How to set up a Buddhist hall in a Buddhist family
As a Buddhist disciple, in addition to frequently going to the temple to worship, listen to scriptures and participate in puja practice, if the cause is sufficient, you can also set up a Buddhist hall at home.
(1) The importance and function of the family Buddhist hall
Setting up a family Buddhist hall is not only convenient for self-class practice, but also has the following special meanings and functions:
1. It has the effect of stabilizing people's hearts: Setting up a Buddhist hall at home not only shows that we are Buddha disciples and has a refuge in our faith, but also shows our respect and respect for Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Moreover, having a Buddhist hall at home is like the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who often follow us, giving us blessings and support, which can produce stability and security.
2. It has the purpose of spreading the Dharma and saving the people: It is a very honorable thing to have a Buddhist hall at home, and if you encounter relatives and friends visiting, you can lead them to visit the Buddhist hall. If there are believers, you can invite them to offer incense and worship, and have a thoughtful exchange with each other on the Dharma. If you have not yet become a believer, you can take this opportunity to explain in detail the solemnity of the Buddha and the names and uses of the Dharma objects, and praise the merits of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the greatness of the Buddha, and the benefits of believing in the Buddha, so that they can have a preliminary understanding of Buddhism, leave a good impression, and be liberated when the cause and effect are ripe.
3. Provide a place for self-study in class: The Buddhist hall can provide us with the functions of morning and evening recitation, worship, meditation, and scripture study, through the practice in the Buddhist hall, we can get rid of troubles, change temperament, increase blessings and wisdom, and purify the body and mind.
4. Never forget to lose the heart of practice: If Buddhist disciples are busy with their careers or because their homes are far away from the monastery, they may gradually become estranged from the Three Jewels and forget their bodhicitta, as people say: "After studying Buddhism for a year, the Buddha is in front of you; After three years of studying Buddhism, the Buddha is on the edge of the sky." If there is a Buddhist hall at home, we will live with the Buddha all the time, reminding us not to forget our original intention and make unremitting efforts.
(2) How to arrange the family Buddhist hall
The layout of the family Buddhist hall is simple and solemn. How to arrange it? The following methods are proposed for reference:
1. Buddha statue: enshrined in the center of the Buddhist hall, the size should match the Buddha hall. As:
*1 Shakyamuni Buddha
*2 Three Treasure Buddhas (Shakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Medicine Buddha)
*3 The Three Saints of the West (Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and Dashi Bodhisattva)
*4 The Three Saints of Huayan (Shakyamuni Buddha, Manjushri Bodhisattva, Puxian Bodhisattva)
*5 Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva
*6 Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
*7 Amitabha
The worship of Buddha and Bodhisattva icons should be simple and solemn, whether it is a seated statue, a standing statue, or a lying statue, you can choose one to offer, and avoid chaotic offerings that lose the solemnity.
2. Donor: vases, candlesticks, and lampstands can be placed on the table, which should be symmetrical; The incense burner is placed in the middle, and the incense is burned in the morning and evening; One or three cups of purifying water, and tea is offered in the morning.
3. Magic tools: You can prepare wooden fish and large chimes (or lead chimes), and do not disturb others when beating.
4. Scriptures: The recitation book can be neatly placed in front of the Buddha to keep the Buddhist hall clean and solemn, and it can also be collected, and then taken out during the recitation. If there is space in the Buddhist hall, it is best to set up a sutra cabinet, where all Buddhist scriptures, Buddhist books, Buddhist magazines, etc. can be displayed for people to read.
In addition, the front of the offering table is surrounded by a table and hung with a solemn cloth, and flags can also be hung on both sides of the offering table, and a worship mat can be placed in front of the Buddha to facilitate worship or class recitation.
5. Buddhist hall couplets (for reference)
(1) Horizontal criticism: Wande solemnity (2) Horizontal criticism: Lotus Pond Sea Meeting
Right: Conduct and hold on to the cold of the year. Right: If you don't think of Amitabha, who else will you think of?
Left: Cultivation must be refined from worldly matters. Left: My Buddha is compassionate and broad-minded, and all sentient beings should save me
(3) Horizontal criticism: intelligent as the sea (4) Horizontal criticism: Buddha's light shines everywhere
Right: Lotus seat Li Nengren Right: There is no one in heaven and the world like the Buddha, and the ten worlds are incomparable
Left: Baye Line Cultivation Blessing Wisdom Left: I see everything in the world that is like a Buddha
(5) Horizontal criticism: Buddha's light shines
Right: The Pure Land Lotus is waiting for you
Left: Family and relatives are all Buddhas
(3) Precautions for setting up Buddhist halls
If you want to set up a Buddhist hall at home or have already set up a Buddhist hall, you should pay attention to the following matters:
1. When setting up a Buddhist hall, just choose a clean, well-lit, quiet and not noisy place, not necessarily magnificent, the most important thing is to have a pious and respectful heart.
2. If you live in the same place with your family, colleagues, classmates, etc., you should obtain everyone's consent before setting up a Buddhist hall; If others do not agree, you can collect convenient Buddha statues instead, invite them out during the recitation, and then collect them after the recitation.
3. There is no need to choose an auspicious day and time to set up a Buddhist hall, nor do you need to look at the geographical direction, as long as you are sincere, "every day is a good day, and every time is a good time".
4. The icons of Buddha and Bodhisattva can be painted on paper, woodcut, copper, etc., as long as the size and style are solemn and respectful.
5. If there is a Buddhist table, you can display ritual vessels, vases, candlesticks (or electric lampstands), incense burners, water purification cups, fruit trays, etc., and the items can be increased or decreased, as long as they are symmetrical and solemn.
6. The left or right side of the Buddha statue can be used to worship ancestors.
7. If someone dies in the family, the Buddha statue does not need to be covered.
8. The Buddhist hall should not be used to help the maid ask for divination.
(4) Etiquette of the family Buddhist hall
Since a Buddhist hall has been set up in the home, it should be regarded as a temple hall, and the etiquette of the Buddhist hall should be observed:
1. All items in the Buddhist hall, including Buddha statues, ritual objects, worship chairs, scriptures, flowers, candles, fruits and other offerings, should be neat and orderly.
2. Flowers do not have to be changed every day. On the anniversary of meeting the Buddha and Bodhisattva, you must prepare rice and vegetarian dishes.
3. It is best to have regular morning and evening classes every day, at least in the morning and evening, you must burn incense (water supply can be provided in the morning), and you must continue to do so every day.
4. Buddhist halls, offering tables, incense burners, and candlesticks should be cleaned frequently to keep the Buddhist hall clean and solemn.
5. When cleaning the Buddhist hall and Buddhist table, there should be special cloths, buckets, etc., and cleaning utensils should not be shared with other places.
6. The Buddhist hall is a pure and solemn place, which is used for worship, recitation, meditation, and study of scriptures, and is not suitable for frolicking, laughing, entertaining, eating, etc., so as not to lose respect for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
7. Before going out and returning home, you should go to the Buddha to worship, just as you are reporting and greeting your parents and elders at home, to show your gratitude, respect, and remembrance to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
8. The light in the Buddhist hall should be kept bright. Before going out, you should extinguish the flames of oil lamps and incense candles to ensure safety.
9. The magic instrument is the ears and eyes of the dragon, and if you want to sigh the hammer during the recitation, you should also do the same, and the voice should be low, so as not to disturb the neighbors or family members and cause disgust to others.
