitude to Bodhisattva.
