How To Set Up A Tibetan Buddhist Altar

The Buddhist altar serves a practitioner in a number of ways. Firstly it is a visualization aid that inspires the practitioner to remember the qualities of the Buddhas and to progressively let go of samsaric attachments. The altar is also a field of merit through which the practitioner can accumulate merits through the act of cleaning and making offerings. This introductory video is a guide to setting up various types of altars according to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, from the simplest to the most extensive.
For more introductory videos on Dorje Shugden's practice: www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=66785

[@phnglikim]

Eventhough I have followed pictures and the Pastors have always helped me in my altars, I have never fully understood the meaning of every item. Yes I admit, decorating my altar was my personal vanity issue, I just wanted it to look pretty. But now I rejoice to know that every beautiful item has a deeper meaning for our spiritual journey. I thank Kechara and Rinpoche for the enlightening set of teachings videos. I will watch this one many times to fully absorb.

[@spiritofzen7022]

Yes I agree with you I was exactly the same, I decorated my shrine to be aesthetically beautiful, which is fine but I had no understanding of what my items on my shrine actually meant. Now I have an understanding of what these items mean and now it is both beautiful and meaningful 🙏🏽❤️

[@mariusbaltazarrozenberg-ho9367]

When I used to do the offerings on Tuesdays at my local Dharma centre a long time ago - from the jug - a drop of water in each bowl after turning it over, so there'd not be any empty bowls on the shrine, each drop in each bowl imagined as each of the offering substances - argham, padha, pupe, dhupe, aloke, gandhe, newide, shapta, water to drink, water to wash with, flowers, incense, light, perfume, food & music, then I'd go back to the 1st bowl (all of them positioned perfectly, 1 grain of rice apart, in a straight line) & recite the increasing offerings mantra as I'd pour the water into the bowls, imagining the water to be millions of wonderful offerings, the increasing mantra: "Om namo bhagawate benze sara prama dane samyak sambuddhaya tayata om benze benze maha benze maha tenza benze maha biya benze maha bodhichitta benze maha bodhi mando pasam tramana benze sarwa karma awarana bisho dana benze soha."

[@gerhardheydrich3146]

Excellent teaching, so Very clear and Greatly appreciated.

[@P.ilhaformosatherium]

I was born in the Chinese branch ( I was brought up in Chinese Buddhist ways) We also have something similar to this

[@MahimaSaxena]

Thank you for this methodical presentation. It has helped me understand meaning of various icons and their arrangements, the Buddhist way.

[@sebee555]

Thank you for your comment :) Connecting with the energies of enlightened beings can only benefit us!

[@amnusidd2505]

Thank you very much for your sharing !

[@dracokaiser]

Best to give water offerings to bonsai plants

[@sumitraturwankar9804]

🙏🙏🙏

[@elmirhusseinsuzuki8109]

Thank you soo much this is very helpful

[@gohjacinta28]

ELMiR Altewaig Hope you will have a nice altar where you can further your spiritual practice.

[@elmirbratic1211]

@@gohjacinta28 thank you very much by the way that was my old channel! From 2018!

[@eternalspiralbooks8389]

Great pair of videos. So easy to understand with all of the images and visuals, and his patient instructions. Thank you all so much for this wonderful help with our practices.

[@gohjacinta28]

English Study Buddy Thanks for your comment here. If you can, do drop more of your valuable comments in Rinpoche's blog here www.tsemrinpoche.com or join in any scheduled chat on various Buddhist topics here www.tsemrinpoche.com/chat . If you are fortunate enough, you might stumble across Rinpoche in person!

[@1sornram]

Thanks

[@marsyasian]

Where does this guy get his statues, I can't find nothing close to this quality

[@MrNicho06]

Hello rinpoche, thank you for the guide. I have a corner for the altar, but besides it there is a toilet door, is that okay?

[@jennytan2301]

The Ten Wholesome Ways 1. NO KILLING 2. No stealing 3. No sexual misconduct 4. No lying 5. No abusive speech 6. No slander 7. No enticing speech 8. No greed 9. No anger and 10. No ignorance/delusion/attachment

[@nicholaschiazza7926]

The Shugdenites just flunked No. 10.

[@MahimaSaxena]

I would like to know which offerings one can partake as a blessed grace and which must be discarded. I am a Hindu and would like to know more about Buddhist ways.

[@elisafinch1325]

Please write your speach..people with litle inglish we can undertood..thank you...Elisa

[@AppleliciousStory]

I am just getting started on buddhism and wanted to start chanting the vajrasattva mantra, but I stopped myself because I don’t know whether is it appropriate. My family is buddhist themselves, but they do not have an image of vajrasattva on their altar. Must I have an image of vajrasattva? Previously, I often try to visualise vajrasattva on my own through an image through my laptop.

[@dracokaiser]

Where can one get torma wrathful offerings? Where can you get the eight auspicious sign offerings?

[@divyab5858]

Hi master renpoche can you guide me what we should do for medicine or herbs offerings or biscuts.. should we disgard them... If so can we do so in our garden or under a tree🌲

[@tsemrinpoche]

Hi divya b, If we have made offerings of medicine, herbs or biscuits on our altar, if they are still good to eat (i.e. not rotten), then we should give them away to others if it is convenient or appropriate to do so. If that is not possible, then Rinpoche would scatter the offerings in his garden so that it would feed the insects, or it would break down into the soil. On the related note, you might find this article titled "A Quick Note on Food Offerings" to be useful: www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=210719 Thank you

[@divyab5858]

@@tsemrinpoche thank you so much it means a lot to me. Can you guide me any email id which i can get in contact with you guys.. i have few doubts related to dorje shugden daily sadna

[@amylim8762]

Yeah I am outside I’ll be on in an impossible by about as we know nothing on on CRM is

[@dhaliadargent5072]

Good evening, I just have a naive question... So, I have a porcelain Hotei (budai) and it brings me such joy I made him an altar, he is quite large. I was wondering if it's allright too, since I never seen an altar exclusively dedicated to him. Any help? Thanks a lot

[@christineso231]

Hello Dhalia, do you mean Laughing Buddha Statue (budai)?

[@dhaliadargent5072]

@@christineso231 yep!

[@GenericGoon95]

@@dhaliadargent5072 In some traditions, the Laughing Buddha is considered an emanation of Maitreya. Since Maitreya is an enlightened being, it would be okay to set up an altar to him. However, it is always important for us to research ourselves and be aware of the nature of the being we are praying to. If the nature of the being is one of compassion and wisdom, then it is generally okay to set up an altar to them. If, in your tradition, the Laughing Buddha is not considered an enlightened being, you can still set up an altar and pray for blessings, since (I believe) he is often considered a positive being with compassion and wisdom. However, we are generally recommended to set up altars to enlightened beings (if we can), as they are able to give us the greatest level of positive blessings.

[@mariusbaltazarrozenberg-ho9367]

Skullcup mounted on a tripod of what?

[@akhiladeepu4222]

buddha sakyamuni is the most important to be on the altar right ?

[@theturtwig50]

That is correct.

[@wanwaimeng]

Depends on the buddhist tradition for most Theravadans Buddha Shakyamuni is essential, in Chinese mahayana tradition the main buddha piece could be Kuan Yin or or Amitabha, for Gelug Buddhist it will be Tsongkhapa.

[@theturtwig50]

Wai Meng Wan Hey there! I've been going to a temple that is affiliated with the Gelug school, and while Tsongkhapa is very important, we place the most importance on Shakyumuni.

[@akmakkidi7063]

Dear Rinpoche are you living in China

[@tsemrinpoche]

Hi A K Makkidi, H.E. Tsem Rinpoche entered clear light on Sept 4, 2019. You can find the official announcement and more information here: www.tsemtulku.com Thank you

[@Master_Blackthorne]

No, he's living with Shugden now.

[@tylerholman7247]

is that Dorje Shugden?

[@kailynnteh4703]

Did you mean the protector who is on your right next to Lama Tsongkapa? Yes. On the left is a statue of Vajrayogini.

[@wanwaimeng]

The first statue to appear on this video is Lama Tsongkhapa, the second statue to appear is Dorje Shugden.

[@indraperera2435]

Please introduce a book so that I can do the pooja correctly .indra perera.

[@Cityyogi]

Where might I find an identical Shugden statue in the video?🙏

[@mr.astrophile.9572]

How can we consider tsongkapa as a buddha .. ? Isnt he like other respected lamas like the dalai lama ?

[@gohjacinta28]

Akshay Deepu Hi... yes, generally all Buddhist will take refuge in Buddha Shakyamuni as He’s the supreme. He was the one came to earth and turned the Wheel of Dharma. Since Buddha has shown us the way, naturally we will take refuge in His teachings too; Dharma. It is through practicing what He has taught we gain enlightenment. When someone practicing, upholding the commitments and realising Dharma, and then we’ll have a lineage and this is why we also taking refuge under Sangha as their are the best examples of Buddha’s teachings as we do not have merits to meet Buddha in person. Why we have faith in His teachings? This is because we can see the examples given by Sangha. They are the one who practices BuddhaDharma. So, this is the reason why Teachers are being revered in most respectful manner as they are the one who can guide and show us the way. Hence, in some traditions such as Theravada, you can see statue of monks in most of the temples as they were being revered as highly realised monks that can benefits others even after their death. In certain lineage in Tibetan Buddhism, Guru Rinpoche is deemed as the second Buddha but in Gelug tradition, which is known as Yellow Hat lineage, Lama Tsongkhapa is deemed as the second Buddha. You can read more here www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/transcript-tsongkhapa-explained.html After reading Lama Tsongkhapa’s holy bio, I hope you will have more faith in Him and I wish you all the best.

[@lexnuss791]

Don't turn realization and yoga meditation into cultist religion. Use icons as yiddims for reflection and inspiration- reminders as satsang to continue pranayama, compassion and equanimity. All is Buddha, and Shakyamuini never wanted icons representing him. Better than a man tortured and hung up in a thunderstorm by church/state thugs, Buddha images remind us to take it easy and enjoy peace of mind, which becomes an example for others. "Don't follow leaders. Watch the parking meters." - Dylan. The guru is within us all. Tag! You're it.