What is the emphasis on worshipping the Buddha and the God of Wealth at home?

How to set up a Buddhist altar at home? This is a question that people often ask. In other words, do you need to set up a Buddhist temple to study Buddhism at home? If yes, how to set it up?

It depends on everyone's situation. If the residence is very small, or if you live in a public dormitory, it is definitely inconvenient to share one room and one house with your colleagues and classmates. Then, only when you recite the scriptures regularly in class, you can temporarily show the Buddhist scriptures as Buddha statues and put them in a considerable position. There is no need to set incense burners and candlesticks, and there is no need to provide water, flowers and incense. Just ask questions and worship before and after class to show piety and respect. If both roommates and roommates believe in Buddhism, of course, you can set up a Buddhist altar or hall with the same name; If you are the only one who studies Buddhism devoutly, you should not arouse public anger by forcibly entering the Buddhist altar because of your special performance.

If only one person in the whole family studies Buddhism, they should also live in public dormitories, otherwise it will cause family quarrels. Don't make your family feel disgusted and resentful about Buddhism because of learning Buddhism. If the whole family believes in Buddhism, learns Buddhism, or you are a parent, or a couple are classmates, and there is still a room or room at home, it is best to set up a Buddhist altar or hall.

If you set up a Buddhist altar, you should choose a suitable position in the living room, that is, the direction in which the owner sits. Don't face the window behind the Buddha statue, but face the doors and windows so that people can see it at a glance when they enter the door. The Buddhist altar is the center of the family and should have the function of stability and security. As for the location determined by geographers, it can be used as a reference, but there is no need to stick to superstition. As long as you don't point the Buddha at the toilet, the stove or directly at your bed. When setting up a Buddhist temple, you should choose a quiet room, not a place where children, cats and dogs play; Nor is it a place for people to gather, laugh and have a feast. It is only used for chanting and meditation, and it is not used for other purposes.

Gods such as Gong, Mazu, land, ancestors, and the main cards of gods, which were originally provided at home, should not be abolished immediately because they believed in Buddhism and learned from Buddhism, but should be gradually carried out. First, put the icons of Buddha and Bodhisattva in the right place and the ancestral cards of other gods on both sides, so there is no need to put incense tables and candlesticks. Because all good gods and ancestors will protect and be close to the Three Treasures, they can also become disciples of the Three Treasures after offering sacrifices to Buddha and Bodhisattva icons and gain the benefits of Buddhism. The next time you move the Buddhist altar and the Buddhist temple, you can keep the original statues as antiques.

As for the ancestral cards, they can be moved to the ancestral hall of the temple and do not need to be enshrined at home. If you still want to worship, you can put it under the Buddha statue or move it to another place and worship it alone in an ancestral altar smaller than the Buddha altar. For example, if the temple is big, there will be another hall for the dead, specially for the dead card; If the temple is small, longevity cards and past life cards will be provided on both sides of the main hall Buddha altar. This can not only show filial piety to ancestors, but also show lofty belief in buddhas and bodhisattvas, which is different from filial piety.

Families don't need too much, too complicated and too messy to worship Buddha and Bodhisattva icons. One Buddha can represent ten thousand buddhas, and one bodhisattva can represent all buddhas and bodhisattvas. Most families worship Guanyin Bodhisattva, Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha and Pharmacist Buddha. You can choose one of them. If there are already icons of Buddha and Bodhisattva, put the Buddha statue in the middle or above the back, and the Bodhisattva in the front or below. We must make the Buddha stand out to show its dignity. The size of the icon should be commensurate with the spatial position of the Buddhist altar and the Buddhist temple, neither too big nor too small. If the icon is small and made of seven treasures, you can carve multiple niches to set off the greatness of the Buddha statue.

After purchasing the Buddha and Bodhisattva icons, most people advocate holding the opening ceremony. From the Buddhist point of view, the opening ceremony is not necessarily necessary. Because Buddha and Bodhisattva statues are only used as tools for practice, the feelings of Buddha and Bodhisattva are everywhere, and icons are used as tributes. Without an icon, it cannot be the object of worship, support and respect. Through this kind of practice, you can get the benefits of practice and get the induction of Buddha and Bodhisattva. But the most important thing is the feeling of confidence, piety and respect, not the icon itself. Therefore, it doesn't matter whether the icon is open or not.

When Buddha Sakyamuni was alive, disciples of the world missed the Buddhist temple for three months and offered sacrifices for its statues. There is no record of opening the light. For future generations, scriptures, images, objects, towers and temples represent the life and changes of the Buddha. However, the grand ceremony can make more people respect each other, so there are various sacrificial ceremonies gradually, and the opening of the light is one of them. So up to now, if a new Buddha statue is carved in a temple, it is also a gathering of believers to hold a ceremony to open the light. This is like the opening ceremony of the school, the opening of the company number and the ribbon-cutting ceremony when the building is completed. It is necessary to announce it carefully to the public, so the ceremony is held.

As for individuals, there is no need to tell the public when offering Buddha and Bodhisattva icons at home, so there is no need to hold a ceremony to open the light. As long as they put the icons for worship with piety and reverence, and then offer them with incense, flowers, fruits and other offerings day after day to keep them fresh, neat and clean, they can show the sacred atmosphere where the icons are located, thus arousing the moral heart of practitioners.

In order to keep the indoor air fresh, the incense should be fine. It is advisable to burn incense once in the family Buddhist temple. Don't light a lot of incense sticks, so as not to cause indoor air turbidity. Natural sandalwood and agarwood are the best fragrance types, and it is not suitable to use thread fragrance or stick fragrance modulated by chemical spices or animal spices. In the Buddhist temples of modern families, electric lights can replace candles, and sacrificial tables, incense burners and candlesticks should be cleaned frequently and new offerings should be provided. At the very least, there should be no dust or withered and rotten flowers and fruits. It is best to have regular morning and evening classes every day, at least burn incense and provide water in the morning and evening. Before going out and after arriving home, you should also worship the Buddha to show your gratitude, respect and concern.