What is the importance of choosing a Buddhist niche? (Place it in the chairman’s office)

Buddhist niches, shrines, etc. are generally made of wood. Ancient Chinese grotto carvings are generally in the style of shrines, and small niches are also called coffins. A niche originally refers to a place dug into a rock cliff to place a Buddha statue. According to Volume 4 of the Sutra of Awakening to the Samadhi Sea, there are countless niches in Mount Sumeru, and there are countless Buddhas in them. Volume 177 of "Daviposha Lun" records: Disha Buddha went to the mountain, entered the glazed niche, placed a nun on the Buddha's sandalwood, sat in lotus position, and entered the fire boundary. Today's major Buddhist relics, such as the Ajanta Pagoda and Alora in India, and the Yungang and Longmen Grottoes in my country, all have niches for Buddhas and Bodhisattvas carved into the four walls. In later generations, stone or wood was used to make cupboards with doors and doors to enshrine Buddha statues, which were called Buddhist niches.

The large niche is usually placed in the ancestral hall, while the coffin is usually placed in the living room. The surface of the niche is often decorated with exquisite reliefs, through carvings and semi-circular carvings, giving it a classical aesthetic.

The shapes of the sacred and Buddhist niches are different from those of the ancestral niches: the sacred and Buddhist niches are open, with hanging curtains and no niche doors; the ancestral niches have no hanging curtains and have niche doors; the seats of the sacred and Buddhist niches are not divided into steps, and are arranged according to the priority of the gods and Buddhas. , left, middle, right, front, middle and back are arranged side by side; the ancestral niches are divided into steps and are arranged from top to bottom according to the order of generation. For those who have multiple surnames in the temple, the steps are also arranged according to the order of ancestors. Therefore, the ancestral niches are mostly vertical. Rectangular in shape, most of the shrines for gods and Buddhas are horizontally rectangular. The arrangement of the ancestral god-lord is also regular. The ancestor lives in the main niche, and the following ancestors are arranged on both sides of the ancestor-god. The so-called Zhao and Mu refer to the order of arrangement in the ancestral temple. The ancients believed that since the ancestor, the father was called Zhao and the son was called Mu. Generally, counting from the current oldest member of the family, only the four generations of Kao, Ancestor, Great-Ancestor and Gaozu will be placed in the main niche. If the number is more than four generations, the deity will be moved to the side niche. The ancestor will not be moved and will always be placed in the main niche. On the niche. When placed, the first generation is on the left, facing south, and is called Zhao; the second generation is on the right, facing north, and is called Mu. The following odd-numbered descendants such as the third, fifth, and seventh generations are all called Zhao, while the fourth, sixth, and eighth generations are called Zhao. The descendants with an even number of generations are all Mu, and so on, so that the order of the relationship between ancestors and descendants becomes orderly and not chaotic at all.

Buddhist niches are often used among the people to worship gods and Buddhas or tablets of deceased ancestors. They are generally made of camphor wood and fir and are finely carved. They are made to imitate traditional pavilion buildings. The roofs are in the style of a mountain, and there are also flying eaves and dragon ridges. Some are also divided into upper and lower floors, with double eaves, two or four doors, guardrails in front, and steps outside. There are couplets on the columns, plaques in the middle of the upper and lower floors, and fine carvings on the windows. The shape and color are like those of a house with an earth-and-wood structure. Some Buddhist niches are built in one piece, with four very high legs that support them steadily. Others are supported by furniture such as offering tables or four-unit cabinets below, and can be moved separately. The material of the Buddhist niche can be made of gilt copper, brass or wood, depending on the economic situation of each family.

Various religions were prevalent in ancient my country. In addition to large and small temples in various places, almost every religious family has a Buddhist altar to worship the patron saint of the family and the god of all or part of the ancestors of the family. The tablet is used for daily chanting and praying. Generally, there is a main niche in the middle of the main hall of the ancestral hall or the main hall of the home, facing north and south, with an auxiliary niche on the left and right sides facing each other. If the ancestral hall is large in size, the auxiliary niches will be placed in the auxiliary halls of the left and right wings. Most of the Buddhist niches are made of wood, carved with dragons and phoenixes, decorated with flowers and gilded, and only one Eight Immortals table for ancestors can be placed underneath.

The decoration of ancestral shrines in ancestral halls in various places has distinctive regional characteristics. Every traditional Tibetan family must enshrine Buddhist niches in the most noble places and send their brightest children to become monks. The Buddhist niche is called "Gawu" in Tibetan, which is an amulet. It is usually made of silver or copper, but also made of gold or wood. Tibetans usually hang it around their necks when they go out, or carry it on their backs. Inside the Buddhist niche Pocket Buddha statues or other sacred objects are placed to bring good luck, ward off disasters and drive away evil spirits. It can be seen that the practice of Tibetan Buddhism affects the daily life of Tibetan-speaking people.

Influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, most yurts also have niches for family members to worship, with Buddha statues. In front of the Buddha statues, offerings, butter copper lamps, etc. are placed, which is called an "altar." "You must not hang or place anything considered dirty near it, but only items such as bows and arrows used by men to symbolize bravery.

In addition to properly coordinating with the star hexagrams, the placement of the Buddhist niche must also coordinate with the ridges. The layout of the house is the ridges. The simplest one must follow certain basic rules: first, there must be something to rely on. It is best to lean against the wall, because the wall is a fixed place; secondly, it must be stable, preferably close to the corner, so that it is not easily hit by other things; thirdly, it must be quiet, and it is best not to have TVs, speakers, etc. nearby; thirdly, it must be quiet. Fourth, there must be no debris blocking the front. It would be disrespectful to place Buddha statues or scriptures casually with other debris. In addition, it is said that Buddhist niches are generally oriented with the west facing east or the northwest facing southeast, which seems to mean that Buddha came from the west.

Placement of Buddhist niches:

1. The Buddhist niches or altars should be placed from the inside to the outside. The Buddhist niches or altars should be placed from the home to the door and from the hall to the outside. That is to say, it should be facing the door. However, if this requirement cannot be met due to environmental restrictions, it should also be faced in the direction of the door. Avoid rushing towards the door, that is, seeing a Buddhist niche or altar as soon as you enter the house [refers to being too close to the door] ], keep a certain distance from the door.

2. It should be placed in a quiet place, and the place should be quiet and tidy. It is best not to have speakers, TVs, etc. near Buddhist niches or altars.

3. Do not face the bed. Not facing the dining table. The kitchen, toilet, etc. are due to the Bodhisattva seeing indecent behavior and meat and fish. If conditions are limited, some places the Buddhist niche or altar in the bedroom, and then use a yellow cloth curtain to block it when sleeping.

4. The Buddhist niche or altar must have a backing, and the back should not be empty. The next door to the wall cannot be the toilet or kitchen.

5. Buddhist niches or shrines should not be placed under beams.

6. If conditions permit, the Buddhist niche or altar should not be too low and should be of a moderate height.

7. The number of offerings should be single, not double. For example, when offering offerings to Bodhisattva and other gods, the Bodhisattva should be at the top and the gods at the bottom, because the ranking of the gods is lower than that of the Bodhisattva, and the Buddha and Bodhisattva are supreme.

8. The orientation of the Buddhist niche or altar: Generally, do not place it in the south or west of the home [this orientation can be slightly offset], other orientations are acceptable, and it is best to choose according to the Feng Shui layout of the home. Decide.

9. It is best to sit west and face east when worshiping Buddha and Bodhisattvas.

Official matters:

1. The number of incense sticks is three, but one stick is also acceptable. If you are busy at ordinary times, you can burn incense on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month.

2. When offering fruits, it is best to keep the fruits fresh. Do not wait for the fruits to go bad before replacing them. The replaced fruits can be enjoyed with your family.

3. A glass of water must be offered in front of the Buddha, and flowers must be offered if possible.

4. Avalokitesvara's decoration: It is best for Avalokitesvara to sit "west to east". In addition, because Avalokitesvara is pure and flawless and avoids the smell of fish, there are three directions not to face: not to the toilet; not to the door; not to the dining table. .

5. Offerings: Guanyin follows a vegetarian diet and only uses flowers and fruits as offerings. Other gods can be worshiped with three animals.

Offering etiquette

Offering incense: After setting up the Buddhist hall, you can practice morning and evening recitations according to each person's practice, or offer incense in the morning and evening (you can provide water in the morning), every day. , persevere. Flowers and fruits do not have to be changed every day. It is enough to offer flowers and fruits whenever there are anniversaries of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas or on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month.

Buddha lamps: The lighting of oil lamps and candles depends on the environment and personal habits. Generally speaking, not every home environment is suitable for lighting lamps. Just light the lamps under the premise of safety.

Offerings: You can prepare flowers and fruits as offerings on the anniversaries of meeting Buddhas and Bodhisattvas or on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. If you want to put the dishes, you can put six dishes, one bowl for the first bowl, and one bowl of rice.

Environment: Buddhist halls, altar tables, incense burners, and candlesticks should be kept clean and dignified regularly. When cleaning, use special cloths, buckets, etc., and do not share cleaning tools with other places.

When someone in the family passes away, do not cover the Buddhist hall, because when a person passes away, he must be received by the Buddhas, and there is no need to cover the Buddha statues.

Outing: If you are away for many days due to business and no one can take care of the Buddhist hall at home, you need to tidy up the Buddhist hall before leaving, and pay attention to the safety of fire and electricity. After you return home, Just process it again.