Basic Tibetan Altar with Chakra Sungkhor
The most basic shrine consists of a statue or picture of a deity or lama elevated above a set of seven offering bowls and one butter lamp. The offering bowls are placed in a straight line along the front of the shrine table, and are spaced apart no more than the length of a grain of rice. Do take care also that the bowls are not too close together or touching; a neat and regular order and spacing is auspicious. A butter lamp, tea light, or decorative electric candle or light is set in the middle of the row of bowls between the fourth and fifth bowl, as the sequence of the offerings represented by the bowls and light are, from left to right:
argham, fresh water for drinking;
Pure, clean water offered to the Buddha for drinking and to cleanse the mouth or face. “The purity of the water has 8 qualities: crystal clarity, coolness, sweetness, lightness, softness, freedom from impurities. It is soothing to the stomach and makes the throat clear and free”. This offering symbolizes the auspicious results of all virtuous causes and conditions. In the Seven Limb Puja, it represents Homage & Prostration.
padyam, perfumed water for bathing;
Pure, clean water offered for bathing our object of Refuge, the Buddha, and our precious Teacher. Typically the water was offered to bathe the feet and the water was scented with sandalwood or other sweet scent. This offering symbolizes purification of our negative karma and obscurations. In the Seven Limb Puja, it represents Offering.
pushpe, flowers;
This offering represents all the various types of beautiful flowers in the entire universe that can be offered, as well as medicinal flowers, fruits and grains. It symbolizes the beauty and flowering of Enlightenment and signifies the opening of one’s heart. In the Seven Limb Puja, the flower represents Confession.
dhupe, incense;
Incense makes an offering of beautiful smell to the Buddha and symbolizes morality, ethics and discipline which are the basic causes and conditions from which pure enlightened qualities are cultivated. In the Seven Limb Puja, incense represents Rejoicing in all the virtue in the world both ordinary and extraordinary.
aloke, light;
This offering comes in the form of light that includes all natural light such as the sun, moon and stars, as well as all types of man-made forms of light such as lamps and candles. The light symbolizes the dispelling of all darkness of the mind, all ignorance. Ignorance here means being ignorant or unaware of one’s true inherent Buddha Nature. Light is offered to the eyes of all the Enlightened ones who see with pristine clarity. In the Seven Limb Puja, light representsRequesting the Buddhas to always offer Dharma teaching.
gendhe, perfume;
This offering represents all beautiful fragrance or perfume that one can smell or put on the body. Perfume is offered to the Buddha’s mind and symbolizes the perseverance and joyful effort that is the heart of Enlightenment. Without perseverance all the other enlightened qualities could not arise in the mind. In the Seven Limb Puja, perfume represents Beseeching the Buddhas to remain in the world.
nevidya, celestial food; and
Excellent, delicious food of all kinds and various tastes is offered to the Three Jewels. This offering symbolizes the clear and stable mind of Samadhi, or meditative absorption. In the Seven Limb Puja, food represents Dedication of all merit for the benefit of all sentient beings.
shapda, music.
Musical instruments such as cymbals, bells, lutes, and string instruments that create beautiful sound is offered to the ears of the Buddha. Sound symbolizes the Buddha’s Wisdom nature and the extraordinary Compassion that arises naturally from the Wisdom mind.
You may offer fresh water daily in all seven of the bowls, along with a fresh light, or you may have physical representations of some of the offerings that would remain on the shrine from day to day. In that case, you would offer water in the first two bowls (argham, padyam); then place fresh, silk or dried flowers in the third (pushpe); sticks of incense in the fourth (dhupe); then your lamp (aloke); then fresh water in the fifth bowl (gendhe); a torma or piece of fruit or candy in the sixth (nevidya); and finally a shell to represent sound or music in the seventh bowl. The permanent offerings should be placed on a bed of rice or semi-precious stones in their respective bowls.
When opening the shrine in the morning, with the intention that all beings may benefit from your generosity and with the view that all the Buddhas and holy beings are indeed present, fill the bowls from left to right with fresh water. Try to fill them evenly, neither too full, at different levels, nor too empty. Pour the water in an even stream while reciting the dedication prayer shown below. Mentally make your offerings as vast, pure, perfect, and delightful as you can. After filling the bowls, you offer a butter lamp or tea light and a stick of incense.
The shrine should be closed every evening. Close the shrine by emptying the bowls from right to left. No verse is necessary here. Water from the bowls should not be poured down the drain or dumped out where people walk. It may be used to water plants or simply poured out on clean ground. Then the bowls are dried with a clean cloth kept for that purpose and placed upside down in their places on the shrine.
Your shrine may be much more elaborate than this, with vajra and bell placed on the same level as the statues, and with tormas and other ritual objects. Ask a lama for help in properly organizing your shrine and try to make it as clean and beautiful as your means allow.
Dedication Prayer
CHAG TSAL WA DANG CHOD CHING SHAG PA DANG
By paying homage, making offerings, confession and
By paying homage, making offerings, confession and
JE SU YI RANG KUL SHING SOL WA YI
Rejoicing, requesting and beseeching,
Rejoicing, requesting and beseeching,
GE WA CHING SED DAG GI CHI SAG PA
Whatever virtue I have gained through these efforts,
Whatever virtue I have gained through these efforts,
THAM CHED DAG GI JYANG CHUB CHIR NGO'O
I dedicate it all to the enlightenment of all beings!
I dedicate it all to the enlightenment of all beings!