your home altar/shrine

[texastheravadin]

I think you need to worry less about what the Invisible Buddhist Shrine Police think and just be happy with the fact that you're doing your best to set aside a small place for contemplation

There's no way I can get my Buddha rupa any higher above my head. First off, it's a standing Buddha, and it's 18 inches tall, and 4 inches wide, so I'm terrified it's going to fall over. Also, my altar is a small dresser stand I inherited from my grandmother when I moved out...it's very narrow, and I barely have enough space to hold the standing Buddha, a candle, incense and burner, flowers, a tiny sitting Buddha, and two Dhamma books (the Dhammapada and In The Buddha's Words).

I think it's the thought that counts. I don't have the money or space to set up an elaborate, Thai-style shrine like the ones at the wat, with beautiful hand carved, multiple shelved altars and golden Buddha rupas everywhere. I just do the best I can. I can't face it directly east, so I have it facing Northeast-ish. I can't get lotuses down here, so I use roses.

Besides, the point is that your shrine is uniquely you!



josh

[Viriya]

*laughs* I wasn't actually too worried, I just wanted to pre-empt any comments with respect to the height of the buddha image. (=

[son of dhamma]

Right click and select "view image" to see full image, please.
Simple Dhamma shrine. Incense urn, burner, tea cup for water or tea, candles, Buddha statue, picture of Buddha and disciples under Bodhi Tree, holy water (water from a spring where a powerful deva lives) which I bless by virtue of merit, charm blessed by friend who is a monk, spirit candle (unlit), book and small mala.

[VictoryInTruth]

My first newbie post with a picture of my simple little shrine....

[Reductor]

My first newbie post with a picture of my simple little shrine....

I like everything on that shrine. Nice.

[octathlon]

My first newbie post with a picture of my simple little shrine....

Nice shrine, nice colors.

[VictoryInTruth]

My first newbie post with a picture of my simple little shrine....

Nice shrine, nice colors.

Thanks.

[VictoryInTruth]

My first newbie post with a picture of my simple little shrine....

I like everything on that shrine. Nice.

Thank you.

[gingercatni]

heres mine

[adeh]

Such beautiful altars...here's mine...Adeh...

[VictoryInTruth]

Hi everyone...I came across another Buddha statue that had such a serene look to his face that I had to buy it so that it would remind to keep up with my meditation and not give up. I also got an unusual Buddha batik tapestry image as well. So here is how my altar looks now.

[adeh]

Nice batik....

[Cittasanto]

I have resembled my shrine, with some extra bits!
http://manapa.multiply.com/photos/album/16#photo=75

http://manapa.multiply.com/photos/album/16#photo=76
what is on the shrine

and I can not remember where I would post this but here is the Buddha relic I told Ben about
http://manapa.multiply.com/photos/album/16#photo=77

[David2]

Nice explanation grahpic.

[Cittasanto]

it isn't a formal arrangement or anything, but the black disk in the last image is about the size of a standard coaster.

[Hickersonia]

My shrine is probably put to shame (in more than one manner) by the others shared here, but I suppose I could share it anyway. I am a man of fairly meager means (at least in my opinion), so I hope it doesn't seem too simple or even "silly."



I've had most of it set up for a little while now, with the backdrop Dharmachakra set up today after seeing a couple of your shrines and realizing that I could make something relatively simply that would fill the space in the back. The red books to the right and left were printed and bound at home using basic craft materials and online resources that I have found useful in my practice (I made a similar book that lives in my car). The pedestal is also a homemade creation from a wire basket, ribbon, and yarn.

The placement of it is not ideal, but it is what I consider a reasonable compromise between having to place it someplace worse (cold, dark, sometimes wet basement) or not having it set up at all -- my wife is not Buddhist and I am trying to be considerate in how I express myself so far as my own religious beliefs are concerned so as to not make her terribly uncomfortable. She works at a Lutheran church/preschool and her and her family are members of that church, so I imagine the situation could get really weird for her if not approached in the proper manner. All this said, much of the materials I used were offered freely by her for my creative expressions in setting up my shrine, so I do imagine a much more proper, and ornate, display in the future as I progress and mature in my practice.

[dhamma_newb]

Hi Hickersonia,

I think it is beautiful. Speaking of simple, here's my shrine:



It's a work in progress. I picked up the Buddha statue at an art shop in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware a couple of years back while I was stationed on the East Coast. I bought it as decoration for my apartment and never thought that some day it would be a part of my spiritual practice. It's traveled with me from the East Coast back home to Hawai'i in one piece (I believe it's made of soapstone and it's pretty fragile). I'm not sure where the statue was made. The card with the yellow lotus is from the bhikkhunī who performed my Refuge ceremony. The red lotus in the Buddha's hand is an origami that my friend made for me.

[Cittasanto]

Hi Hickersonia
I think it is really nice!

how did you bind the Book? it is something I am interested in myself.

[Ben]

Very nice shrines, Cittasanto, Hickersonia and Dhamma_newb!

[Fede]

Ok.
I really don't mean this to be so hopelessly off-topic, but i have pictures in my files, to post and show...
but how do I attach them?
I looked at the 'forum instructions' but you need a url address or something... what's the url address to a personal photo - ?
i can post photos on other websites by adding an attachment, but it's not possible here...?
I tried by using the [img] formatting thingy on the toolbar.....
no dice...
I'm flummoxed.....
i'm also about as much of a technical fudgewit as it's possible to be, so answers with words of no more than 2 syllables will do nicely, thanks....