It’s better to set up an altar where it’s bright, pure and clean.
The best location would be next to a window in the living room.
3.1 The ideal location for an altar
The best location for an altar is next to a window
Wenda20121228 52:18
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: I don’t have an altar yet. I understand that we shouldn’t set up an altar near the kitchen, toilet or inside the bedroom. I’m not sure where to place it.
Master Lu: Set it up by a window. The best location would be by a window in the living room.
Caller: But there’s only a wall in between the bathroom and the kitchen.
Master Lu: You’d rather place it closer to the kitchen or bedroom than the toilet, but the bedhead should never be directly behind the altar. Moving the bed to the side even just a little bit is fine. Avoid setting up the altar close to these three places. Near a window is best.
It’s advisable to set up an altar in a spare room to make it a small Buddhist hall
Wenda20160410 23:23
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Hello Master, is it better to have the altar in a room, or in the living room?
Master Lu: Generally, it’s better to place an altar in a room by itself where no one sleeps in, such as the study room. If all rooms are occupied, you can set it up in the living room.
Caller: I have a spare room.
Master Lu: Then it’s best to set it up in the spare room. This way, it’s like having a small Buddhist hall. Because you would eat and talk in the living room and sometimes put your feet up, which isn’t respectful.
3.2 Altar orientation
Wenda20130714A 00:36
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Hello Master. I have a few questions. Our altar is facing south but it’s a bit damp. Can I turn it to the west?
Master Lu: The direction of the altar doesn’t really matter; its surroundings are the most important. Even if you are facing south but there’s a toilet at the back of the altar, you can’t place a Bodhisattva’s image there. The direction isn’t that important. It is okay for the altar to be set up on the south side facing north.
Caller: Is it okay to place it underneath an air conditioner?
Master Lu: The air conditioner shouldn’t blow directly at the images or statues of Bodhisattvas. That is not good. It is not ideal to have an air conditioner installed right above the altar. Why should we use a landscape image? It is to resolve negative energy fields. From the feng shui point of view, it is not good to place the images or statues of Bodhisattvas or the altar underneath an air conditioner. The best direction of an altar is to face north in the southern hemisphere and face south in the northern hemisphere. If conditions don’t allow, other directions are also okay.
You can also refer to Chapter 5 of Introduction to the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door, which gives more details on setting up altars and making offerings.
What if the altar faces the stairs?
Shuohua20140829 28:56
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Is it okay for an altar to face the stairs? The altar can be seen when the person is walking down the stairs… Sorry, I was mistaken. The altar can be seen when the person is walking up the stairs.
Master Lu: That’s okay, don’t get it wrong. If the altar is at the bottom of the stairs, of course it’s not good. It’s fine to be at the top of the stairs. Like in the temples, it is also located at the top of the stairs. Isn’t it good to see an altar after you climb the stairs? (Alright.)
<Questions regarding setting up an altar in the bedroom>
Setting up an altar in the bedroom
Wenda20131129 55:04
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: If the altar is set up in the bedroom, can we burn Little Houses in front of the altar?
Master Lu: It depends. The bedroom needs to be clean. It’s best if the bedroom is used by boys or girls before puberty. Bedrooms used by elderly couples are also fine if they don’t perform intimate behaviours.
Caller: Can we burn Little Houses in front of the altar inside the bedroom?
Master Lu: As the altar is already inside the bedroom, you can burn Little Houses there.
Things to watch out for when setting up an altar in children’s bedroom
Wenda20140831B 02:37
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: A practitioner’s child is two years old. He sleeps in a room where an altar is set up. He sometimes doesn’t wear pants or nappies. At times, he needs to pee in the bedroom in the middle of the night. Is this considered disrespectful to the altar?
Master Lu: Of course it is. It’s best to install a cabinet door on the altar and close the door after burning the incense.
Caller: The altar is an open altar, and it is quite big. Can they place the potty where it can hardly be seen?
Master Lu: It’s best to hide it completely or cover it with something. Place a piece of furniture or a divider to block it. The problem isn’t about its visibility; it’s about its odour. It’s not too strict if the bedroom is used by young children.
<Issues about setting up an altar on the balcony>
Having an altar on the balcony
Wenda20131110B 08:01
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: My altar is quite tall. I have finished renovating it and I want to place it on the balcony as my house is too small to fit it in.
Master Lu: The altar can’t be set up if it is empty under the balcony, like a cantilevered balcony protruding from the face of the building.
Caller: It used to be a whole living room, but then I divided it into two parts. (Editor’s note: This is likely to refer to a dais or platform, rather than a balcony or mezzanine)
Master Lu: That would be fine then. Keep in mind that if you place a Bodhisattva’s altar on the balcony, it should not be empty underneath.
Caller: It’s not empty underneath. It is part of the living room. My living room was originally an open-plan space without boundaries. I then created a partition wall with bricks. I picked a spot for the altar. It was originally next to the couch. I have to stand up to offer incense every morning and night.
Master Lu: Better not place the altar too high above your head. It should be okay. Remember, never place the altar on a cantilevered balcony. This would bring bad fortune to your family.
Caller: Should the Bodhisattva’s image face outwards or inwards?
Master Lu: It’s a separated space, right? Don’t let it face the bed, but you can put it parallel to the bedhead instead.
Caller: Mine is not like that. The balcony faces a big shopping mall. We can see far beyond the mall. My living room is just behind the altar.
Master Lu: That’s okay then. No problem.
<Altar being near a couple’s room or kitchen>
It’s advisable to separate the altar and the kitchen because it’s not clean
ZongShu20141115 56:01
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Master, is my altar okay?
Master Lu: You should tidy up the space on the left-hand side of the altar.
Caller: Okay, will do.
Master Lu: The right side is pretty good.
Caller: The kitchen is on the left.
Master Lu: No wonder.
Caller: We have adopted a full vegetarian diet for the past two years.
Master Lu: However, a kitchen is still very dirty. It’s best to separate it from the altar. Use a piece of cloth or put a divider in between.
Caller: There is a curtain in between but I don’t really close it.
Master Lu: You always need to keep the curtain closed.
Caller: Alright. Thank you, Master.
Having a bedroom behind the altar
Shuohua20140418 26:51
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: What if our bedroom is behind the altar?
Master Lu: If a couple is sleeping behind the altar, just think about it. How disrespectful will that be… Do you think a wall can really separate the bedroom and the altar?
Caller: Alright, what if it is my own bedroom?
Master Lu: If it’s your bedroom, make sure neither your head nor your feet are pointing directly at the altar.
Caller: Okay.
Master Lu: If your mind is clean, you don’t have to worry.
Caller: Understood.
Master Lu: If you always surf on the internet or read pornographic materials, you are in trouble.
Caller: I see.
Having an altar near a couple’s room
Wenda20141024 13:44
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: I have set up an altar on the balcony (that is connected to the ground) right next to a couple’s room. I want to hang a landscape painting on the wall of the balcony. Should the painting face the balcony or the room?
Master Lu: Hang it on both sides. If it’s a couple’s room, make sure the bed is as far as possible from the altar.
Caller: Understood, thank you Master. (Note: It is best to avoid setting up an altar on the balcony, unless the balcony is clean and tidy and connected to the ground.)
3.3 Things to watch out for
Introduction to the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door
5. Setting Up Altars and Making Offerings
An excerpt
1）Avoid setting up an altar in a couple’s room
It’s okay if the room is used by elderly couples or someone living by themselves. Make sure the bed isn’t pointing directly at the altar. If the altar must be set up in a couple’s room, near a television or somewhere messy, it is best for the altar to have doors or a red curtain covering it. Close the cabinet door or the curtain when the incense isn’t burning.
2）Avoid setting up an altar above a TV, fridge, or directly underneath an air conditioner
If the altar is near a TV or a messy environment, it is best to install a cabinet door for the altar. When the incense isn’t burning, close the cabinet door. Do not turn on the TV when the incense is burning. Never place a glass dome on the Bodhisattva’s image or statue.
3）Never set up an altar suspended in mid-air
Everything on the altar including Bodhisattvas’ images, incense burners and oil lamps must not be suspended in mid-air. There must be support underneath such as a table, a cabinet or a shelf to connect them to the ground.
4）The back of an altar shouldn’t be against a glass window; it needs to be against a wall
The best location would be next to a window where it is bright, but its back shouldn’t be against the glass. There needs to be a wall behind it. If it has to be against the window, make sure the window is closed at all times and also hang a landscape painting.
5）Avoid setting up an altar on a cantilevered balcony
An indoor balcony or mezzanine is acceptable.
6）An altar shouldn’t be too low or too high
The image of the Bodhisattva should be placed in a position where you have to slightly raise your head to see it. The Bodhisattva’s eyes should be at a level higher than yours. (If the images are too low, you can place a presentable box underneath to raise the images. The box shouldn’t have been used to store something non-vegetarian or dirty. Do not use shoe boxes.)
7）The back of an altar must neither be a kitchen or toilet, nor should it face a kitchen or toilet. It is best for an altar to be far away from these places
8）Do not place it next to the stairway or in the attic
9）Avoid setting up an altar behind, above or underneath a couple’s room
When there’s intimate behaviour between a couple, it’s disrespectful to have Bodhisattvas nearby.
10）Avoid having mirrors near an altar
11）Avoid setting up an altar in the garage
A garage is an extended area as it doesn’t belong to the primary part of a house. Therefore, it’s not a proper space for an altar, for the same reason as a cantilevered balcony.
12）The bed should never point directly at an altar
The end of the bed shouldn’t point directly at an altar. A bedhead should not be behind an altar. It’s okay for it to be slightly towards the side of the altar.
13）The images or statues of Bodhisattvas should not be placed on different levels of a cabinet
The images of Bodhisattvas should be placed on the same level (e.g. do not place them on different shelves in a cabinet)
14）There shouldn’t be sewage pipes, beams or a toilet above an altar