4.1 Different styles of an altar
1）An open altar
This is the recommended style.
2）An enclosed altar
When conditions don’t allow, say, if the environment is messy or if the altar is close to the kitchen or a couple’s room due to limited space, it’s recommended to use an enclosed altar with a curtain or cabinet door. Open the curtain or the cabinet door when making incense offerings.
Different styles of platforms underneath the images/statues of Bodhisattvas (Optional: A wooden platform can be placed underneath an image or statue to make it taller.)
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 |
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| Podium-style | T-shaped | Bar-shaped |
Types of cloth used on an altar (for references only)
The altar will look more dignified with a piece of cloth covering the sides of the table. Yellow or golden-yellow napped fabric/satin is best.
A sample Buddhist altar
For further information, please refer to Section 5 on making offerings of water, oil, fruit and flowers
Incense burner;
Fruit tray;
Water cup;
Oil lamp;
Vase
<The altar>
It’s not appropriate to offer pearls on an altar
Wenda20131011 36:05
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Some practitioners ask if it’s appropriate to offer pearls on a Buddhist altar. Can they keep pearls in front of an altar?
Master Lu: No, it is inappropriate.
Caller: Should they remove the pearls then?
Master Lu: Yes.
Caller: What scriptures should they recite?
Master Lu: The Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance, they should recite 17 times.
The platform for the image/statue of a Bodhisattva must be made of wood. Do not use stones.
Wenda20140126B 14:56
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Stone belongs to the element of Yin and cannot be used it as the platform to support the Bodhisattva’s statue.
Do not wear prayer beads made from ivory or place them on an altar
Wenda20111225 94:33
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: My daughter’s friend just got back from Hong Kong and she bought me ivory beads. But I heard that it’s not good wearing prayer beads made from animal teeth. What should I do?
Master Lu: Do not wear them.
Caller: Can I place them on the altar?
Master Lu: No.
Caller: Should I place them in the drawer?
Master Lu: Wrap them with a piece of red cloth.
A Buddhist altar should only be used to make offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, not auspicious creatures
Wenda20141005A 1:01:35
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: There are two lion statues made of ceramic on our altar. Is this appropriate?
Master Lu: How can you place animal statues on your altar? An altar is dedicated to Bodhisattvas. Auspicious creatures can’t be placed together with Bodhisattvas. A Buddhist altar can only be used to pray to Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, not auspicious creatures.
Can we remove the image or statue of a dragon from the altar before reciting Little Houses?
Wenda20120325A 45:27
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: There are two dragon statues on our altar and my daughter had a dream that we needed to offer 150 Little Houses. We won’t be completing these Little Houses soon. Can we remove those statues first?
Master Lu: No. The Bodhisattva have already advised to offer 150 Little Houses (Note: This is an individual case), you can only remove the dragon statues after completing these Little Houses. Look how good this Dharma Door is. Previously, I advised you to remove images or statues of auspicious creatures from the altar. The Buddha gave you guidance in your dream to recite 150 Little Houses.
Caller: Yes.
Master Lu: Little Houses are acknowledged by all realms, be it Heaven, the Underworld or Human Realm.
Caller: Should the Little Houses be addressed to the karmic creditor of our house?
Master Lu: Yes. When you are reciting Little Houses, the karmic creditors won’t create trouble. Don’t have ill feelings or cast doubts about it.
Caller: I won’t. What should we do after completing 150 Little Houses?
Master Lu: Pay respect to them before removing. Do not touch them while the incense is burning; only do so after the incense and the oil lamp are extinguished.
Crystals and Dharma instruments on an altar
Collection of Master Jun Hong Lu’s discourses (3) – (an excerpt)
Question: A practitioner has hung a five-coloured flag at home. What scriptures should they recite to remove it?
Answer: The same way as you would when removing a Dharma instrument from an altar. The five-coloured flag is also a type of Dharma instrument, but each Dharma instrument serves as an offering to a specific Bodhisattva. Therefore, Master Lu didn’t advise to place a lot of instruments on the altar. A feng shui master might suggest placing certain things at certain places, but feng shui changes all the time. What is deemed to be good now may change next year. So to be safe, it is best not to place these Dharma instruments on the altar.
Question: What about a crystal ball with the Heart Sutra engraved on it?
Answer: Best not to. Scriptures are very sacred and have an aura. Whereas crystals are transparent which attract spirits easily. It is not respectful to carve scriptures on a crystal ball. Therefore, it’s best not to place it on an altar. Also, feng shui stones, fossils and purple crystals are also not advisable to be placed at home.
Question: Where should we store Pixiu (an auspicious creature) at home, or should we just dispose of it?
Answer: You can leave it there. Pixiu is a type of Dharma instrument. It doesn’t have a specific appearance so that’s good. The colour of green is a bit like jade, which is a symbol of power and wisdom. Placing it on the altar could improve your energy. Once the Bodhisattvas come, this Dharma instrument will be very powerful; but if Bodhisattva doesn’t visit, it’s not of much use.
<Altar cabinets>
NOTE: The shelves under an altar can be used to store scripture books, Buddhist instruments and prayer mats. Do not place sundries or irrelevant books within.
Altar cabinets – shelves, material and colours
Collection of Master Jun Hong Lu’s discourses (3) – (an excerpt)
Question: What kind of wood is best for an altar? Any requirements on the colour?
Answer: Not much. Generally, rose wood would be better but don’t use old wood. A lot of old wood contains spiritual energy and carries the Yin energy. Colour-wise, it’s not advisable to use a dark colour, as dark colours also carry the Yin energy and light colours carries the Yang energy. Use solid wood in a reddish colour. That’s why, wearing light-coloured clothes will make you happy, and dark-coloured ones will make you look old-fashioned.
Best colour for an altar cabinet
Wenda20140718 21:19
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Is it good for an altar to be milky white?
Master Lu: Milky white is okay, but it would be even better to cover it with a piece of yellow cloth.
Caller: A practitioner has made a milky-white cabinet and the altar has been set up in it. Should she recite the Great Compassion Mantra, Heart Sutra and Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 7 times each and cover the altar with yellow cloth?
Master Lu: No need to recite those scriptures. As long as the incense isn’t burning, they can just cover it.
Caller: Okay. What’s the best colour for an altar?
Master Lu: A little darker would be good. It’s not advisable for an altar to have drawers so it’s best to cover it with yellow cloth if it has one. If there’s no drawers, then vermilion or dark colours like brown or coffee colour are all okay.
Questions regarding setting up an altar
Wenda20140105A 01:14
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Male caller: A practitioner is setting up an altar today. His altar is composed of several cabinets. Is this okay?
Master Lu: It is not very good if it’s composed of individual compartments.
Caller: It is made from smaller squares. The top isn’t flat. He has placed the Bodhisattva’s statue in one cabinet and two incense burners in another.
Master Lu: It’s best to place Bodhisattvas’ statue in one cabinet. If the incense burners are placed separately, that’s okay.
Caller: As the surface isn’t big enough, the statue and the two incense burners cannot be placed together.
Master Lu: That would be fine. Do not place Bodhisattvas’ statues or images into many different compartments.
What if there’s a corner behind the altar?
Wenda20130524 37:53
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: My altar cabinet is triangle-shaped. The back of the statute is one of its angles. Is that okay?
Master Lu: Definitely not.
Caller: Should I change it?
Master Lu: Yes.
Caller: The room is used by my mother alone. Do I need to install a curtain?
Master Lu: If the room is used by your mother only, that would be fine.
Caller: What scriptures should I recite when changing the cabinet?
Master Lu: This is not necessary. You can do so when the incense isn’t burning.
Can an altar be stepped?
Wenda20141121 01:18:29
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Can an altar be stepped with different levels?
Master Lu: Yes.
Caller: The Bodhisattvas’ images will be placed on the top layer, and incense burners will be placed on the lower layer. It’s easier to clean it this way.
Master Lu: That’s fine.
Can a chest of drawers be used as an altar?
Wenda20140615B 15:44
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Is it not advisable to use a chest of drawers as an altar? The ones with multiple drawers.
Master Lu: When using these types of cabinets, be cautious what you store in them. Socks, undergarments etc. can’t be placed in these drawers.
Caller: It’s a new cabinet. Can I place things like Buddhist books?
Master Lu: Yes. In the past, a chest of drawers was called “the mouth of a tiger” according to feng shui. Therefore, it is best to cover it with yellow cloth.
4.2 The surroundings of an altar
Inappropriate books placed near an altar will produce a negative impact
ZongShu20160128 35:16
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Master, according to your requirements, is my altar okay?
Master Lu: Not bad but I can see that it’s a bit messy underneath the altar. It’s not very good.
Caller: There’s nothing there, it might be the space next to it.
Master Lu: Yes, very dirty.
Caller: I’ll need to tidy it up. Those are books.
Master Lu: You need to tidy it. If there are inappropriate contents in the books, you will be in trouble.
Caller: Okay, I’ll remove them.
Can a vase be hung on the wall next to the altar?
Wenda20120219 01:04:00
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: If there’s not enough space for a vase on the altar, can it be hung on the wall, next to the altar? There would be no support underneath the vase.
Master Lu: It’s okay for a vase but you can’t do the same to an altar.
Caller: It isn’t empty underneath the altar. But the altar is too small to fit a vase and I want to offer flowers. So, I’m thinking of placing the vase on the side.
Master Lu: That’s fine.
<The back of the altar>
4.3 Dos and Don’ts regarding the landscape painting
Do not frame the landscape painting. A blessed landscape painting has no boundary. Once it is framed, its energy will be limited.
Origin of the yellow landscape painting
Wenda20161216 51:08
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
You can’t find this landscape anywhere in the world. I sat next to a designer and told him how to create it on a computer step by step. I could see the mountain in Heaven, and I instructed him to paint it. You won’t find this landscape in the Human Realm. It’s nowhere to be seen. This landscape painting contains enormous power from Guan Yin Bodhisattva. It embodies both Yin and Yang— Water is Yin and the mountain is Yang. Hence, this image harmonises Yin and Yang. Hanging this landscape painting at home would produce great energy.
<About the yellow landscape painting behind the altar>
Do not place red cloth behind an altar
Wenda20141214A 02:06
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: A practitioner doesn’t have a landscape painting for an altar yet. Can he place a piece of red cloth at the back of his altar first?
Master Lu: No, otherwise Bodhisattva won’t visit.
The yellow landscape painting can only be placed behind the altar
Wenda20130714A 02:33
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Master, you advised us that the yellow landscape image can only be placed behind the altar.
Master Lu: Yes. The yellow landscape painting can only be placed behind the altar like the one in the Guan Yin Citta Practice Centre, and not anywhere else in the house. Its function is totally different. The blue landscape painting can be used to regulate feng shui, whereas the yellow one is a sacred scene. A practitioner hung it elsewhere and saw a lot of Bodhisattvas in the image. In fact, this is not respectful to randomly place it. Why is it best to place this image behind the altar? This image is very magnificent. The mountain is spectacular and has been blessed by the Bodhisattvas of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door. Once the mountain is blessed, it will have spiritual energy and spiritual influence. That’s why it is very beneficial to place it behind the images of statutes of Bodhisattvas, making it easy for Bodhisattvas to arrive or depart.
Caller: I understand.
If the energy field of the hallway behind the altar isn’t good, a landscape painting can be used to regulate the feng shui
Wenda20131006B 01:57
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Male caller: A practitioner’s altar is located behind the wall of a corridor connecting a bedroom and a toilet. In this case, should he hang a landscape painting on the wall of the corridor?
Master Lu: Of course. The image can be used to regulate feng shui and balance Yin and Yang.
The height of the yellow landscape painting
Wenda20120608 01:22:52
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Should we stick the yellow landscape painting on the wall behind the altar? What’s a suitable height?
Master Lu: Yes. The mountain can be slightly higher than the image or statute of the Bodhisattva. Try to have the Bodhisattva’s back against the mountain and the feet on floating clouds, which is water.
Things to watch out for when sticking the yellow landscape painting
Wenda20130712 04:35
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: I want to invite the Bodhisattvas off the altar temporarily so that I can stick the landscape painting to the wall. Is there anything I should pay attention to?
Master Lu: Do it only when the incense and the oil lamp are extinguished. You should also keep reciting the Heart Sutra during the whole process.
Caller: After offering morning incense, I’ll recite the Heart Sutra while inviting Bodhisattva’s images off the altar after the incense is fully burnt. Is it okay if I clean these images as well?
Master Lu: Yes.
When the landscape painting fades, can we replace it with a new one?
Wenda20151023 33:06
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: As time goes by, the colour of the landscape painting behind the altar fades. Will this have any effect? Should we replace it with a new one?
Master Lu: You can leave it for now and replace it later when the colour becomes too light. Things in the human world can be replaced, including the landscape painting which belongs to the human world. However, things in Heaven can’t be replaced. Therefore, you need to keep the Bodhisattva’s images even if the colour fades a lot.
Caller: Okay, if the colour of the landscape painting becomes very light and I would like to replace it, what scriptures should I recite?
Master Lu: You can just replace it. The new one will look much brighter, which would make the Bodhisattva happy and you will be filled with joy too.
The yellow landscape painting should not be lacking water
Wenda20161127A 46:33
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Hello Master. A practitioner recently got a yellow landscape painting for her altar. However, the image only has the mountain but no water. Is this okay?
Master Lu: That’s not good. The mountain and water form Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang need to harmonise. If there’s only a mountain in the image, the Yang energy will be too strong. A landscape image without water is like a family without a female, it loses a sense of security.
4.4 The Viewing angle, Height and Width of an Altar
The altar should not be too high or too low.
Introduction to the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door
5. Setting Up Altars and Making Offerings
An excerpt
The altar should not be too high or too low. It would be best if the statues or images of Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas on your altar are slightly above eye level. If they are too low, you can place something (such as a nice box) underneath to raise their height.
4.5 Lighting in the Buddhist hall
Avoid using cool white lighting or having a chandelier above the image of Bodhisattvas
Wenda20130818B 59:18
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Female caller: Master, please take a look at my altar.
Master Lu: It’s pretty good, but the overall colour is too white. (Why?) It’s not good if the colour is too white. It attracts spirits easily. You should change to a yellow tablecloth. (It is yellow.) How come it looks white to me?
Caller: There’s a problem. The altar looks too dim even though it’s by the window. I placed a lamp on the altar to brighten it up.
Master Lu: Is it a cool white light, like a fluorescent lamp? (Yes, it is cool white.) That’s no good. Change it to warm white. No-wonder the altar looks white to me, like snowy white.
Caller: There’s a chandelier above the altar, too.
Master Lu: Don’t place a chandelier above the images or statues of Bodhisattvas. The lighting should only come from the front.
Caller: Is everything else okay?
Master Lu: Yes, the rest is fine. Be cautious of the decorations. Change the cool white light as soon as you can or else it will attract spirits. Cool white light is also called Yin light, and warm white light is called Yang light.
The lamps on an altar can’t be on 24 hours a day
Wenda20120629 56:10
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Can the lamps on the altar be on 24 hours a day?
Master Lu: The lights in the Buddhist hall in your house can be, but not the lotus lamps on the altar.
The lighting around the altar should be brighter at night-time
Wenda20130526A 52:50
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Female caller: Hello Master, is my altar okay? I’m a bit concerned.
Master Lu: Not very good. You should adjust it.
Caller: What should I do?
Master Lu: Make it brighter.
Caller: My apartment is the brightest in the whole building.
Master Lu: Alright, but it’s not bright enough. There’s no sunlight at night. The lighting around the altar needs to be bright.
The lotus lamps should be switched off when incense isn’t burning
Wenda20140105A 28:27
(Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program)
An Excerpt
Caller: Can the lotus lamps on the altar be switched on when incense isn’t burning?
Master Lu: No. Once the lotus lamps are on, you need to light up the incense. Once the incense is finished burning, the lamps should be switched off straightaway. Lotus lamps are used to invite Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Caller: If that’s the case, can the lights in the Buddhist hall remain switched on?
Master Lu: Yes.