EXPRESSING CREATIVITY: your zazen practice space

[Meitou]

Again, so many lovely expressions of what an altar can be. What I particularly love here is the sheer variety - and how so much of us personally is expressed in the outward form of a shrine, something univeral yet deeply personal.
Thank you everyone
Gassho
Meitou
sattoday lah

[Tai Shi]

EXPRESSING CREATIVITY: your zazen practice space


Almost all gifts including table all except photos and add cylinder with Heart Sutra which came later. Now I have larger darker statue of Buddha.
Tai Shi
Gassho/ sat


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[Kyoshin]

I have two altars. The first is lively and faces the front door, as is the typical custom here in Vietnam. It includes Shakyamuni; Phuc, Loc, and Tho (aka Fuku Roku and Ju in Japanese); Ganesh; and a little fella from Japan whose name I cannot for the life of me remember. The one in my Zen space is simpler; just a Dogen book with my lineage sheet marking my place, an incense burner, and my handwritten version of the 3 pure and 10 fundamental precepts.

Gassho
Kyōshin
SatlahIMG_20200804_163812788.jpgIMG_20200804_164057868.jpg

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[Jundo]

... It includes Shakyamuni; Phuc, Loc, and Tho (aka Fuku Roku and Ju in Japanese); Ganesh; and a little fella from Japan whose name I cannot for the life of me remember. The one in my Zen space is simpler; just a Dogen book with my lineage sheet marking my place, an incense burner, and my handwritten version of the 3 pure and 10 fundamental precepts.

Oh, you will have to explain a bit. First, I don't spot any "little fella from Japan," so not sure who that is. Second, I had to research "Phuc, Loc and Tho" and had to translate this from a Vietnamese page ...

Phuc Loc Tho or Phuoc Loc Tho ( Simplified : 福禄寿; Traditional : 福祿壽; pinyin : Fú Lu Shòu ) is a term commonly used in Chinese culture and its influences. , to talk about the three basic things of a good life: good things (Blessed), prosperity (Loc), and longevity (Longevity). Each symbolizes a god, these three are collectively referred to as Mr. Phuc-Loc-Tho

The Kanji 福禄寿 (luck, prosperity and long life) are often seen, but those three usually appear here in Japan, as far as I know, as one combined figure who is part of the Seven New Year immortals often seen here at that time of year. I don't recall seeing them on their own like that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuro...%20one%20deity.

How did the Indian Elephant headed Ganesha come to your Altar? He actually appears in Japanese Buddhism sometimes in Esoteric Buddhism, known as Kangiten.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangiten

Gassho, Jundo

STLaj

[Kyoshin]

Oh, you will have to explain a bit. First, I don't spot any "little fella from Japan," so not sure who that is. Second, I had to research "Phuc, Loc and Tho" and had to translate this from a Vietnamese page ...





The Kanji 福禄寿 (luck, prosperity and long life) are often seen, but those three usually appear here, as far as I know, as one combined figure who is part of the Seven New Year immortals often seen here at that time of year. I don't recall seeing them on their own like that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuro...%20one%20deity.

How did the Indian Elephant headed Ganesha come to your Altar? He actually appears in Japanese Buddhism sometimes in Esoteric Buddhism, known as Kangiten.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangiten

Gassho, Jundo

STLaj

The three guys Phuc Loc Tho are extremely popular in Vietnam, and we're described to be as "happy, healthy, and lucky." I see them on more home/business altars here than anybody else. Though they're never that prominent in temples here, they're often the star of the show on altars in individual homes and businesses. Number 2 figure you see on altars in Vietnam is probably Hotei the laughing Buddha. Quan Am, aka Kannon, is very popular on altars as well, as are a number of other local and Chinese figures. Shakyamuni is actually not very popular for home altars in my experience, and when he's there, he's often not front and center, so mine is a bit unusual in that way. But in Vietnam I myself (a semi-pudgy white American guy) am pretty unusual, so it fits I think. The three guys I got from a local artist here in Vietnam, and the Buddha is mass-produced plastic from a little shop near my apartment.

Ganesh is there because I've always liked him, and while Vietnam is very Chinese-influenced, the rest of southeast Asia (Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, etc) is very Indian/Hindu influenced. You'll often see depictions of the Buddha hanging out with Hindu deities, and indeed, "Buddhist" temples are occasionally repuposed Hindu temples that some monk plunked a Buddha statue down and said "it's Buddhist now." Plus in the Pali canons Buddha often talks in Hindu terms, so Ganesh is my little nod to that. The statue itself came from Bali, which is still predominantly Hindu, and was a gift from my dad.

The little guy from Japan is hard to see, but he's sitting in Buddha's hands. He's a keychain souvenir I got from a temple in Kyoto a couple of years ago. I've added a close-up photo. You'll have to tell me about him Jundo, because I've forgotten both his name and which temple or shrine he came from.

As a whole that altar is my way of bowing to the way Buddhism expresses itself in the local culture of each place I've been lucky enough to visit. I like how that altar, out in the world is kind of wild and jumbled but still has the Buddha in the center, as opposed to extreme simplicity of the space where I do my zazen. I hope that answers your questions; it was considerably more than 3 sentences.

Gassho
Kyōshin
SatlahIMG_20200804_210017322.jpg

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[Jundo]

Kyōshin
Satlah[ATTACH]6604[/ATTACH]

Ah, that is "Daikoku."

Daikokuten 大黒天 or Daikoku 大黒 is widely known in Japan as the happy-looking god of wealth, farmers, food, and good fortune, although in earlier centuries he was considered a fierce warrior deity ... reminding us of his Hindu origin as a war god ... However, since the early 14th century, Japanese artwork of this deity starts showing him as a cheerful and pudgy deity wearing a peasant’s hat (called Daikoku-zukin 大黒頭巾) and standing on bales of rice (tawara 俵), carrying a large sack of treasure slung over his shoulder and holding a small magic mallet. ... Images, paintings, and other artwork of Daikokuten can be found everywhere in modern Japan, showing him alone ... or grouped with the Seven Lucky Gods. He appears on posters, key chains, mobile-phone accessories, toys for children, and many other commercial goods.
https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/daikoku.shtml

He is so popular because so many people in Japan, yesterday and today, are merchants or in agriculture. In fact, he is very common in Zen temples, including this Daikoku at Sojiji Soto Head Temple:

https://sojiji.jp/english/zenen/syobutu/index.html

It is surely so common in Buddhist temples because so many of the donors and parishioners have been merchants and farmers.

And ... he is often grouped with the Seven Immortals including "Phuc Loc Tho/ Mr. Fukuro" so you have him in the right company!

Here is a little more information on the Chinese origins of "Phuc Loc Tho" that I found in Wiki ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanxing_(deities)

Gassho, J

STLah

[Tai Shi]

EXPRESSING CREATIVITY: your zazen practice space

There is a very loving and caring poem on my Facebook page under my picture of one rose from our backyard. Please take a look? Charles Taylor, Tai Shi MFA creative writing Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Thank you. Master of Fine Arts earned with 3.9 GPA, almost with destination; however, I took my comprehensive more than once.
Tai Shi
sat/ lah
Gassho


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[Jundo]

... Master of Fine Arts earned with 3.9 GPA, almost with destination; however, I took my comprehensive more than once.

We would like you even if your GPA were only a 3.5

Gassho, J

STLah

[Kyoshin]

Ah, that is "Daikoku."





He is so popular because so many people in Japan, yesterday and today, are merchants or in agriculture. In fact, he is very common in Zen temples, including this Daikoku at Sojiji Soto Head Temple:

https://sojiji.jp/english/zenen/syobutu/index.html

It is surely so common in Buddhist temples because so many of the donors and parishioners have been merchants and farmers.

And ... he is often grouped with the Seven Immortals including "Phuc Loc Tho/ Mr. Fukuro" so you have him in the right company!

Here is a little more information on the Chinese origins of "Phuc Loc Tho" that I found in Wiki ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanxing_(deities)

Gassho, J

STLah

THANK YOU! I couldn't remember Daikoku's name and it was driving me crazy

Gassho
Kyōshin
Satlah

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[Horin]

Inspired by these neat "shrines", I just built some little moveable butsudan out of a peppermint drops tin. Very practical for traveling, I think.

On the left Manjushri bodhisattva on the blue lion, with Kodo Sawaki as an important and inspiring figure in Soto zen and Gudo Wafu Nishijima as Jundos Dharma father, on the right Shakyamuni with small "cardboard stand-ups" of Bodhidharma, as a central ancestor who brought the Dharma from India to China, and of course Dogen Zenji.

Below a little storage, where I store a little, folded piece of paper with the heart sutra. I still struggle not to read it



Gassho

Horin

StlahIMG_20200812_185353.jpg

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[Jundo]

Stlah[ATTACH]6621[/ATTACH]

That is lovely. Actually, the Samurai and others used to make portable Buddhist shrines very much like that, some very elaborate and beautifully carved, some simpler or more rustic ...



So did the Chinese (one finds a lot of inexpensive copies of these in Chinatowns ...) ...



... and Tibetans had theirs too ...



Buddha in a Box, all ready to travel!

Gassho, J

STLah

[Horin]

That is lovely. Actually, the Samurai and others used to make portable Buddhist shrines very much like that, some very elaborate and beautifully carved, some simpler or more rustic ...



So did the Chinese (one finds a lot of inexpensive copies of these in Chinatowns ...) ...



... and Tibetans had theirs too ...



Buddha in a Box, all ready to travel!

Gassho, J

STLah

Wow, interesting, nice shrines. Thanks for that background informations!

Gassho

Horin

Stlah

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[Bion]

I can see myself reflected in this reply of yours. I catch myself many times pointing at that pretty HUGE difference between zazen and meditation that many seem to either ignore or not know about. It´s not a commentary I make to point out anyone´s errors, but rather to avoid future misunderstandings regarding shikantaza. ☺️

SatToday

I will remind everyone, however, that Shikantaza Zazen --is not-- "meditation." We should not call it so.

Would you mind to change the heading of the thread?

It is a small matter of a word, but I want folks to be clear on this.

Gassho, Jundo

SatTodayLAH

[Meitou]

Inspired by these neat "shrines", I just built some little moveable butsudan out of a peppermint drops tin. Very practical for traveling, I think.

On the left Manjushri bodhisattva on the blue lion, with Kodo Sawaki as an important and inspiring figure in Soto zen and Gudo Wafu Nishijima as Jundos Dharma father, on the right Shakyamuni with small "cardboard stand-ups" of Bodhidharma, as a central ancestor who brought the Dharma from India to China, and of course Dogen Zenji.

Below a little storage, where I store a little, folded piece of paper with the heart sutra. I still struggle not to read it



Gassho

Horin

Stlah[ATTACH]6621[/ATTACH]

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Horin these are exquisite, thank you for sharing them. I've just found a tiny tin also used for peppermint and will try to do something with it.
Thanks also Jundo for those images, all lovely examples.
Gassho
Meitou
Sattoday lah

[Horin]

Thank you :-)
Let us know when you have done something nice with it

Gassho

Horin

Stlah

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